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Renting in Dubai: every step, with the real costs
Find the home, agree the rent and cheques, sign the unified tenancy contract, pay the deposit, register Ejari, then connect DEWA. Each step has its own guide below. 480,371 residential Ejari leases started in Dubai between 1 Jan and 15 Oct 2026: 187,978 new market leases (39%) and 286,377 renewals (60%).
Sources checked 20 Oct 2026
“Do the paperwork in this order and nothing gets stuck: contract, deposit, Ejari, DEWA. Then check your rent against the leases.”
Rent Dubai without the surprises
Ejari, DEWA, deposits, cheques, notice, disputes: what the law says, what it costs.
- How to register Ejari in Dubai
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system that registers every tenancy contract. Registering through the Dubai REST app or DLD website costs AED 177.7… - How to register Ejari online
You can register Ejari online through the Dubai REST app, the DLD website (Ejari system) or Dubai Now for AED 177.75. App filing requires both landlor… - How to renew Ejari
Ejari must be renewed each time the tenancy contract renews, normally every year. DLD uses the same Register / Renew service and fees: AED 177.75 thro… - Ejari certificate explained
The Ejari certificate is DLD's e-Contract Registration Certificate, proof that your tenancy contract is registered. It is emailed after online registr… - The Dubai unified tenancy contract
DLD's Unified Tenancy Contract has been mandatory since March 2017. Law 33 of 2008 Art. 4 requires a written, RERA-registered lease stating the proper… - How to activate DEWA when you move in
DEWA's refundable deposit is AED 2,000 for a flat, AED 4,000 for a villa. Small-meter activation costs AED 155 (AED 125 connection plus AED 10 each fo… - Security deposits for Dubai rentals
Law 26 of 2007 Art. 20 lets a landlord take a maintenance deposit, refundable in full or remainder when the lease ends. The law sets no amount; market… - Paying rent by cheque in Dubai
Dubai rent is usually paid by post-dated cheques, typically 1, 2 or 4 a year. Since 2 January 2022 (Federal Decree-Law 14 of 2020), a cheque bounced f… - Eviction notices in Dubai
Under Law 33 of 2008 Art. 25(2), a landlord can evict at lease end only to demolish and rebuild, carry out major restoration, take the property for pe… - Filing a case at Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre
File at the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) through rdc.gov.ae or a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. Eviction, renewal and termination cases cost 3.5… - How much can my Dubai rent go up?
Decree 43 of 2013 caps renewal increases by how far your rent is below the RERA index average: up to 10% below, none; 11-20% below, 5%; 21-30%, 10%; 3… - Method: a monthly Dubai rent index from signed Ejari leases
rentdubai.io's index uses DLD's published Ejari rent-contract records: actual registered leases, not asking prices. Each record gives the registration…
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Questions
How do I rent a home in Dubai?
Find the home, agree the rent and cheques, sign the unified tenancy contract, pay the deposit, register Ejari, then connect DEWA. Each step has its own guide below.
Rent increase calculator → · The Haggle-o-Meter → · The Dirham Stretcher → · All renting guides →
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