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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 177.75 (AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge, AED 10 innovation, AED 55 partner fee plus AED 2.75 VAT). A Real Estate Services Trustee Centre charges AED 220 and takes about 25 minutes.
Sources checked 20 Oct 2026 · official sources first · Sources
“Register the Ejari the week you sign. Without it you cannot connect DEWA, and you have no record if there is a dispute.”
How to register Ejari in Dubai
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system that registers every tenancy contract.
Step by step
- Sign the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract with your landlord (Law 26 of 2007 Art. 4 requires a written lease registered with RERA).
- Choose a channel: Dubai REST app, DLD website (Ejari system), Dubai Now, or a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. If a property management company manages the unit, it registers through its own Ejari access.
- Online: log in, select Register / Renew Tenancy Contract, enter details and upload the contract.
- At a Trustee Centre: hand over the original contract, your Emirates ID and any power of attorney.
- Pay the fees (credit card, cash or Noqodi wallet).
- A DLD employee reviews and approves the request.
- Receive the e-Contract Registration Certificate (the Ejari certificate); online applicants get it by email.
- Use the Ejari number to activate DEWA: DEWA creates your account automatically and emails the deposit payment link.
What it costs
| Item | AED | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy contract registration fee | 100 | source |
| Knowledge fee | 10 | source |
| Innovation fee | 10 | source |
| Service partner fee, Dubai REST app / DLD website | 55 + 2.75 VAT | source |
| Total via Dubai REST app / DLD website | 177.75 | source |
| Service partner fee, Trustee Centre | 95 + VAT | source |
| Total via Trustee Centre (as stated by DLD) | 220 | source |
Documents you need
- Unified Tenancy Contract (a copy for app filing; the original at a Trustee Centre)
- Applicant's Emirates ID (Trustee Centre)
- Official power of attorney if a representative applies (a Dubai-issued POA can be entered by number only; one from another emirate must be attached)
- DEWA premises number (9 digits, on the premises door), needed so DEWA can link the account (per DEWA)
- Market practice, not on the DLD page: tenant passport, visa and Emirates ID copies, landlord ID, title deed (secondary: Mondaq, Gulf News)
How long it takes: About 25 minutes at a Trustee Centre, excluding waiting (DLD). DLD lists no completion time for app/online filing; secondary sources say same day once the landlord approves.
The numbers behind Dubai renting: 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%). Source: Dubai Land Department Ejari open data.
Where the sources disagree
- Fee totals differ by source: DLD lists AED 177.75 online and AED 220 at a Trustee Centre; Gulf News (Jan 2026) says about AED 155 via Dubai REST and up to AED 220; Mondaq says AED 120 online and AED 206-220 at centres; Emaar says AED 175 online and AED 239.75 at a centre. Use DLD's figures.
- DLD's Trustee Centre items (100+10+10+95+VAT) add up to about AED 219.75, which DLD rounds or states as AED 220; the page does not show the VAT line.
We quote the official figure where there is one. Check the official page before you pay.
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Questions
Who is responsible for registering Ejari?
Law 26 of 2007 Art. 4 (as amended by Law 33 of 2008) requires all lease contracts to be registered with RERA. Gulf News reports the landlord is legally responsible, though in practice tenants or agents often do it under an addendum clause.
Who pays the Ejari fee?
Usually the tenant. Gulf News cites Law 26 of 2007 Art. 22: unless agreed otherwise, the tenant pays government fees for using the property. Check your contract.
Can I register Ejari at a Trustee Centre if my building is run by a management company?
No. DLD says Trustee Centres cannot register properties managed by a real estate company or by an owner with Ejari system access; those go through the manager.
What do I get at the end?
An e-Contract Registration Certificate, commonly called the Ejari certificate, with a unique contract number.
Sources (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- DLD eService: Register / Renew Ejari Contract (official)
- DLD eService: Request to Register and Renew Ejari Contract (official)
- Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, Dubai Legislation Portal (official, English translation)
- Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008 amending Law No. 26 of 2007, Dubai Legislation Portal (official)
- DEWA service guide: Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in) (official)
- Gulf News: What is Ejari? (secondary, updated 14 Jan 2026)
- Gulf News: Who pays for Ejari renewal (secondary, 2 May 2021)
- Mondaq: How to make a tenancy contract in Dubai (secondary)
More guides: Ejari online · Renew Ejari · Ejari certificate · Tenancy contract · DEWA move-in · Security deposit · Rent cheques · Eviction notice · Rental disputes
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