Renting in Dubai: cheques, Ejari and the RERA index
Dubai rents in advance: the legal standard is a year's rent in at most four instalments up front, in practice often with dated cheques. Against that stand two protections newcomers rarely know: the compulsory Ejari registration of your contract, and the RERA index that reins in rent increases. Plus the items that come on top of the rent, from agent's commission to housing fee.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
A tenancy contract in Dubai asks for a lot of money up front. The tenancy law has the year's rent paid in advance, and registration, commission and a municipal levy come on top. That makes the first contract a cold shower for many Dutch people. Not because of the price per month, but because of the moment at which everything wants to be paid.
Whoever knows the system negotiates better. And they know where the tenant is strong here: at renewal.
How do you pay the rent?
Dubai's tenancy law is clear about it: if tenant and landlord have agreed nothing else, or it cannot be established what was agreed, the year's rent is paid in advance in four equal instalments. What you agree between yourselves may differ. The government portal mentions paying in one go or in several instalments, as agreed with the broker or the landlord.
If you pay with dated cheques, write them as contracts. Since 2 January 2022 an uncovered cheque is no longer a criminal offence. But the holder can have it collected directly through the execution judge (the judge who enforces payments), without a court case. And it does remain a crime if you close or empty your account before the cheque has been presented. More on that in banking and payments in Dubai.
Why must the contract go into Ejari?
The tenancy law requires every tenancy contract, and every change to it, to be registered with the regulator RERA. That happens in Ejari, the system of the Dubai Land Department, Dubai's real estate authority. It costs AED 177.75 through the app and AED 220 through a Real Estate Services Trustee office, an approved service office. There you also show your Emirates ID. The registration certificate comes by email.
The registration is not a formality for the landlord alone. If you want to bring your family to Dubai, the government asks for a certified tenancy contract or proof of ownership for the family visa. So sign nothing without agreeing who arranges the registration and when.
How much may the rent rise on renewal?
Here the tenant is strong. Decree 43 of 2013 ties the maximum increase to the RERA rent index, which tracks the average rent for comparable homes per area. The further your rent lies below that average, the more may be added:
| Your rent is below the index average by | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| up to 10% | none |
| 11% to 20% | 5% |
| 21% to 30% | 10% |
| 31% to 40% | 15% |
| more than 40% | 20% |
The tenancy guide works it out: with an index average of AED 80,000 and a rent of AED 60,000, your rent is 25% below the average, and 10% may be added. The new rent then becomes AED 66,000. The RERA calculator on the Dubai Land Department website gives you that outcome per area.
Ninety days, or it does not apply. If either party wants to change anything in the contract on renewal, or not renew it, the tenancy law requires this to be notified no later than ninety days before the end of the contract, unless you agreed otherwise. Put that date in your diary on the day you sign, and work out straight away what the index allows.
When may the landlord evict you?
During the term only for reasons the law names, such as:
- rent still unpaid thirty days after a notice to pay;
- subletting without written consent;
- use for an unlawful purpose.
After the contract ends the landlord can request eviction if they want to:
- demolish or thoroughly renovate the property;
- live there themselves or have a first-degree relative live there;
- sell it.
They must then give you the reason twelve months in advance, via a notary or registered post.
What comes on top of the rent?
Besides the bare annual rent, count on three items:
- The deposit. The law lets the landlord ask for one for the upkeep of the home. They must return it, or what remains of it, at the end.
- The agent's commission, according to the government portal up to 5% of the annual rent.
- The housing fee (a housing levy) of 5% of the annual rent, which Dubai Municipality collects through your monthly water and electricity bill.
Together that is an entry cost well above the first month's rent. So start your Dubai budget with the home.
Which order works?
First choose the area by school and work, then look up the RERA index for that area, and only then view. After that:
- Agree before signing who does the Ejari registration.
- Never hand over more cheques than agreed.
- Record the condition of the home on handover with photos.
The deposit comes back by law. But only whoever can show what was already broken actually gets it back in full.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey: the same steps, but applied to your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines monitored. See the whole journey to Dubai.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Dubai Land Department — the official tenancy guide (tenancy law 26/2007 as amended, decree 43/2013 on rent increases) — dubailand.gov.ae
- Dubai Land Department — Ejari registration and costs — dubailand.gov.ae
- U.ae — renting a home in the UAE (agent's commission, housing fee) — u.ae
- U.ae — general provisions for the residence visa (certified tenancy contract for the family visa) — u.ae
- CBUAE — questions and answers on the new cheque rules in the commercial transactions law — centralbank.ae
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