How to register a rental agreement in Dubai?

The United Arab Emirates is a beautiful country and is known for its luxury and wealth. As such, it should come as no surprise then that many more foreigners are increasingly choosing it as their new place of residence. Some of them purchase real estate in Dubai to make money in the rental business in order to secure their future investments. While other foreigners come to the UAE to permanently work, stay, and live here. So while everyone is pursuing their various reasons for coming to the country, but at some point, many of them have a common problem of rental housing in the UAE. However, these problems vary as some look for tenants and others look for apartments that they could rent for a long time. To avoid disagreements between the tenant and the landlord in the future, both parties must conclude a contract. The UAE government has developed a strict registration system that significantly reduces the risk of disputes.

Contents:

• What is a contract?
• What is ejari?
• How to register in the ejari system?
• What documents are required to register with the ejari system?
• Important information about the ejari system
• Emirates.Estate will help you to choose your ideal property in the UAE

What is a contract?

A lease is a written agreement or contract between the landlord and the tenant(s) with the terms of the lease, price, terms of payment for the specified period, and the responsibility of the parties involved in case of non-compliance with the terms of the contract. All long-term contracts must be registered with ejari. It may be a contract based on monthly, weekly or daily rent but the classic option would be a lease for a year, paid once a year or once every six months.

A contract drawn up for less than a year is usually called short-term a contract and it is not necessary to register this type of contract in ejari, but short-term contracts must be registered with the DMCC (Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing). The process goes through registration on the official DTM website as it is necessary to provide an Emirates ID (for residents) or passports (for non-residents). Currently, in Dubai, this lease agreement exists in a single form with standard conditions in 2 languages - Arabic and English. This standardized contract can be downloaded directly from the Dubai Land Department website. Another way to access the contract is to download the Dubai REST application, find a form and then fill it out.

What is ejari?

In the United Arab Emirates, there is a system called "ejari". Translated from the Arabic language to the English, ejari means "my rent". So Ejari is a system for registering a lease agreement between a tenant and a landlord. This is a state-created program for registration, regulation and control of all lease contracts in the emirate. It ensures the execution of all private contracts and their structure in a form approved by the government. After registering the transaction with ejari, all the data automatically goes to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency.

Registration in the ejari system gives you the right to go to court if there are problems with the owner (or depending on the situation, with the tenant) and the court is obliged to hear your case. If your contract is not registered in the ejari system, your application will be rejected automatically.

Registration of all rental cases is mandatory except for those cases mentioned above.

How to register in the ejari system?

Usually, when the owner is engaged in the registration of the contract in ejari, he begins this process and the tenant or the agency representing him completes it. You will have to pay about 200 dirhams for registration in ejari. The registration of one’s contract can be completed in any so-called typing center (a place where everyone can print texts) or one can register the document online on the website of the Dubai Land Department or with the Dubai REST or Ejari application.

To register for the application, you need to provide your Emirates ID if you are a resident of the country, a copy of your passport and visa. If the property is rented for commercial purposes, it is necessary to provide a license to conduct this activity. If the lease agreement is concluded through a real estate agency, a document confirming the authenticity of the tenant's data is also provided.

Then, you need to upload all the necessary documents for the application including the lease agreement, ID, copies of passports, visas of both the landlord and tenant, as well as, a copy of the certificate of ownership. The landlord must also be registered in the application. After the approval of all of the documents in the application, a certificate will be issued within 2 working days.

Often, landlords of apartments use the services of real estate agents who find them clients, that is, tenants, help them prepare all the documents, and register a contract with the ejari system — this option is also acceptable.

After registration, an identification number is then assigned to the contract, as you will need this number to create an account with DEWA — the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

What documents are required to register with the ejari system?

To register a lease agreement with the ejari system, you will need the following documents:

• Original signed lease agreement.
• Confirmation receipt of the deposit or prepayment.
• The tenant's identity document.
• Tenant visa in the UAE.
• Emirates ID (if the tenant is a resident).
• A copy of the identity document of the homeowner.
• A copy of the document confirming ownership of the leased property.
• A copy of a valid power of attorney if the contract is signed by a proxy.
• A 9-digit identification number to create an account with DEWA.
• Your DEWA account and any previous Ejari accounts for extending the contract.
• Trade license for registration of commercial real estate.

Important information about the ejari system

Before registering with the ejari system, you should make sure that the previous contract registered in the system has been canceled by a former tenant, landlord, real estate agency, or real estate management company. The law provides that the contract is automatically extended if the current lease expires and you continue to live in rented housing without the landlord objecting. In this case, you will have to pay for the new period and warn the landlord of your intentions in advance. The contract is usually registered within a short time; if everything is filled out correctly and all the conditions have been met, it takes only 1-2 days to register with the ejari system.

Emirates.Estate will help you to choose your ideal property in the UAE

If you are in search of property and have decided to live in the UAE but don’t know where to start, please get in touch with a professional real estate agency in the UAE. The company's staff will help you choose the property you are interested in in the UAE, taking into account your interests and preferences. We will show you what residential areas there are in Dubai and tell you the truth about the pros and cons of each one. We will also help you prepare all the necessary documents and register your contract in the ejari system. If you want to buy a home in Dubai, our staff will help you with this deal.

Start a new life in the city of your dreams – choose Dubai!