Most people arriving in Dubai budget carefully for the rent itself, but there are several additional costs to factor in from the start. The annual rent shown on the listing may account for roughly 90% of what you pay in the first year, with the remaining 10% often due within the first two weeks and, in many cases, paid by cheque.
What you actually need to hand over
To sign a residential lease in Dubai you will normally be asked for a passport copy, a residence visa page, an Emirates ID, and in many cases a recent salary certificate or three months of bank statements. Landlords have become noticeably more thorough about income verification since the property market tightened, and some now ask for a credit report from Al Etihad Credit Bureau. These requests are standard, but you should not need to hand over original documents.
There are also several upfront costs to factor in. A security deposit is commonly 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property and 10% for a furnished one, although this is standard practice rather than a legal requirement and can vary by landlord. Agency commission on rentals is typically 5% of the annual rent, often with a minimum fee of around AED 5,000 for lower-priced properties. Ejari registration also comes with a fixed government fee. DEWA, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, requires a refundable security deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment or AED 4,000 for a villa, along with a small activation charge.
Rent property in Dubai is still commonly paid by post-dated cheque, usually in one to four instalments. Landlords may offer a more competitive rent when fewer cheques are used, while monthly payments can sometimes come at a higher overall price. Some landlords and larger managed portfolios, including those run by betterhomes, Allsopp & Allsopp and haus & haus, now also offer direct debit, giving tenants another way to manage payments without relying on post-dated cheques
Ejari, and why nothing works without it
Ejari, which translates from Arabic as “my rent”, is Dubai Land Department’s official tenancy registration system.Every residential and commercial lease in the emirate is supposed to be registered on it. Without this official record, you will be unable to proceed with DEWA registration, manage family residency visas, establish a business license at the premises, or seek legal recourse through the Rental Dispute Centre.
Registering Ejari yourself through the Dubai REST app or DLD website is usually the most affordable option. The current fee is AED 177.75, made up of a AED 100 registration fee, knowledge and innovation fees, a service partner charge and VAT. A Real Estate Services Trustee Centre can complete the registration at the counter for around AED 220, while third-party typing centres and platforms may bundle the service into fees of around AED 250–500. Published figures can vary slightly between providers, so check the current DLD “Register / Renew Rental Contract” e-service page before budgeting.
Under Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, tenancy contracts in Dubai must be registered with RERA. DLD states that responsibility for registration sits with both the landlord and tenant, although in practice the tenant or real estate agent often handles the process. If the landlord has not completed the registration, the tenant can initiate it through Dubai REST, with the landlord required to approve the request.
You will need the signed Unified Tenancy Contract, your Emirates ID or UAE Pass, the landlord’s details, the title deed and the nine-digit premises number, which can usually be found on a plate near the entrance to the property.
Cancelling it on the way out
Ejari also needs to be cancelled when you move out. Leaving the previous registration active can cause problems with the property’s next tenancy, as a new tenant may be unable to register until the old Ejari has been closed.
Cancellation is free through the Dubai REST app or DLD’s online Ejari system, while a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre charges AED 40 plus VAT. The tenant can request cancellation, while the landlord or an authorised real estate company may also be able to complete the process.
It is worth dealing with this in the same week you hand back the keys, alongside closing your DEWA account and settling the final bill.
The clauses worth arguing about
Read the contract before the cheques clear, because verbal assurances are unenforceable once the document is signed. Four things deserve attention.
Maintenance. Dubai convention puts major repairs on the landlord and minor ones on the tenant, but the split is contractual, not statutory. A common formulation makes the landlord responsible above AED 500 per incident. Get the threshold written in, and get the AC and water heater named explicitly, those are the expensive failures.
Early termination. There is no automatic right to leave a fixed-term lease. If you might move, negotiate a break clause with a defined notice period and a capped penalty, typically one to two months’ rent.
Rent increases at renewal. Any increase is capped by Decree No. 43 of 2013 and requires 90 days’ written notice. A clause purporting to fix a higher increase in advance does not override the decree.
The inventory. Photograph and document the condition of every room at move-in, and get it countersigned. Deposit disputes are almost always won or lost on whether that record exists.
