Renting in Dubai: a step by step guide

To rent a home in Dubai you sign a tenancy contract with the landlord or a registered broker, pay the rent by cheque or as agreed, register the contract in Ejari for 177.75 AED online, and pay DEWA a refundable deposit of 2,000 AED for a flat to switch on electricity and water. The landlord cannot end the contract early except in cases the law lists. A rent rise at renewal needs 90 days notice and is capped by the RERA rental index.

Last checked October 2026. Every figure links to its source.

General information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check the linked source before you rely on a figure.

1. Find a home and a broker

You can find a home through registered real estate brokers, property websites, or directly from the owner. Check what rents to expect first: our Dubai areas and rents pages list the monthly range for a studio, 1-bed and 2-bed in 12 areas.

A broker in Dubai must be registered in the brokers registry and hold a broker card from the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). A broker who is not licensed by RERA can lose the right to a commission. The commission is whatever you agree with the broker. u.ae says some brokers ask for up to 5% of the total rent: on a yearly rent of 90,000 AED, 5% is 4,500 AED.

When you view a flat, note the 9-digit DEWA premises number on the door. You need it for Ejari, which opens your DEWA account. Ask whether air conditioning comes from a district cooling company, and if so whether its bill is included in the rent. The utilities guide explains why.

Sources: Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026), u.ae, the UAE Government portal, Search for a property, Rent rates; Frequently Asked Questions, Dubai Land Department, brokers and broker fees; Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), FAQ 4. Checked October 2026.

2. Sign the tenancy contract

The law requires a tenancy contract that sets out, with no room for doubt, the home, the purpose of the lease, the term, the rent and how it is paid, and the name of the owner if the landlord is not the owner. Dubai uses a unified tenancy contract, which is the document registered in Ejari.

To sign, you give the landlord or broker a copy of your passport, a valid residence visa and your Emirates ID, plus post-dated cheques for the lease period.

Unless the contract says otherwise, the rent covers the building amenities, such as a pool, gym and car park.
Unless the contract says otherwise, the tenant pays the government fees for using the home. In Dubai that includes the housing fee below.
You may not sub-let the home or hand it to someone else without the landlord giving written consent.

Sources: Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Law No. 26 of 2007, Articles 4, 11, 22 and 24, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008; Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026), u.ae, the UAE Government portal, Rent rates; Register or Renew Tenancy Contract, Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026.

3. Pay the rent and the security deposit

You can pay the rent in one payment or in several, as agreed with the landlord or broker. If the contract does not set the payment dates, the law says the yearly rent is paid in four equal instalments in advance.

The landlord may also take a security deposit to cover the upkeep of the home, and must return it, or what is left of it, when the contract ends. The law does not set the amount, so agree it in the contract. Dubai Land Department says normal wear from daily use, such as scratches from moving furniture, is not yours to repair, and a full clean and repaint of the inside walls when you leave is usually a job for the owner. Check the home with the landlord at handover so its condition is on record.

Sources: Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026), u.ae, the UAE Government portal, Rent rates; Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Law No. 26 of 2007, Articles 12 and 20; Frequently Asked Questions, Dubai Land Department, security deposit. Checked October 2026.

4. Register the contract in Ejari

Every tenancy contract in Dubai must be registered with RERA through Ejari. u.ae says landlords must register their lease agreements, and registration is required to connect water, electricity, gas and telecom services. If the landlord or management company does not register it, the tenant can.

Ejari fee, AED	Dubai REST app or website	Trustee centre
Registration	100	100
Knowledge fee	10	10
Innovation fee	10	10
Service partner fee	55 plus 2.75 VAT	95 plus VAT
Total	177.75	220

Online, you upload a copy of the unified tenancy contract. At a trustee centre, you bring the original contract and show your Emirates ID. You then receive the registration certificate, by email when you apply online.

Sources: Register or Renew Tenancy Contract, Dubai Land Department; Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026), u.ae, the UAE Government portal, Registering lease agreements; Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Chapter II and Law No. 33 of 2008, Article 4. Checked October 2026.

5. Connect DEWA and pay the housing fee

Once Ejari is issued, DEWA opens your account and sends an email and SMS with the account number, the security deposit and a payment link. The refundable deposit is 2,000 AED for a flat or 4,000 AED for a villa, plus 155 AED in connection fees for small meters. Electricity and water are connected within 15 working hours of payment.

Tenants also pay Dubai Municipality a housing fee of 5% of the yearly rent, added to the monthly electricity and water bill. For the homes in our cost model:

Home	Rent a month	Housing fee a month
Studio in Deira	2,200	110
1-bed flat in JLT	7,500	375
2-bed flat in JLT	9,500	475

The utilities guide covers the DEWA tariff, district cooling, internet and mobile.

Sources: Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Service Fees and FAQ; Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026), u.ae, the UAE Government portal, Registering lease agreements; Dubai salary calculator cost model and rent table, Dubai Reality Check. Checked October 2026.

6. Your rights while you live there

A valid contract cannot be ended early by the landlord or the tenant alone. It ends early only by agreement, or in one of the eviction cases the law lists.
Unless agreed otherwise, the landlord is responsible for maintenance and for repairing defects that affect your use of the home.
The landlord may not cut off services or disturb your use of the home. If this happens, you can report it to the police station for the area and claim damages at the Rental Disputes Center.
If the home is sold, the new owner takes over your fixed-term contract. Dubai Land Department says a new landlord may not increase the security deposit.

Sources: Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Law No. 26 of 2007, Articles 7, 16, 28 and 34; Frequently Asked Questions, Dubai Land Department, termination and change of owner. Checked October 2026.

7. Renewal and rent increases

To change the rent or any other term at renewal, either side must give notice at least 90 days before the contract ends, unless the contract says otherwise. If the contract ends and you stay on without objection from the landlord, it renews on the same terms for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter.

How much the rent can rise is set by Decree No. 43 of 2013. It compares your rent with the average rent for similar homes in the RERA rental index:

Your rent compared with the index average	Largest rise allowed
Up to 10% below	No increase
11% to 20% below	5%
21% to 30% below	10%
31% to 40% below	15%
More than 40% below	20%

Example: your rent is 90,000 AED a year and the index average for similar homes is 110,000 AED. Your rent is 18% below the average, so the rent can rise by at most 5%, to 94,500 AED.

Check your own figure with the rental increase calculator or the Rental Index service on the Dubai Land Department website or the Dubai REST app. The index covers all residential areas of Dubai, including free zones, except the Dubai International Financial Centre, and is updated once a year. It is a guide for a new lease, and binding when landlord and tenant disagree about a rise at renewal.

Sources: Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Decree No. 43 of 2013, Articles 1 and 3, and Law No. 26 of 2007, Articles 6 and 14, as amended; Frequently Asked Questions, Dubai Land Department, rental index; Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026), u.ae, the UAE Government portal, Registering lease agreements. Checked October 2026.

8. Eviction and notice periods

During the contract

The landlord can seek to evict you before the contract ends only in cases the law lists, including:

rent not paid within 30 days after the landlord serves a notice to pay;
sub-letting without the landlord giving written approval;
using the home for an illegal purpose, or for a purpose other than the one leased;
damaging the home on purpose or through gross negligence, or changing it in a way that makes it unsafe;
breaking another term of the contract and not putting it right within 30 days of a notice;
the building being condemned, or a government order to demolish it.

At the end of the contract

The landlord can ask you to leave when the contract ends only if the owner wants to sell the home, demolish and rebuild it, carry out renovation that cannot be done with you living there, or take it back to live in himself or for a first-degree relative, if he owns no other suitable property. The landlord must give you 12 months notice of the reason, by notary public or registered post. If the owner takes the home back to live in, it may not be let to anyone else for 2 years, unless the tribunal sets a shorter period.

The 90 day notice in the law is for changing terms. If you plan to leave at the end of the term, check the notice your contract asks for.

Source: Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Law No. 33 of 2008, Articles 14, 25 and 26. Checked October 2026.

9. Disputes

The Rental Disputes Center (RDC) of Dubai Land Department decides all rental disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai, including in free zones. Before a claim reaches the First Instance Committees, it goes to the Conciliation Department, which tries to settle it. A settlement is signed by both sides and approved by a supervising judge, and can be enforced.

RDC fee	AED
Eviction, renewal, rent claim or ending a lease	3.5% of the yearly rent, at least 500, at most 20,000
Claim for money	3.5% of the amount, at least 500, at most 15,000
Serving the claim	100
Knowledge and innovation fees	20
Power of attorney, if any	25
Filed at a trustee centre	130 plus VAT

On a yearly rent of 90,000 AED, a rent claim costs 3,150 AED plus the smaller fees. If the case settles in conciliation, half of the claim fee is refunded. You need a copy of your Ejari, your Emirates ID, a bank letter or statement showing your IBAN, and, for an eviction claim, the notarised notice or registered post receipt. Documents must be in Arabic or legally translated, and are uploaded to rdc.gov.ae.

If a landlord refuses to take your rent, you can deposit it at the RDC, which notifies the landlord.

Sources: About Rental Disputes Center, Rental Disputes Center, Dubai Land Department; Dispute Lawsuit for Amicable Settlement, Rental Disputes Center, Dubai Land Department; Frequently Asked Questions, Dubai Land Department, landlord refuses rent. Checked October 2026.

Questions about renting

How much does Ejari cost?

Dubai Land Department lists 177.75 AED to register a tenancy contract through the Dubai REST app or website, and 220 AED at a trustee centre, including VAT on the service partner fee.

Can my landlord raise the rent every year?

Only at renewal, with at least 90 days notice before the contract ends, and only as far as Decree No. 43 of 2013 allows. If your rent is up to 10% below the RERA index average for similar homes, no rise is allowed. The cap rises in steps to 20% when your rent is more than 40% below the average.

How much notice must a landlord give to evict a tenant in Dubai?

To evict at the end of the contract, 12 months, by notary public or registered post, and only to sell, demolish, carry out major renovation, or move in himself or a first-degree relative. During the contract, eviction is possible only in listed cases, such as rent unpaid 30 days after a notice to pay.

Is the security deposit refundable?

Yes. The landlord must return the deposit, or what is left of it, when the contract ends. Normal wear from daily use is not yours to repair, but damage beyond that can be paid from the deposit.

Where do I complain about my landlord?

At the Rental Disputes Center of Dubai Land Department, online or at a trustee centre. A claim starts with conciliation. The fee is 3.5% of the yearly rent, at least 500 and at most 20,000 AED, and half is refunded if you settle.

Sources: Register or Renew Tenancy Contract, Dubai Land Department; Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department, Decree No. 43 of 2013 and Law No. 33 of 2008; Frequently Asked Questions, Dubai Land Department, security deposit; Dispute Lawsuit for Amicable Settlement, Rental Disputes Center, Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026.

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Sources

Leasing a property in the UAE (page updated 20 January 2026). u.ae, the UAE Government portal. Checked October 2026. https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/moving-to-the-uae/leasing-a-property-in-the-uae
Register or Renew Tenancy Contract. Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026. https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/register-renew-ejari-contract/
Frequently Asked Questions. Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026. https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/frequently-asked-questions/
Tenancy Guide, with Law No. 26 of 2007, Law No. 33 of 2008 and Decree No. 43 of 2013. Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026. https://dubailand.gov.ae/media/051bem5a/tenancyguideen.pdf
About Rental Disputes Center. Rental Disputes Center, Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026. https://rdc.gov.ae/en/about-rdc/about-rental-disputes-center/
Dispute Lawsuit for Amicable Settlement. Rental Disputes Center, Dubai Land Department. Checked October 2026. https://rdc.gov.ae/en/eservices/dispute-lawsuit-for-amicable-settlement/
Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in). Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). Checked October 2026. https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about-us/service-guide/consumer-services/move-in
Dubai salary calculator cost model and rent table. Dubai Reality Check. Costs and rents verified November 2025, page built October 2026. https://www.isdubaiworthit.com/calculator

Last checked October 2026.