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Cancelling Ejari in Dubai is free if you do it yourself on the Dubai REST app or the Ejari system on the DLD website. At a DLD real estate trustee center it costs a service partner fee of AED 40 plus VAT. The service is meant for an expired contract on a unit you have left. If the lease is still running, you also need a letter from the owner asking for the cancellation.
When you need to cancel
Cancel the Ejari when the lease ends and you leave the unit. Two reasons not to skip it:
- Your limit. A person can hold up to 3 residential Ejari contracts. A forgotten one still counts.
- Leaving the UAE. If you are going for good, close the Ejari along with your visa cancellation.
Documents for cancellation
At a trustee office, DLD asks for:
| Document | When |
|---|---|
| Original Unified Tenancy Contract | Always; if it is still active, present it |
| Applicant's Emirates ID | Always |
| Official power of attorney | If a representative applies. A Dubai POA can be quoted by number; one from another emirate must be attached |
| Letter from the property owner requesting cancellation | Only if the contract is still active |
Source: DLD Cancel Tenancy Contract service page, checked .
Online, you enter the contract data and submit. Have the same papers ready in case the form asks you to attach them. The Ejari documents page compares this list with registration and renewal.
Cancellation fee: online or center
| Route | Fee | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai REST app | Free | Approval by email |
| Ejari system on the DLD website | Free | Approval by email |
| Dubai Now | Listed as a DLD channel | Approval by email |
| Real estate trustee center | AED 40 plus VAT | About 25 minutes |
Source: DLD Cancel Tenancy Contract page, checked . DLD's FAQ adds that cancellation is free when the owner or the real estate company does it.
The 7 trustee centers and their hours are on the Ejari center near me page.
Ending a lease early
The lease contract decides whether you can leave early and what you owe the landlord. Ejari only records it. In practice, if you leave before the end date:
- Agree the early exit with the landlord in writing.
- Ask the owner for the letter requesting the Ejari cancellation.
- Cancel online, or bring the letter to a trustee center.
If the landlord refuses and you disagree about the contract, that is a matter for the Rental Disputes Center, not the Ejari service.
Business leases are stricter
A company's commercial Ejari can only be cancelled early in five cases: the contract has expired, the trade licence is cancelled, the company relocates, the licence is frozen, or the Rental Disputes Center orders it. Companies closing down should read trade licence cancellation, and those moving office should see commercial Ejari.
After you cancel
Keep the approval email. Before you cancel, save a last copy of the certificate from the Ejari certificate download page for your records. When you sign your next lease, register the new Ejari online. The full picture is on Ejari in Dubai.
