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Ejari is the Dubai Land Department (DLD) register of rental contracts. Every lease in Dubai, for a flat, a villa, an office or a shop, can be registered in it, and the result is an e-Contract Registration Certificate. Registering online on the Dubai REST app or the DLD website costs AED 177.75. At a DLD trustee center it is AED 220.
The word comes from the Arabic for rent, which is why you will also see it written as ijari. It is one service, run by DLD, and nobody else issues it.
Who needs Ejari
You need a registered lease whenever a government office asks where you live or where your business sits:
- Tenants sponsoring family. A dependant's residence visa needs a certified housing lease or proof of ownership. In Dubai, tenants show the Ejari. The family visa guide covers the rest of that file.
- Companies on the mainland. Dubai requires the business lease to be registered in Ejari before a mainland licence is issued. See commercial Ejari.
- Employers. MOHRE asks for a valid approved rental contract when it opens a company's labour file, unless the company has an instant licence.
- Anyone moving in. Utilities and other services usually work from the Ejari, so register it as soon as the lease is signed.
Every way to do it
| Route | Who it suits | Total fee |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai REST app | Tenants and landlords on a phone | AED 177.75 |
| DLD website (Ejari system) | The same, on a computer | AED 177.75 |
| Dubai Now app | People who already use it for other bills | Listed as a DLD channel |
| Real estate trustee center | Anyone with the paper original who wants a counter | AED 220 |
| Property management company | Tenants in managed buildings | Ask the manager |
Source: DLD Register / Renew Tenancy Contract service page, checked . DLD accepts payment by credit card, cash or Noqodi wallet.
Amer and Tasheel counters do not do Ejari. Only the 7 DLD trustee centers do, and they are listed with their hours on the Ejari center near me page.
What each Ejari job costs
| Job | Online | At a trustee center |
|---|---|---|
| New registration | AED 177.75 | AED 220 |
| Renewal | AED 177.75 | AED 220 |
| Cancellation of an expired contract | Free | AED 40 plus VAT |
| Certificate download | No fee shown on the DLD form | Not needed |
Source: DLD service pages for registration, cancellation and certificate download, checked . The full breakdown, line by line, is on the Ejari fees page.
The lifecycle of one lease
- Sign the Unified Tenancy Contract with your landlord.
- Register it in Ejari. Step by step: Ejari registration online.
- Keep the certificate. It arrives by email. Lost it? Download the Ejari certificate with your Ejari number.
- Renew when the lease renews, at the same fee: Ejari renewal.
- Cancel when you move out, so the next tenant or your next home can be registered: Ejari cancellation.
What to have ready at each stage is on the Ejari documents page.
Home lease or business lease
The fee schedule is the same. The rules are not. A business lease must be registered in the licensed company's name, and an individual cannot register a commercial unit personally. A person can hold up to 3 residential Ejari contracts. A company can hold as many commercial ones as it needs, but it can only cancel one early in set cases, such as licence cancellation or a move.
If your company needs a registered office to issue or renew its licence, see office Ejari for a trade licence and virtual office Ejari.
Mistakes people make
- Paying a typing shop to type the Ejari and then paying the trustee center's own service fee as well.
- Going to an Amer center for Ejari. It is a DLD job.
- Signing a lease that is not the Unified Tenancy Contract.
- Leaving the old Ejari open after moving. It still counts toward your limit of 3 residential contracts.
