Ejari, the registration nothing works without.
Every Dubai tenancy has to be logged with the Land Department through Ejari. What it costs in 2026, how to do it on your phone in a few minutes, and the yearly renewal that owners tend to miss.
Ejari is the Land Department’s record of your tenancy, and it is mandatory. Without it the tenant cannot connect DEWA or get a residence visa on the lease, and neither of you can open a dispute case. Registering through the Dubai REST app costs roughly AED 155 to 180 and takes a few minutes.
In short
Ejari is the official government record of a Dubai rental contract, and registration is mandatory.
An unregistered lease blocks DEWA, residence visas, school enrolment, and any case at the Rental Dispute Centre.
Online registration through the Dubai REST app costs about AED 155 to 180. A trustee centre is closer to AED 230.
Either party can register. The responsibility usually sits with the landlord or their agent.
Ejari follows the contract dates, so it has to be registered again at every renewal.
Why it matters
A tenancy contract on its own is an agreement between two people. Ejari is what makes the government treat it as a tenancy. The certificate is asked for when a tenant connects DEWA, when they sponsor a spouse or child on the lease, when a school wants proof of address, and when either side wants to take a dispute to the Rental Dispute Centre.
That last case is the one owners tend to overlook. If a tenant stops paying, or a landlord tries an increase the rules do not allow, the Centre will not hear the case without a registered Ejari. Twenty minutes saved at the start of the tenancy can cost you the ability to enforce it later, so register before anything else.
What it costs, and where
You can register online or in person. The difference is the fee and how much of your day it takes. The app is cheaper and issues the certificate on the spot. The centres exist for anyone who would rather hand the paperwork to someone else.
| Where you register | Roughly what it costs |
|---|---|
| Dubai REST app | AED 155 to 180 |
| DLD Ejari online portal | AED 155 to 180 |
| Trustee or typing centre | AED 220 to 230 |
Fees current at 2026 and inclusive of the government knowledge and innovation fees. Trustee and typing centres add a service partner fee, which is why the in-person figure is higher. Check the current amount in the app before you pay.
Registering on the Dubai REST app
| Document | Provided by |
|---|---|
| Signed tenancy contract | Both parties |
| Tenant's Emirates ID or passport | Tenant |
| Landlord's Emirates ID or passport | Landlord |
| Title deed of the unit | Landlord |
The standard residential set in 2026. The app confirms the exact list for your contract. A landlord registering needs the title deed. A tenant registering needs the landlord's details as they appear on the lease.
Log in with UAE PASS.
Download Dubai REST and sign in with UAE PASS rather than creating a separate account. The registration is then tied to your verified identity, and you will not have to re-enter your details next year.
Open Services, then Ejari, then New Registration.
The path runs through the Housing section. Choose new registration for a first lease, or renewal if you are re-registering an existing tenant for another year.
Enter the contract and upload the documents.
You need the tenancy contract, Emirates ID or passport for both parties, and the title deed if you are the landlord. Enter the start and end dates, the rent and the number of cheques exactly as they appear on the contract.
Pay, and save the certificate.
Pay by card or Apple Pay and the Ejari certificate arrives as a PDF in the same session. File it with the contract. The tenant will need a copy for DEWA and for their visa.
Fees and steps current at June 2026 and indicative. The Dubai REST app and the DLD portal show the live figure and document list. General guidance, not legal advice.
Questions
- What is Ejari and is it mandatory in Dubai?
- Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system that records every rental contract in the city, and registering is mandatory. A tenancy that is not registered has no official standing. The tenant cannot connect DEWA or sponsor a residence visa on the lease, and neither side can bring a case at the Rental Dispute Centre.
- How much does Ejari cost in 2026?
- Around AED 155 to 180 if you register online through the Dubai REST app or the DLD portal. At a trustee or typing centre it is roughly AED 220 to 230, because the centre adds its own service fee. Both figures include the registration fee and the small knowledge and innovation fees the government adds to most transactions.
- Who registers Ejari, the landlord or the tenant?
- The responsibility usually sits with the landlord or their agent, but the system accepts either party. In practice the tenant often does it, because they need the certificate for DEWA and their visa. Whoever registers needs the signed tenancy contract and identification for both parties.
- What do you need Ejari for?
- Connecting DEWA, sponsoring a residence visa, enrolling children in school, and filing any rental dispute. Each of those asks for a registered Ejari certificate. It is the document that turns a private agreement into one the government and the utilities recognise.
- How long does Ejari registration take?
- In the Dubai REST app it is close to instant. You enter the contract details, upload the documents and pay, and the certificate comes back as a PDF in the same session if everything is in order. A typing centre issues it the same day but you wait your turn.
- Do you have to renew Ejari every year?
- Yes. Ejari is tied to the contract dates, so each renewal needs a fresh registration with the new term and rent. Owners forget this more often than they forget the first registration, and the tenant then finds out when their own visa or DEWA renewal is refused.
- Does a DIFC property use Ejari?
- No. DIFC runs its own land registry. A lease there is registered with the DIFC Registrar of Real Property rather than with the Land Department's Ejari, and a tenancy dispute goes to the DIFC Courts instead of the Rental Dispute Centre. Everywhere else in Dubai, Ejari is the record. If your unit is inside DIFC, register through the DIFC system and keep that certificate for the same purposes.
Mulki keeps every contract, Ejari and renewal date in one place, so none of them lapse.
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