Ejari
Ejari is Dubai's mandatory online register of tenancy contracts, run by the Dubai Land Department; a lease is not fully enforceable until it is recorded there.
What Ejari means for a buyer
Ejari means "my rent" in Arabic. Dubai's tenancy law requires every tenancy contract, and every amendment to one, to be registered with RERA, and Ejari is the system that does it. Registration produces an Ejari certificate carrying a unique number.
For an owner who lets a property, Ejari is what turns a signed lease into a recognised one. The tenant needs the certificate to open a DEWA account, sponsor family visas and bring a case at the Rental Disputes Centre, and the landlord needs it to enforce the lease. The registered rent is also the base against which the rental index is applied at renewal.
Registration can be done on the Dubai REST app for AED 100 plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. Using a trustee or typing centre costs more, because a service partner fee and VAT are added. The law places the obligation on the landlord, although in practice tenants often complete it. A managing agent can register on an owner's behalf.
Points overseas landlords miss: a property can hold only one active Ejari, so the previous registration must be cancelled before a new tenant's can be issued. Holiday lets are not registered in Ejari at all; they fall under the holiday home permit. Outside Dubai the systems differ: Abu Dhabi uses Tawtheeq.
Guides that use this term
Where Ejari comes up in practice, with the costs, rules and steps around it.
Questions about the buying process?
An adviser can explain how this applies to the property you're considering.
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