Renting out property in Dubai: a landlord's guide to Ejari, rent increases, eviction and letting from abroad
What Dubai law requires of a landlord: registering the tenancy in Ejari, the RERA rent increase bands, 12 months' eviction notice, your repair duties and how to let from abroad.
In this guide
Renting out a property in Dubai means signing a written tenancy contract, registering it with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) through Ejari, and then following Dubai's tenancy law for as long as the tenant stays. That law, Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, limits how much and how often you can raise the rent, sets out when you can recover the property, and makes you responsible for maintenance unless the contract says otherwise. None of it requires you to live in the UAE: an overseas owner can let through a licensed management company or a representative with a power of attorney. This guide covers each step, with the legal source and the official fees as checked on 12 November 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.
Which law governs renting out property in Dubai?
Law No. 26 of 2007 regulates the relationship between landlords and tenants in Dubai, and Law No. 33 of 2008 replaced eleven of its articles, including those on registration, rent, renewal and eviction. Read together, they apply to all leased land and property in the emirate except homes an employer provides rent-free to staff.
The main points for a landlord:
| Topic | Rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | In writing, describing the property, purpose, term, rent and payment method | 4 (as amended) |
| Registration | Every lease and amendment registered with RERA | 4 (as amended) |
| Renewal | A tenant who stays on without objection renews on the same terms for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter | 6 |
| Changing terms or rent | Notice at least 90 days before expiry, unless agreed otherwise | 14 (as amended) |
| Maintenance | Landlord's responsibility unless agreed otherwise | 16 |
| Security deposit | May be taken to secure maintenance; refunded, or the balance, at the end | 20 |
| Subletting | Only with the landlord's written consent | 24 |
| Eviction | Limited grounds during and at the end of the lease | 25 (as amended) |
Disputes go to the Special Tribunal for landlord and tenant disputes, which Bayut and other guides refer to as the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre. The tribunal can set a fair rent when the parties cannot agree at renewal (Article 13 as amended).
How do you register a tenancy in Ejari?
You, the tenant or a representative registers the signed Unified Tenancy Contract with the Dubai Land Department (DLD), online or at a trustee centre. The Ejari service page, checked on 12 November 2026, lists these fees:
| Fee (AED) | DLD website or Dubai REST app | Real Estate Services Trustee Centre |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy registration | 100 | 100 |
| Knowledge fee | 10 | 10 |
| Innovation fee | 10 | 10 |
| Service partner fee | 55 plus VAT of 2.75 | 95 plus VAT |
| Total | 177.75 | 220 |
Who can apply:
- Landlords must be the owner or a legal representative holding a power of attorney.
- Companies registering on an owner's behalf must hold a licence for property management.
- Online, individual owners must own and manage their own properties; representatives need a power of attorney that authorises property management.
- The Dubai Now app lets an individual owner and tenant register, renew or cancel a contract instantly, signed with UAE PASS. Both need a valid Emirates ID, and the tenant accepts, signs and pays.
- At a trustee centre you bring the original contract, the applicant's Emirates ID and any power of attorney. A power of attorney issued in another emirate must be attached; one issued in Dubai can be quoted by number.
The DLD's Dubai Now page notes that the tenant pays DEWA fees separately where applicable. Once registered, the Ejari certificate can be downloaded from the DLD's services page.
How much can you increase the rent in Dubai?
Only within the bands of Decree No. 43 of 2013, measured against the DLD's rental index, and only with at least 90 days' notice before the lease ends. Bayut's guide (updated 16 October 2026) sets out the bands:
| How far the current rent is below the index average | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Less than 10% below | None |
| 11% to 20% below | 5% |
| 21% to 30% below | 10% |
| 31% to 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
To find where your rent sits against the rental index, use the DLD's rental index calculator, which searches by area, building, DEWA premise number or Ejari contract number. Bayut describes the current version as a Smart Rental Index that rates buildings from one to five stars on condition, maintenance and amenities, so two buildings in the same district can carry different benchmarks. We could not find the launch date or the star methodology on the DLD's own pages, so check the calculator result for your building before serving notice.
The original 2007 law barred any increase in the first two years of a tenancy; that article was replaced by Law No. 33 of 2008, which instead lets the tribunal set a fair rent by reference to RERA's criteria and comparable homes if you and the tenant cannot agree. Notice under the amended law can be served through a notary public, by registered mail, by hand or by other legally approved electronic means.
Rents are moving in both directions in 2026. On Property Finder's analysis of registered contracts for the 12 months to November 2026, new leases averaged AED 102,800 and were down 2.9%, while renewals averaged AED 80,400 and were up 4.9%.
When can a landlord evict a tenant in Dubai?
Only on the grounds the law lists. During the lease, Article 25(1) as amended allows eviction for reasons including:
- rent unpaid 30 days after a written demand;
- subletting without written consent;
- illegal use, or use against the agreed purpose or planning rules;
- damage or dangerous alterations;
- a breach of the contract not put right within 30 days of notice;
- a Dubai Municipality finding that the building is unsafe, or a government order to demolish.
At the end of the lease, Article 25(2) as amended allows you to recover the property only if you:
- want to demolish, rebuild or extend it, with the required permits;
- need to carry out restoration or major maintenance that cannot be done with the tenant in place, confirmed by a Dubai Municipality report;
- want it for your own use or a first-degree relative's, and own no other suitable property;
- want to sell it.
For all four, you must notify the tenant of the reason at least 12 months before the eviction date, and the notice must be served through a notary public or by registered mail. Two further rules follow. If you recover a home for personal or family use, you may not let it to someone else for at least two years (Article 26). If you rebuild or renovate, the former tenant has the right to return at a rent set by the tribunal, and must take it up within 30 days of being told (Article 29).
What are a landlord's obligations to the tenant?
To hand over the property in good condition for its purpose, keep it maintained and pay for repairs that are not the tenant's fault, unless the contract says otherwise (Articles 15 to 17). You must also give any approvals the tenant needs from authorities for permitted works (Article 18), and refund the security deposit, or the balance after legitimate deductions, at the end of the lease (Article 20).
In return the tenant must pay on time, use the property with ordinary care, make no alterations without your permission, and hand it back in its original condition apart from ordinary wear and tear (Articles 19 and 21).
Some costs stay with you as owner whoever lives there. The annual service charge is owed to the building's owners' association under Law No. 6 of 2019; see service charges in Dubai. Air-conditioning servicing, repainting between tenancies and appliance replacement usually fall to the landlord too, so put a figure for them in your yield calculation.
How do you rent out a Dubai property from abroad?
Through someone in Dubai who is legally able to act for you. The DLD's Ejari rules allow three routes:
- A licensed property management company. Companies registering tenancies must hold a property management licence. Check the licence, and agree in a written management agreement what the company will do (marketing, viewings, tenant checks, Ejari registration, rent collection, deposits, repairs, renewals and notices), how it will hold your money, and what it charges. We found no official or reliable published benchmark for management fees, so compare written quotes.
- A representative with a power of attorney. The power of attorney must authorise property management, and one issued outside Dubai must be attached to an Ejari application. Our glossary entries on notarisation and attestation explain the steps for a document signed abroad.
- Yourself, if you hold an Emirates ID. The Dubai Now and online routes require an Emirates ID and UAE PASS, so they suit owners who are UAE residents.
Plan how rent will reach you. Many Dubai tenants still pay in a few post-dated cheques: in Betterhomes' Q3 2026 lettings, 33% of deals were on four cheques and 28% on one (15 October 2026). Ask your bank or manager how cheques will be deposited and the funds sent abroad. We did not find an official source setting out bank account requirements for non-resident landlords.
If you live abroad, your country of residence will probably tax the rent; see the UAE property tax guide and the buyer hubs for the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan and the United States.
What does it cost to let a Dubai property?
The official costs are small; the larger ones are commercial and should be agreed in writing:
- Ejari registration: AED 177.75 online or AED 220 at a trustee centre (DLD).
- Service charges: set per building and approved by RERA; check the area service charge data.
- Letting and management fees: commercial, agreed with your agent.
- Vacancy: Betterhomes reports that a long let typically takes one to three weeks to agree, or four to six weeks with more marketing, and that one empty month costs about 8.3% of the year's rent (2 November 2026).
- Maintenance and furnishing, and landlord's insurance if you take it.
Our rental yields guide shows how these turn a 7.2% gross yield into 4.8% net on a worked example, and the rental yield calculator lets you test your own figures.
Should you let long term or as a holiday home?
A 12-month tenancy under the rules above gives predictable income and puts utilities on the tenant. A holiday home needs a separate permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism, a furnished home and usually an operator, and earns more only when bookings are strong. You cannot do both at once with the same unit: a holiday home must be let as a whole to guests, and a long-let tenant may sublet only with your written consent.
