Every legal tenancy in Dubai must be registered through Ejari, and the same system underpins how much your landlord can raise the rent and how you fight an unfair increase. This guide covers Ejari registration and its cost, the RERA rent-increase caps for 2026, deposit rules, and exactly how to file a case at the Rental Dispute Centre.
What is Ejari and why it matters
Ejari (Arabic for “my rent”) is the Dubai Land Department system that officially registers your tenancy contract. Without an Ejari certificate you cannot connect DEWA utilities, sponsor family members against the tenancy, or file a rental dispute. Registration is the tenant’s legal proof of the agreed rent — which is what the rent-cap rules are measured against. It is the landlord’s legal duty to have a registered contract, but in practice the tenant often arranges it because the tenant is the one who needs it for utilities and residency paperwork. Renew the Ejari each time you renew the tenancy so it always matches your current contract.
How to register Ejari and the fees
You can register online through the Dubai REST app or the DLD portal, or in person at an approved typing/trustee centre — the Dubai Land Department sets out the requirements on its register/renew tenancy contract service page. You will need the signed tenancy contract, copies of the landlord’s and tenant’s Emirates IDs, the title deed, and a DEWA premise number.
| Item | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Government registration fee | 100 |
| Knowledge fee | 10 |
| Innovation fee | 10 |
| Online registration total | ~120 |
| Trustee/typing centre (with service fee + VAT) | ~220 – 230 |
RERA rent increase caps in 2026
Your landlord cannot raise the rent freely. Under Dubai’s rent-cap decree, the permitted increase depends on how far your current rent sits below the RERA Rental Index for a comparable property:
| Current rent vs. RERA index | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below the index | No increase allowed |
| 11% – 20% below | 5% |
| 21% – 30% below | 10% |
| 31% – 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
Check your own figure against the Dubai Land Department’s own Rental Index and rental increase calculator, which is the benchmark the cap tiers are measured against. Crucially, a landlord must give 90 days’ written notice before any increase or change to the contract terms takes effect at renewal.
Deposits and renewal
Security deposits are typically 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property and around 10% for furnished, refundable at the end of the tenancy less any genuine damage. Whether it makes long-term sense to keep renewing or buy instead is worth weighing — our buy vs rent in Dubai 2026 analysis runs the numbers. For where rents are actually moving, see our Dubai rent price update.
Eviction and notice rules
A landlord cannot simply ask you to leave. To evict at the end of a contract for a valid reason — such as selling the property or moving in a first-degree relative — the landlord must give 12 months’ notice served through a notary public or registered mail. The 90-day notice rule applies specifically to changes in rent or contract terms at renewal, and the two are often confused. Knowing which notice period applies is your strongest protection if a landlord pressures you to vacate early.
Filing a dispute at the RDC
If a landlord raises rent beyond the cap, tries to evict without proper notice, or withholds your deposit, you can file at the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC), the Dubai judicial body that hears tenancy cases. The filing fee is 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000, plus small knowledge and innovation fees. The losing party is usually ordered to reimburse this cost. You must have a registered Ejari to file.
The process is designed to be quick: you file online or at the RDC in the Dubai Land Department building, submit your Ejari, tenancy contract and evidence, and a mediation stage is attempted first. If mediation fails, the case goes to a judgment that is enforceable. Because the system leans tenant-friendly and the fees are modest, many disputes settle once a landlord realises a formal case has been opened.
Common tenant mistakes
- Not registering Ejari — without it you cannot file a dispute or prove your agreed rent.
- Accepting a verbal rent increase instead of insisting on 90 days’ written notice.
- Assuming any increase is legal — always check the RERA calculator first.
- Leaving the property before a deposit dispute is resolved, weakening your position.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord raise the rent every year?
Only if your current rent is more than 10% below the RERA index for a comparable property, and then only up to the capped percentage for your tier. If you are within 10% of the index, no increase is allowed that year.
What if the landlord ignores the 90-day notice rule?
An increase served without proper written notice is not enforceable. You can continue paying the old rent and, if pressed, file at the RDC using your registered Ejari as proof of the agreed amount.
Who pays the Ejari fee?
Legally the landlord is responsible for registering, but in practice tenants often pay and arrange it because they need the certificate for DEWA and residency. Agree who pays before signing.
Bottom line
Register your Ejari immediately — it is cheap and it is your only leverage in a dispute. Know the rent-cap tier that applies to you before renewal season, insist on 90 days’ notice for any increase, and remember the RDC is an affordable, tenant-friendly route if a landlord oversteps.
