Dubai has Ejari. Abu Dhabi has Tawtheeq — and while they do a similar job, the rules around them are not the same. Getting this wrong costs money, and in 2026 it matters more than it used to, because the rent your contract records now sets what you can be charged next year.
What Tawtheeq is
Tawtheeq is the emirate’s rental contract registration system. The Department of Municipalities and Transport describes it as a Rental Contract Registration System, with all services relating to lease contracts — registration, cancellation and renewal — available through the TAMM platform and at Customer Happiness Centres.
Registration sits under Law No. 20 of 2006, which governs the relationship between landlords and tenants in Abu Dhabi. Since November 2023, the body that registers leases and handles the regulatory side is the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), established by the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
Who has to register — and it is not the tenant
This is the most common misunderstanding. The UAE Government’s own guidance is explicit: “In Abu Dhabi, landlords have to register lease contract in the Tawtheeq system.” The duty sits with the landlord, not with you.
Companies and individuals managing property on others’ behalf can obtain their own Tawtheeq username and register on behalf of all properties under their management — which is how most agencies operate.
The fees
Registration fees are set by schedule, and they are modest:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Lease registration (by the lessor) | AED 100 |
| Renewal | AED 100 |
| Amendment | AED 50 |
| Opening a Tawtheeq account | AED 200 |
| Tawtheeq username | AED 300 |
The charge that actually shows up in your budget is different, and it is the tenant’s. A lease registration and attestation fee is levied at 5% of the contract value, with a minimum of AED 450. It is collected by the Department of Energy and split across twelve monthly water and electricity bills — which is why many tenants never consciously notice paying it. UAE nationals on residential leases are exempt.
Dubai works comparably but not identically: there, landlords register with the Dubai Land Department and tenants pay a Dubai Municipality housing fee at 5% of annual rent. Our guide to Ejari and Dubai tenancy sets that side out.
Why registration now decides your rent
In June 2026 ADREC changed the rent increase percentage from 5% to 0% per annum on residential, commercial and industrial property across the emirate, describing it as temporary and in place until further notice. As of publication it had not been lifted — but because it is explicitly temporary, check ADREC’s current position before relying on it.
The mechanism is what makes Tawtheeq central. ADREC stated that all lease renewals and new agreements reference the rental rate from the property’s last registered Tawtheeq contract. A landlord cannot reset to a higher figure simply by finding a new tenant — the registered contract is the reference point. That single sentence converts Tawtheeq from an administrative chore into the emirate’s rent-control machinery.
Notice periods and ending a tenancy
Law 20/2006 sets out notice requirements that neither side can shorten by habit:
| Situation | Notice required |
|---|---|
| Not renewing, or changing lease terms — residential | Two months |
| Not renewing, or changing terms — commercial, industrial or professional | Three months |
If a tenant stays on with the landlord’s knowledge, the lease automatically renews on the same terms. Eviction is not open-ended either: the law sets a closed list of grounds, including non-payment with a right to cure, unauthorised subletting, overcrowding, misuse, harm to health or public order, demolition for rebuilding where the building is at least fifteen years old, and the landlord’s own occupation — the last requiring that the landlord owns no other habitable property in that municipality, gives six months’ notice, and actually occupies for one uninterrupted year.
Where disputes go
Not to a court in the ordinary sense. Abu Dhabi rental disputes go to the Rental Dispute Settlement Committees under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, which are competent to consider, as a matter of urgency, disputes arising from a rental relationship. Each committee is formed of one chair judge and two judge members.
On appeals, the thresholds are worth knowing before you argue over a small sum: a judgment is final at or below AED 50,000; above that it can be appealed within fifteen days; and a further challenge is available only above AED 300,000, within thirty days.
Practical points
Ask to see the registered Tawtheeq contract before you sign anything, and check that the rent on it matches what you are being asked to pay — that number now follows the property. If you are weighing the capital against Dubai, our Abu Dhabi cost of living guide and the comparison of Abu Dhabi or Dubai put the rental picture in context, and our note on why the capital is outperforming Dubai on property explains the market behind these rules.
Primary sources: ADREC tenancy rules and regulations, the ADREC rental freeze update, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department on Rental Dispute Settlement Committees and the UAE Government portal on leasing a property.
