Dubai Tenancy Glossary

Ejari

Ejari (Arabic: إيجاري, meaning 'my rent') is Dubai's official electronic system for registering all tenancy contracts. Managed by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) under the Dubai Land Department (DLD), Ejari converts private lease agreements into legally recognised documents and is a mandatory prerequisite for almost every tenant or landlord action in Dubai — from connecting utilities to filing a rental dispute.

RERA — Real Estate Regulatory Agency

RERA — the Real Estate Regulatory Agency — is the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department (DLD) responsible for overseeing Dubai's real estate sector. For tenants, RERA is the authority that sets and enforces rental increase limits through the RERA Rental Index, licences landlords, and administers the Ejari registration system for tenancy contracts.

RDSC — Rental Disputes Settlement Centre

The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) is the specialised judicial body established by the Dubai Government to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. Operating under the umbrella of the Dubai Land Department, the RDSC handles everything from unpaid rent claims and illegal eviction cases to security deposit disputes and rent increase objections — typically faster and more affordably than Dubai's civil courts.

DLD — Dubai Land Department

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) is the government authority responsible for the regulation, management, and promotion of Dubai's real estate sector. For tenants, the DLD is the parent body of both RERA (which sets rental rules and administers Ejari) and the RDSC (which resolves disputes). Any interaction with the official tenancy system in Dubai — from registering a lease to enforcing a court order — runs through the DLD.

Law No. 26 of 2007 — Dubai Tenancy Law

Law No. 26 of 2007 (Regulating Relationships Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai) is the primary legislation governing rental relationships in Dubai. It sets out the fundamental rights and obligations of landlords and tenants — including rules on rent increases, deposit protection, eviction procedures, maintenance responsibilities, and the jurisdiction of the RDSC.

Law No. 33 of 2008 — Amendment to Dubai Tenancy Law

Law No. 33 of 2008 is the amending legislation that updated and strengthened the original Dubai Tenancy Law (Law No. 26 of 2007). Its most significant changes introduced stricter requirements around eviction — including the mandatory 12-month notarial eviction notice — and clarified several ambiguities in the original law that landlords had exploited to circumvent tenant protections.

Decree No. 43 of 2013 — Rent Increase Regulation

Decree No. 43 of 2013 (issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) is the regulation that limits how much a Dubai landlord can increase rent at the time of lease renewal. The decree ties permitted rent increases to the RERA Rental Index, capping increases at between 0% and 20% depending on how far below market rate the current rent sits.

Notarial Notice

A notarial notice is a formal legal communication served through a UAE Notary Public (a licensed official under the UAE Ministry of Justice). In Dubai tenancy law, notarial notices are required for the most legally significant acts — particularly 12-month eviction notices and formal demands that need to carry undisputable proof of delivery. A notarially served notice creates an official record that is difficult to contest before the RDSC.

Eviction Notice (Dubai)

An eviction notice in Dubai is a formal legal demand from a landlord requiring a tenant to vacate the property. Under Law No. 33 of 2008, a valid eviction notice must be served at least 12 months in advance, delivered through a notary public or registered mail, and grounded on one of the specific legal reasons listed in Article 25 of the Dubai Tenancy Law — without which even a correctly timed notice is unenforceable.

Non-Renewal Notice (Dubai)

A non-renewal notice in Dubai is the written communication that either a landlord or tenant must send at least 90 days before the end of a tenancy contract to signal that they do not wish to renew. If neither party sends this notice, the tenancy automatically continues on the same terms for a period equivalent to the original contract or one year, whichever is less.

Security Deposit (Dubai)

A security deposit in Dubai is a sum of money — typically 5% of annual rent for unfurnished properties and up to 10% for furnished properties — paid by the tenant to the landlord at the start of the tenancy. The deposit is held as a safeguard against unpaid rent or property damage beyond normal wear and tear. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord must return the deposit or provide an itemised list of deductions within a reasonable period.

Grace Period (Dubai Tenancy)

A grace period in Dubai tenancy law is the time given to a tenant after receiving a formal notice to remedy a breach — most commonly unpaid rent — before the landlord can take legal action. For non-payment of rent, Dubai law requires a landlord to issue a formal demand and allow 30 days before they can apply to the RDSC to evict. This grace period gives tenants a window to pay arrears and avoid formal proceedings.

RERA Rental Index

The RERA Rental Index (officially the Rental Index Calculator) is Dubai's official database of permitted rental price ranges, maintained by RERA and accessible via the Dubai REST app. Under Decree No. 43 of 2013, a landlord's rent increase at renewal is only legal if the new rent does not exceed the index value for that specific area and property type. Tenants use the index to verify whether a proposed increase is legally permissible.

Tenancy Contract (Dubai)

A tenancy contract in Dubai is the formal written agreement between a landlord and tenant governing the rental of a property. RERA provides a standardised tenancy contract template, and all contracts must be registered via the Ejari system. The contract must state the parties' details, property details, term, rent amount, payment schedule, and security deposit amount. Crucially, any clause that purports to diminish statutory tenant rights is void — the law always prevails over the contract.

Maintenance Obligation (Dubai)

Under Dubai tenancy law, the responsibility for maintaining a rented property is divided between the landlord and tenant. The landlord bears primary responsibility for structural, mechanical, and major system repairs — including plumbing, AC systems, electrics, and the building fabric. Tenants are responsible for day-to-day upkeep and minor maintenance. Any contract clause that shifts major repair costs to the tenant is void.

Sub-Tenancy (Subletting) in Dubai

Sub-tenancy (or subletting) occurs when a tenant rents out all or part of the property they are leasing to a third party (a sub-tenant). In Dubai, subletting without the explicit written consent of the landlord is prohibited under the tenancy law and can be grounds for eviction. Many standard tenancy contracts include an express prohibition on subletting, but even without such a clause, the statutory default is that subletting requires consent.

Property Handover Report

A property handover report (also called a check-in/check-out report or condition report) is a documented inventory of a rental property's condition — including fixtures, fittings, appliances, and surfaces — completed at the start and end of a tenancy. In Dubai, this document is the cornerstone of any security deposit dispute: without a signed move-in report, a landlord cannot prove what condition the property was in at the start of the tenancy, making damage claims very difficult.

Notary Public (Dubai)

A Notary Public in Dubai is a licensed official under the UAE Ministry of Justice who has the authority to authenticate documents, witness signatures, and officially serve legal notices. In the context of Dubai tenancy law, the Notary Public plays a critical role: the law requires that eviction notices and certain formal demands be served via a Notary Public to be legally valid.

Writ of Execution (RDSC)

A writ of execution is a court order issued by the Dubai Land Department's enforcement department that compels compliance with an RDSC judgment. When a landlord (or tenant) refuses to obey an RDSC ruling — such as an order to return a security deposit or to allow a tenant to remain in the property — the winning party can apply for a writ of execution, which enables enforcement actions including bank account freezes, salary attachments, and travel bans.

Fit-Out Period (Dubai)

A fit-out period (or rent-free period) is an agreed window at the start of a tenancy during which the tenant pays no rent while they renovate, furnish, or set up the property for use. Common in commercial leases and sometimes in high-end residential lettings, the fit-out period is a negotiated term that should be clearly documented in the tenancy contract and, ideally, in a separate fit-out agreement specifying what works are permitted.

Cheque Dishonour (Rental Payments)

Cheque dishonour (a returned or 'bounced' cheque) in the context of Dubai tenancy occurs when a tenant's post-dated rental cheque is presented by the landlord and refused by the bank — typically due to insufficient funds. In the UAE, issuing a cheque that subsequently bounces is a criminal offence under Federal Law No. 18 of 1993 (Commercial Transactions Law), in addition to creating civil liability for the rent owed.

Usufruct Rights (Dubai Property)

Usufruct is a legal right that entitles a person to use and enjoy a property owned by another person, and to take the fruits or benefits of that property, without damaging or permanently altering it. In Dubai real estate law, usufruct rights are recognised under Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (UAE Civil Code) and apply in various property arrangements, including long-term leases. For tenants, understanding usufruct clarifies the extent of their right to use and benefit from a rented property.

Registered Title Deed (Dubai)

A title deed is the official document issued by the Dubai Land Department that records legal ownership of a property. Before signing a tenancy contract in Dubai, tenants should verify that the person or company offering the lease is the registered owner on the DLD title deed — or has a valid Power of Attorney from the owner. Renting from someone who does not own the property (a fraud risk) can leave a tenant in a precarious legal position.

Service Charge (Dubai)

A service charge in Dubai is an annual fee levied by a building's master developer or owners' association to cover the cost of maintaining common areas — including lobbies, pools, gyms, security, and landscaping. Service charges are the legal obligation of the property owner (the landlord), not the tenant. Any contractual attempt to pass service charges to the tenant is technically void under RERA's standard contract principles, though it is not uncommon for landlords to attempt this.