Ejari Registration: A Practical Guide

Ejari is Dubai's system for registering tenancy contracts, run by Dubai Land Department (DLD). Registration is mandatory under Law No. 33 of 2008, Article 4(2). The law sets no fixed day-count and no fixed fine. In practice, the Rental Disputes Centre will not hear a dispute under an unregistered contract, and DEWA connection and many visa steps ask for the Ejari certificate.

Who can file

• The agency or the landlord — at a Real Estate Services Trustee centre or in the Dubai REST app.
• The tenant — also possible, but not alone. DLD: a tenant can register "with the landlord's approval" through a Trustee centre or the Dubai REST app, and "If the landlord does not approve within 5 days, the request will be automatically canceled." (DLD)

What DLD asks for

DLD publishes the requirements per service and channel — check the current list before you file: Register / Renew Tenancy Contract.

On identification, DLD's own lists differ by role: the tenant presents their Emirates ID; an owner gives the Emirates ID number if resident, or a copy of a valid passport if non-resident. A residence visa is not on DLD's list — landlords often ask for one when the contract is signed, but that is the landlord's requirement, not DLD's.

Fees

DLD sets these fees and can change them — confirm the current figure on DLD's site before quoting it to a client.

Preparing it in TenancyDesk

On a Dubai deal, the Ejari tab prepares what you will file:

1. Readiness — a percentage, and the lists Missing Fields, Missing Documents and Validation Issues. It looks for the property's DEWA premise number, title deed number and type; both parties' names and identification; the annual rent, security deposit and contract dates; and the signed tenancy contract, the title deed and the parties' identity documents. It also flags an expired Emirates ID, an end date before the start date, and amounts that look unusual.
2. Export Data and Export Docs — once readiness reaches 100%: a spreadsheet of the Ejari data and a ZIP of the documents.
3. File with DLD yourself. TenancyDesk does not submit to DLD.
4. Mark as Submitted to Ejari — and record who filed: your agency, the landlord or the tenant.
5. When DLD answers, record Approved — with the Ejari number and, if you have it, the certificate — or Rejected. A rejected preparation can be reopened, corrected and exported again.

What TenancyDesk does not check: that names match the title deed, that the DEWA number exists at DEWA, or that the contract is signed. It cannot guarantee that DLD accepts the application.

After registration

Share the certificate with the tenant. With the Ejari number on the deal, the deal can complete its last step and show as Registered.

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Related:

• Document Requirements Checklist
• Rent increases and the RERA index