Who registers a tenancy in Abu Dhabi, what ADREC publishes about fees, how an expired contract is closed, and how TenancyDesk prepares the registration.
Tawtheeq is Abu Dhabi's system for registering tenancy contracts, run by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) through the DARI platform.
Who does what
Registration is two-sided. The lessor — the owner, or someone acting for the owner — starts it on DARI, and the tenant then reviews it. DARI's own guide for tenants: "After the leaser initiates a lease registration, as a tenant, you will receive a notification so you can review the tenancy contract."
So a tenant does not start a registration; the tenant takes part in it. That is the opposite of Dubai, where a tenant can file an Ejari with the landlord's approval.
Fees
ADREC/DARI publish this scheme (lease registration fees):
| Case | Published fee |
|---|---|
| Residential, term under 4 years | AED 50 service fee per contract |
| Residential, term of 4 years or more | 1% of the annual rent |
| Commercial or industrial, under 4 years | AED 50 per contract, no municipality fee |
| Commercial or industrial, 4 years or more | AED 50 per year, no municipality fee |
| Residential, municipality fee | 5% of the annual rent for non-nationals, minimum AED 450 |
Fees are set by the authority and can change — check DARI before quoting them.
Closing an expired contract
DARI's Close Tenancy Contract – 2 party approval service is for a contract whose validity has expired. The landlord starts it; the tenant can Accept, Return with feedback or Reject. DARI describes it as having no additional cost.
Preparing it in TenancyDesk
On an Abu Dhabi deal, the Tawtheeq tab prepares what you will file:
- Readiness — a percentage and the lists of what is missing. It looks for the property's TAQA Distribution premise number (formerly ADDC), title deed or Musataha number and type; both parties' names and identification — in Abu Dhabi an Emirates ID for both the tenant and the landlord, or a trade licence for a company; the annual rent, security deposit and contract dates; and the signed tenancy contract and the title deed or Musataha.
- Export Data and Export Docs — the registration data and a ZIP of the documents.
- File it yourself. TenancyDesk does not submit to ADREC or DARI.
- Mark as Submitted to TAMM, then record Approved with the Tawtheeq number, or Rejected. A rejected preparation can be reopened.
What TenancyDesk does not check: that names match the title deed, the contract's language, or a power of attorney. It cannot guarantee that the authority accepts the registration.
After registration
With the Tawtheeq number on the deal, the deal can complete its last step and show as Registered. For the rent at renewal, see Abu Dhabi Rent Cap.
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