Renewing your tenancy contract is only half the job in Dubai — the renewal isn't official until Ejari says so.
Quick answer: Ejari renewal means registering your renewed tenancy contract in the Ejari system — it doesn't happen automatically when the contract renews. Submit the renewed contract, Emirates ID and previous Ejari number through the Dubai REST app or an Ejari-approved typing centre; the fee is roughly the same as a new registration (around AED 220 at typing centres — confirm current fees), and processing is usually same-day.
Skip it, and things you didn't expect start failing: DEWA queries, visa renewals that require a current Ejari certificate, and any rental dispute where your registration isn't up to date. Here's the process, start to finish.
First: renewal, cancellation, or nothing?
- Same tenant, contract renewed? → Renew the Ejari registration with the new contract. This is the yearly routine.
- Tenant leaving? → That's Ejari cancellation, a different process — cancel so the next tenancy can register.
- Contract unchanged mid-term? → Nothing to do; Ejari matches the contract term.
What you'll need
- The renewed (signed) tenancy contract
- Previous Ejari certificate or registration number
- Emirates ID of the person registering
- Landlord's title deed copy and passport/ID copies (as required by the channel)
- A recent DEWA bill for the unit, where requested
How to renew: the steps
- Sign the renewed contract first. Ejari registers what already exists — get both signatures before you start.
- Choose your channel: the Dubai REST app (digital, no visit) or an Ejari-approved typing centre (over the counter).
- Submit the renewed contract with the previous Ejari number so the registration updates rather than duplicates.
- Pay the fee and collect the new certificate — usually issued the same day. Keep the PDF; visas and DEWA will ask for it.
The renewal trap that costs real money sits 90 days earlier. Any rent increase at renewal is only valid if the RERA Smart Rental Index permits it and written notice was given 90 days before the renewal date. By Ejari-renewal time, that window is long closed — so treat the 90-day mark, not the renewal date, as the real deadline in your calendar. Landlords with portfolios automate exactly this in their rental management workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Is Ejari renewed automatically every year?
No. The tenancy contract may renew (even automatically, by its terms), but the Ejari registration must be updated separately with the renewed contract each time.
Q2. Who pays for Ejari renewal — landlord or tenant?
The law doesn't fix it; in practice the tenant usually registers and pays, unless the contract or the landlord's property manager says otherwise. Agree it in the contract to avoid the annual argument.
Q3. What happens if I don't renew Ejari?
The registration lapses with the old contract. You'll hit the wall at the next dependency — a visa renewal, a DEWA transaction, or a rental dispute where an expired Ejari weakens your position. Renewal takes minutes; the queue it unblocks is much longer.
The bottom line
Ejari renewal is a five-minute task with a hard dependency chain behind it — visas, DEWA, disputes. Do it the same week the renewed contract is signed, and put the real deadline — the 90-day rent-notice mark — in your calendar, not just the renewal date itself.
This article is for general information. Ejari is administered by the Dubai Land Department — current procedures and fees at dubailand.gov.ae. Confirm requirements and fees at the point of service.
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