Skip your Ejari and you own a property that cannot legally be rented, cannot be used to renew a tenant’s visa, and cannot be defended in a RERA rent dispute. For a AED 220 fee, that is a strange thing to skip.
Ejari is Dubai’s mandatory tenancy registration system, operated by RERA. Every residential and commercial tenancy contract in the emirate is supposed to be registered on it within days of signing. The tenant needs a valid Ejari certificate to activate DEWA, to renew or sponsor a residency visa, to enroll children in most schools, and to bring a case to the Rental Dispute Center. For the landlord, it is the document that proves the legal lease terms if the tenant tries to claim an informal agreement at renewal.
I have seen one Business Bay landlord lose a RERA rent-increase case in 2024 because the original 2023 contract was never registered on Ejari. The tenant’s version of the rent was the one that stood.
Register the contract yourself if the agent delays. The Ejari portal accepts direct submissions. Do not rely on goodwill for a document you will need in two years.
Related: Tenancy Contract, RERA, DEWA, Landlord.
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