Ejari renewals and the Dubai rent-increase rules
Welcome back to the ejaries.ae podcast. This is episode four. I'm Stephen. We're talking about renewal.
Most tenancies in Dubai run for one year. When the year ends, the tenancy renews. The ejaries record needs to renew along with it. This episode is about how that works, what's different from the first registration, and what tenants and landlords need to know about the rules that apply when the rent goes up at renewal.
The renewal trigger
Renewal happens when the underlying tenancy contract is renewed. A new contract for a new term — typically another twelve months — replaces the previous one. The new contract becomes the basis for an updated ejaries registration.
The renewal isn't automatic. The previous ejaries record doesn't roll over by itself. Someone has to register the renewal. As with the initial registration, this is legally the landlord's responsibility but practically falls to whoever has the most to lose if it isn't done.
In professionally managed buildings, the renewal happens as part of the contract renewal process. In smaller buildings or with individual landlords, it may take more attention.
What's different from a first registration
The mechanics are similar but not identical. A first registration creates a new ejaries record from scratch. A renewal updates an existing record to reflect the new contract term.
The documents you need are largely the same. The new tenancy contract. The title deed. Emirates IDs. Landlord identification or commercial licence. Plus, for the renewal specifically, a reference to the previous ejaries registration.
The biggest practical difference is that the renewal triggers the rent calculator check. We'll come to that next.
The rent calculator
Dubai has a system called the RERA rent calculator. It's a public tool, accessible online, that calculates the lawful rent for a given property based on the average market rent for similar properties in the same area.
The calculator's output is the basis for the rules on lawful rent increases at renewal. The rules are tiered.
- If the current rent is at or above the calculator's market rate, the landlord cannot increase the rent at renewal. The increase is zero.
- If the current rent is between ten and twenty percent below market, the landlord can increase by up to five percent.
- If the current rent is between twenty and thirty percent below market, the landlord can increase by up to ten percent.
- If the current rent is between thirty and forty percent below market, the landlord can increase by up to fifteen percent.
- If the current rent is more than forty percent below market, the landlord can increase by up to twenty percent.
These are ceilings, not entitlements. The landlord can propose any increase up to the relevant cap. The tenant can negotiate. The cap is the legal limit on what the landlord can enforce if there's a dispute.
How the calculator interacts with ejaries
The ejaries system checks the proposed new rent against the calculator output when the renewal is registered.
If the increase is within the lawful cap, the registration proceeds. The new ejaries reflects the new rent. Standard renewal.
If the proposed increase exceeds the lawful cap, the system flags the registration. The landlord cannot register a renewal at an unlawful increase. The tenant can refuse to pay an increase above the cap. If the parties cannot agree, the matter goes to the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre.
This is one of the most important practical functions of ejaries. It's not just an administrative record. It's the enforcement mechanism for the rent increase rules. The calculator sets the rule. The ejaries registration applies it.
The ninety-day notice rule
There's a related rule that matters for renewals. A landlord who wants to increase the rent at renewal must give the tenant written notice of the proposed increase at least ninety days before the end of the current tenancy.
If the landlord gives less than ninety days' notice, the increase cannot take effect for the upcoming renewal. The tenancy renews at the existing rent. The landlord can then propose the increase for the following year, with proper notice.
Tenants who are facing a proposed rent increase should check two things. First, is the increase within the lawful cap. Second, was the notice given at least ninety days before the renewal date. If either condition fails, the increase is not enforceable.
What if the landlord wants to end the tenancy
Renewal isn't automatic in either direction. The landlord may not want to renew. The tenant may not want to renew. In either case, the rules differ from the rent increase scenario.
A landlord who wants to end the tenancy and reclaim the property — for personal use, for sale, or for substantial renovation — must give the tenant twelve months' notice through a notarised legal notice. The grounds for ending a tenancy in this way are defined in Dubai's tenancy law and the notice procedure is strict.
A tenant who wants to end the tenancy can do so at the end of the term by giving the landlord notice. The notice period varies by contract but is typically thirty to ninety days.
If neither party gives notice and both sides continue with the tenancy beyond the end date, the contract is treated as renewed on the same terms. This is the default rollover, and it's how many tenancies in Dubai continue year to year without active renegotiation.
Documenting the renewal
The renewal is where the rules around rent increases bite. The ejaries registration is the moment those rules are enforced.
Practically speaking, the renewal generates a new ejaries certificate, with a new contract number, reflecting the new contract term and any change in rent or terms.
Tenants should keep the previous ejaries certificate as part of the tenancy history. Some downstream procedures — particularly visa-related ones — can reference the continuous tenancy history rather than just the current certificate.
Landlords typically retain their copy of every annual ejaries certificate for the same reason, plus for tax and reporting purposes.
The grace period
There's a practical question about what happens between the end of the old ejaries period and the registration of the new one. If your contract renews on the first of the month and the new ejaries isn't registered until the fifteenth, are you covered in the meantime?
The honest answer is that there's a brief window where the ejaries record shows the previous registration as expired and the new one as not yet entered. For most purposes — visa procedures, dispute access — the system recognises this transitional state and accepts the recent expiry as a valid tenancy in renewal. For some specific procedures, particularly time-sensitive ones, the gap can cause complications.
The fix is to register the renewal close to the renewal date rather than weeks later. Don't let the previous ejaries lapse and sit lapsed for a month before you get round to the renewal.
What to take from this episode
Ejaries renewal happens when the underlying tenancy contract renews. It's not automatic. Someone has to register it. The renewal triggers the rent calculator check, which is the enforcement mechanism for lawful rent increase rules. The cap depends on how far below market the current rent is. A landlord who wants to increase rent must give ninety days' notice before the end of the current term. Less than that and the increase doesn't take effect. A landlord who wants to end the tenancy must give twelve months' notice through notarised legal notice on defined grounds. A tenant who wants to end the tenancy gives notice per the contract. Don't let the previous ejaries lapse before registering the renewal. The transitional gap creates avoidable friction with downstream procedures.
Coming next
In the next episode we look at the things that cause ejaries registrations to be rejected. The common errors, the less common ones, and how to fix each.
Thanks for listening. The full transcript is at transcript.ae. For ejaries registration support, ejaries.ae is the operational service.
Key takeaways
- Renewal isn't automatic — someone has to register the new contract term against the previous Ejari.
- Renewal triggers the RERA rent calculator, the enforcement mechanism for lawful rent increases.
- Increase caps are tiered by how far below market the rent is — from 0% up to 20%; the caps are ceilings, not entitlements.
- A rent increase needs 90 days' written notice before term end; ending a tenancy to reclaim the property needs 12 months' notarised notice.
- Register the renewal near the renewal date — don't leave the old Ejari lapsed for weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How much can my landlord raise the rent at renewal?
It depends on how far below the RERA calculator's market rate your rent is — from no increase (at or above market) up to 20% (more than 40% below) — and the cap is a ceiling, not an entitlement.
How much notice is needed for a rent increase?
At least 90 days' written notice before the end of the term; less than that and the increase can't take effect for that renewal.
Does my Ejari renew automatically?
No — the new contract term has to be registered; don't let the previous Ejari sit lapsed, as the gap can complicate visa and other procedures.