Ejari registration: your responsibilities as a landlord

While tenants often focus on their Ejari rights, it is important to be clear: under Dubai law, the primary responsibility for registering a tenancy contract with Ejari rests with the landlord. Understanding exactly what you must do — and what happens if you fail to do it — is essential for every Dubai property owner.

The landlord's legal duty to register

Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, together with the implementing regulations issued by the Dubai Land Department, places the obligation to register all tenancy contracts through Ejari primarily on the landlord. When you enter into a tenancy agreement, you are responsible for ensuring that agreement is registered with the DLD through the Ejari system within the required timeframe.

In practice, many landlords delegate this task to their real estate agent. If you use an agent, ensure it is explicitly stated in your agency agreement that Ejari registration is their responsibility — and confirm it has been done once the tenancy commences.

What happens if the tenant registers instead of you?

Tenants are also permitted to register Ejari independently if the landlord has not done so. A tenant who registers Ejari without the landlord is acting within their rights — the registration will be valid and binding. However, the fine for non-registration (if it had not been registered at all) would still theoretically fall on the landlord.

When to register Ejari

Registration should be completed as soon as the tenancy begins — ideally on or before the move-in date. There is no grace period provided by law, although in practice the DLD does not typically penalise short delays at the outset of a new tenancy. However, operating with an unregistered contract for an extended period is both legally risky and practically inconvenient for the tenant (who cannot activate DEWA without an Ejari number).

Cancelling Ejari at the end of the tenancy

When a tenancy ends, the Ejari registration should be formally cancelled. This is typically done by the landlord or their agent. Failure to cancel leaves the old registration active in the DLD system, which can cause complications when you try to register a new tenancy for the same property. The cancellation process can be done through the Dubai REST app or DLD Customer Happiness Centres.

After cancellation, the DLD records will show the property as vacant, which is the correct status between tenancies.

Tips for managing multiple properties

• Maintain a spreadsheet tracking each property's Ejari registration number, registration date, and expiry/renewal date
• Set calendar reminders 30 days before each tenancy renewal to ensure timely re-registration
• If using agents across multiple properties, request a copy of each Ejari certificate as soon as it is issued
• Store all Ejari certificates digitally in a secure cloud folder, organised by property
• When selling a property with an existing tenant, the new owner's details will need to be updated on Ejari — factor this into your sale process