Tenancy Contract · Dubai
Dubai tenancy contract
— DLD format & required fields
Every residential and commercial tenancy in Dubai must be documented on the official Dubai Land Department (DLD) tenancy contract form. Only contracts using this format are accepted for Ejari registration — and only registered contracts are legally enforceable. This guide explains what the DLD form contains, what fields are mandatory, why contracts get rejected, and how to draft one that goes through on the first try.
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What is a Dubai tenancy contract?
A Dubai tenancy contract is the legal agreement between a property owner (lessor) and a tenant for the rental of a residential or commercial unit in the emirate of Dubai. To be legally registrable and enforceable, it must use the DLD standard form — an official template published by the Dubai Land Department.
⚠️ A contract written on a generic rental template, in MS Word, or copied from another emirate is not Ejari-eligible. Without Ejari registration, the contract gives you very limited legal protection in Dubai courts.
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What the DLD form contains
The standard DLD tenancy contract is a 3-page bilingual (Arabic / English) PDF with five sections:
| 1. Lessor (landlord) | Owner name, lessor name (if managed by an agent), Emirates ID, license number, email, phone |
| 2. Tenant | Tenant name, Emirates ID, trade license (if commercial), email, phone |
| 3. Property | Plot number, Makani, building name, unit number, type, area, location, DEWA Premises Number |
| 4. Contract terms | Start date, end date, contract value, annual rent, security deposit, mode of payment |
| 5. Additional terms | Free-text clauses agreed by both parties (maintenance, exit clauses, pets, etc.) |
All five sections must be complete. Blank fields cause rejection at Ejari registration.
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Required fields explained
Some fields are obvious; others trip people up. Here are the ones that need attention:
| Owner name | The legal owner per the Title Deed — not the agency, even if the agency manages the property |
| Lessor name | The person or company actually leasing the property — can be the owner or a property manager |
| Emirates ID | 15 digits in 784-XXXX-XXXXXXX-X format. Include the dashes |
| Plot number | From the Title Deed. Numeric, no letters |
| Makani number | 10-digit Dubai geolocation code. Found on the Title Deed or via the Makani app |
| DEWA Premises Number | 9 digits. Where to find it → |
| Property type | Apartment, Villa, Studio, Townhouse, Office, Retail, Warehouse — exact spelling matters |
| Property area | In square metres (m²). Number only, no units in the field itself |
| Annual rent | Numeric AED amount, no currency symbols or thousands separators |
| Mode of payment | Number of cheques (e.g. "4 cheques") and dates |
◆
Are you using the official DLD format?
✓ Yes
Continue filling the fields
The PDF is bilingual with numbered sections. If yours looks like the DLD template, you're good.
✗ No
You need to switch templates
A Word doc or generic template won't pass Ejari. Use Ejari Helper to auto-fill the DLD PDF in minutes — or visit a typing centre.
1
Fill the lessor (landlord) section
Owner name comes from the Title Deed and must match exactly — including transliteration. The lessor name is who is actually leasing it, often the same as the owner. If a property management company is signing on behalf of the owner, their trade license number goes in the license field.
For non-resident landlords (common for villa rentals): use the passport number in place of Emirates ID, and "N/A" for the license fields.
2
Fill the tenant section
Tenant name and Emirates ID must match the ID exactly. For corporate tenants (commercial leases), use the trade license number and the company's English name as registered with the DED.
If multiple people are renting jointly, only one is listed as the primary tenant. Additional occupants are listed in the Additional Terms section.
3
Fill the property section — match the Title Deed
Every field in this section must match the Title Deed exactly. Apt 503 is not the same as Apartment 503 in Ejari's matching algorithm — even minor differences cause rejection. The DEWA Premises Number is required. The Makani number is required.
⚠️ The most common Ejari rejection reason is property field mismatches. Spelling of community/area, unit number formatting, and property type all need to match the Title Deed character-for-character.
4
Set the contract dates and financials
Standard residential tenancy is 12 months. Date format: DD/MM/YYYY. Annual rent must be expressed in AED. Contract value typically equals annual rent for a 1-year contract. Security deposit is normally 5% of annual rent (10% for furnished units), refundable at the end of tenancy.
| Typical security deposit | 5% of annual rent (unfurnished), 10% (furnished) |
| Mode of payment | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 cheques. 4 cheques is the market standard |
| Permitted rent increase | 0–20% at renewal, per the RERA rent calculator |
5
Both parties sign
Wet signatures from both the lessor and the tenant are required on every page. Date the signatures. If signing electronically, use a UAE-recognised e-signature platform (UAE Pass digital signing is accepted by Ejari). Photocopied or printed signatures are commonly rejected.
✓
Contract ready for Ejari registration
Once signed, the contract becomes the input for Ejari registration. Without registration, the contract is not enforceable in Dubai's rental court system, and you cannot activate DEWA, renew visas, or get parking permits tied to the address.
Next step: Register the contract with Ejari → (online, ~10 minutes, AED 122.50)
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Common reasons contracts are rejected at Ejari
- Property field mismatch with Title Deed (spelling, unit number format)
- Expired Emirates ID for tenant or landlord
- Owner name spelled differently than the Title Deed transliteration
- Wrong DEWA Premises Number (often a digit off, or a different unit's number)
- Missing Makani number — required for new registrations
- Contract written on a generic template instead of the DLD PDF form
- Annual rent above RERA cap (renewals only — flagged automatically)
- Date overlap with the previous tenant's still-active Ejari
- Photocopied signatures instead of original wet or e-signed
Resubmission after fixing the issue carries no extra fee — the original AED 122.50 covers all submission attempts for the same contract.
Skip the manual typing
Ejari Helper auto-fills the official DLD-format tenancy contract from your Emirates IDs and Title Deed. AI extracts every field — no typos, no rejection. Ready to sign in minutes for 30 AED.
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