Tenancy Contract · Dubai
Dubai tenancy contract
— DLD format, free template & required fields
Every residential and commercial tenancy in Dubai must be documented on the official Dubai Land Department (DLD) form — the Unified Tenancy Contract. Only contracts in this format are accepted for Ejari registration, and only registered contracts are recognised by DEWA, by GDRFA for residence visas, and by the Rental Dispute Center. Below: the blank template as a free Word and PDF download, every mandatory field, a correctly filled sample, and the rejection reasons that catch most people in 2026.
Download the DLD tenancy contract template
The official DLD Unified Tenancy Contract — blank, bilingual (English / Arabic), exactly as Ejari expects. Print and fill by hand, type into the PDF, or edit the Word version.
Not sure how to fill it? Ejari Helper reads your Emirates IDs and Title Deed and returns a pre-filled, Ejari-ready contract in minutes for AED 15.
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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 renting a residential or commercial unit in the emirate. Tenancies are governed by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, which sets out both parties' rights — from maintenance to the 90-day notice required before any rent change. To be registrable and enforceable, the agreement must be written on the DLD standard form, the Unified Tenancy Contract.
⚠️ A generic template, free-form Word file or contract copied from another emirate is not Ejari-eligible. Without Ejari registration you cannot activate utilities, sponsor family visas, or file a case at the Rental Dispute Center.
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Dubai tenancy contract vs DLD tenancy contract — is there a difference?
No. There is one rental agreement in the emirate, and every name people use points at the same document. A Dubai tenancy contract is simply the tenancy contract used in Dubai; a DLD tenancy contract names the authority that issues the form, the Dubai Land Department. RERA, the DLD's regulatory arm, administers it — which is where "RERA tenancy contract" comes from. Agents and landlords also say Form A, contract A, the Ejari form, or the unified tenancy contract. All of those describe the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract: the bilingual, fixed-field form you can download at the top of this page.
The reason there is only one template is Ejari. Registration validates the contract field by field against the Title Deed and the parties' Emirates IDs, so a second, differently structured form would have nothing to validate against. The DLD does not issue one, and typing centres will not accept one. That is also why hunting for a separate "DLD tenancy contract" download is a dead end — the free Word and PDF files above are it.
The reason there is only one template is Ejari. Registration validates the contract field by field against the Title Deed and the parties' Emirates IDs, so a second, differently structured form would have nothing to validate against. The DLD does not issue one, and typing centres will not accept one. That is also why hunting for a separate "DLD tenancy contract" download is a dead end — the free Word and PDF files above are it.
If an agent, a bank or a visa checklist asks for any of those names, hand over the same signed document: the DLD form you register with Ejari.
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The official DLD / RERA format
The Unified Tenancy Contract issued by the Dubai Land Department is a fixed, bilingual fill-in-the-blanks form — you complete the fields, you do not draft the wording.
Why free-form contracts fail: Ejari validates every contract against the Title Deed and the parties' Emirates IDs field by field. A custom Word document or a template borrowed from another emirate has no recognised structure to validate, so typing centres and the Dubai REST app simply refuse it. The unified form also embeds 11 standard terms covering maintenance, subletting, the security deposit and handover, so both parties share the same legal baseline.
Why free-form contracts fail: Ejari validates every contract against the Title Deed and the parties' Emirates IDs field by field. A custom Word document or a template borrowed from another emirate has no recognised structure to validate, so typing centres and the Dubai REST app simply refuse it. The unified form also embeds 11 standard terms covering maintenance, subletting, the security deposit and handover, so both parties share the same legal baseline.
Extras — furniture lists, exit clauses, pets, chiller fees — go in the additional-terms section, or in an addendum signed by all parties and attached to the form.
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Form A, contract A and the unified tenancy contract — same thing?
For rentals, yes. What tenants and landlords call the "Ejari form", "DLD Form A", "contract A" or "the unified contract" is one and the same document: the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract used for every tenancy in Dubai. If your agent says "send me the signed Form A", they mean the contract on this page — there is no separate document to hunt for.
| "Ejari form" / "Ejari contract" | The DLD Unified Tenancy Contract — the rental form registered with Ejari |
| "DLD Form A" / "contract A" (rental context) | The same unified tenancy contract, under its informal names |
| "RERA Form A" (sales context) | A seller–broker listing agreement used in property sales — unrelated to tenancies |
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What the DLD form contains
The standard DLD contract is a 3-page bilingual (Arabic / English) form with five sections, plus the 11 printed standard terms and the signature blocks:
| 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 mandatory fields are the fastest route to rejection at Ejari.
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Required fields explained
Some fields are obvious; others cause the bulk of rejections. Copy everything from source documents — the Title Deed for the property, Emirates IDs for the people — never from a listing:
| Owner name | The legal owner per the Title Deed — not the managing agency |
| Lessor name | Who is actually leasing the property — the owner or a property manager |
| Emirates ID | 15 digits, 784-XXXX-XXXXXXX-X — include the dashes; must not be expired |
| Plot number | From the Title Deed. Numeric, no letters |
| Makani number | 10-digit geolocation code — on the Title Deed or in the Makani app |
| DEWA Premises Number | 9 digits, identifies the unit itself. Where to find your DEWA premise number → |
| Property type | Apartment, Villa, Studio, Townhouse, Office, Retail, Warehouse — exact spelling matters |
| Property area | Square metres (m²) — number only |
| Annual rent | Numeric AED amount — no symbols or separators |
| Mode of payment | Number of cheques (e.g. "4 cheques") and dates |
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Tenancy contract sample — a correctly filled example
A field-by-field sample for a fictional one-bedroom in Jumeirah Village Circle, showing the expected formatting:
| Owner / Lessor | AHMED KHALIFA ALMANSOORI — exactly as transliterated on the Title Deed |
| Tenant | MARIA GONZALEZ LOPEZ, Emirates ID 784-1990-1234567-1 |
| Property | Plot 1234, Makani 1234567890, "JVC Heights", Unit 503, Apartment, 78 m² |
| Location | Al Barsha South Fourth — the Title Deed community name, not the marketing name "JVC" |
| DEWA Premises Number | 632123456 (9 digits) |
| Contract period | 01/09/2026 to 31/08/2027 (DD/MM/YYYY) |
| Annual rent | 72000 — numerals only, no "AED", no commas |
| Contract value | 72000 — equals annual rent for a 12-month term |
| Security deposit | 3600 — 5% of annual rent (unfurnished) |
| Mode of payment | 4 cheques |
Money fields are plain numbers — no symbols, no separators — and the location must be the Title Deed community name, not the listing's marketing name.
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Are you using the official DLD format?
✓ Yes
Continue filling the fields
If yours matches the bilingual, numbered template downloaded above, you're good.
✗ No
You need to switch templates
A free-form document won't pass Ejari. Download the blank DLD template above, or use Ejari Helper to auto-fill it in minutes.
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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.
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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.
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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) and is refundable at the end of the tenancy, less any deduction for actual damage beyond normal wear and tear.
| 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 Decree 43 of 2013 slabs — check your own figure against the RERA rental index calculator |
Renewing instead? The landlord needs 90 days' written notice to change the rent, capped by the RERA index — see our guide to renewing your Ejari online.
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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 electricity and water, renew visas, or get parking permits tied to the address.
Next step: Register the contract with Ejari → (online via Dubai REST, ~10 minutes, AED 177.75 incl. VAT; certificate usually issued within minutes)
Common reasons contracts are rejected at Ejari
Nearly all of these are copy-paste errors against the source documents:
- Property field mismatch with the Title Deed — community spelling, unit number format, or a marketing name
- Expired Emirates ID for tenant or landlord — validity is checked on the submission date
- Owner name spelled differently than the Title Deed transliteration, even by one letter
- Wrong DEWA Premises Number — often a digit off, or a neighbouring unit's number
- Missing Makani number — required for new registrations
- Contract written on a generic template instead of the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract form
- Annual rent above the RERA cap (renewals only — flagged automatically against the rental index)
- Date overlap with the previous tenant's still-active Ejari — only one active Ejari per unit is allowed
- Photocopied signatures instead of original wet or recognised e-signatures
Resubmission after fixing the issue is free — the original AED 177.75 covers all attempts for the same contract. If a rejection turns into a real disagreement with the landlord, see our guide to the Rental Dispute Center process.
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Attestation of a tenancy contract
Tenants arriving from countries where rental contracts are notarised often ask where to get their Dubai contract "attested". In Dubai, Ejari registration is the official attestation. There is no notary, court stamp or ministry step for a tenancy — once registered, the contract carries a unique Ejari number and is recognised by every government department, from GDRFA to Dubai Courts.
Two routes to this attestation: the Dubai REST app (AED 177.75 incl. VAT, certificate usually within minutes) or a typing centre (around AED 219.75 — staff sanity-check your documents, useful when scans are borderline quality).
Two routes to this attestation: the Dubai REST app (AED 177.75 incl. VAT, certificate usually within minutes) or a typing centre (around AED 219.75 — staff sanity-check your documents, useful when scans are borderline quality).
If a foreign bank, embassy or immigration office asks for an "attested rental agreement", show the Ejari certificate — it is the government's confirmation that the contract is genuine and registered.
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Tenancy contract for a residence visa
To sponsor family residence visas — or renew your own — GDRFA requires proof of housing: an Ejari-registered tenancy contract in the sponsor's name. A signed contract alone is not enough; the immigration system checks the Ejari database, so an unregistered contract is invisible to it.
- The contract and its Ejari must be in the sponsor's name — a flatmate's Ejari cannot be used for family sponsorship
- It must be valid on the application date — an expired Ejari blocks visa renewals, so renew your Ejari as soon as the new term starts
- Amer centres often ask for a recent DEWA bill too, so activate DEWA in your name right after registration
- Minimum housing rules apply for family visas — a partition or bed space does not qualify
Register Ejari immediately after signing — it is same-day, and fixing a rejection against a visa deadline is avoidable stress.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a tenancy contract in Dubai?
Download the blank DLD Unified Tenancy Contract, fill in the lessor, tenant, property and contract sections exactly as the details appear on the Title Deed and Emirates IDs, have both parties sign every page, then register it with Ejari for AED 177.75. Extra clauses go in the additional-terms section of the same form.
How do I get a tenancy contract in Dubai?
Usually the landlord or their agent prepares the contract on the DLD form and sends it for signature. You can also download the blank template free from this page and fill it yourself, use a typing centre, or let Ejari Helper generate a pre-filled, Ejari-ready contract for AED 15.
What is a tenancy agreement?
A tenancy agreement, or tenancy contract, is the legal contract between a landlord and a tenant recording the property, the rent, the duration and both sides' obligations. In Dubai it must be written on the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract form and registered with Ejari to be enforceable under Law No. 26 of 2007.
Can I download the Dubai tenancy contract in Word format?
Yes. Ejari Helper provides the DLD template as a free editable Word (.docx) download as well as the standard PDF. The Word version keeps the official bilingual layout, so a contract typed in it and printed for signatures is accepted for Ejari registration.
Is the DLD tenancy contract the same as Form A?
For rentals, yes. The DLD Unified Tenancy Contract is what people call the Ejari form, Form A or contract A. RERA also has an older, separate Form A used by brokers to list properties for sale — that one is a brokerage agreement unrelated to renting.
Do I need to attest my tenancy contract in Dubai?
No separate attestation or notarisation is needed. Ejari registration is the official attestation in Dubai: registering via the Dubai REST app for AED 177.75 or at a typing centre records the contract in the government system and makes it valid for visas, DEWA and the Rental Dispute Center.
How much does a tenancy contract cost in Dubai?
The blank DLD template is free to download in PDF or Word. Ejari registration costs AED 177.75 including VAT online via Dubai REST, or around AED 219.75 at a typing centre. Ejari Helper prepares a filled DLD-format contract for AED 15.
Is a tenancy contract valid without Ejari registration?
It remains a binding private agreement between landlord and tenant, but without Ejari registration it is not recognised by GDRFA for visas, by DEWA for utilities, or by the Rental Dispute Center if a conflict arises. Register the contract as soon as it is signed.
Skip the manual typing
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