Rent is annual, and paid in cheques
Dubai quotes rent per year, not per month. The figure is then split into a number of post dated cheques, and fewer cheques means a lower price.
One cheque might get you 5 to 10 percent below the asking rent. Twelve cheques costs the most and is not always offered. Four is the common middle ground.
Budget for the whole first payment up front, not one month. This is the thing that most surprises people arriving from markets where rent is monthly.
What you pay at the start
On top of the rent itself, expect roughly 10 percent of the annual rent in one off costs.
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Agency commission | 5% of annual rent, minimum around AED 5,000 |
| Security deposit, unfurnished | 5% of annual rent |
| Security deposit, furnished | 10% of annual rent |
| Ejari registration | AED 220 approximately |
| DEWA deposit, apartment | AED 2,000 |
| DEWA deposit, villa | AED 4,000 |
| Chiller deposit, where applicable | AED 2,000 to 3,000 |
Ejari is not optional
Ejari is the government registration of your tenancy contract. Without it your lease is not recognised, and you cannot get a DEWA connection, a residence visa for family, or a school place.
Registration is normally the landlord or agent responsibility, but the consequences of it not happening land on you. Confirm it is done and get the certificate.
What protects you
Your landlord cannot raise the rent by any amount they like. Increases are capped by the RERA rental index, which compares your rent to the average for similar properties in your area. If you are already at or near market rate, no increase is permitted.
Any increase requires 90 days written notice before renewal. So does any change to the terms. A landlord who tells you in the final month that the rent is going up has not followed the law.
To evict you for personal use or to sell, a landlord must give 12 months notice through a notary or registered post. Not a phone call, and not a message.
Disputes go to the Rental Disputes Centre. It is comparatively quick, and tenants win more often than people expect.
Before you sign
Check whether the rent is chiller free, because district cooling can add several thousand dirhams a year. Check what the maintenance obligations are and who pays for what. Photograph the condition of everything on the day you take the keys, because your deposit depends on that record.
Confirm the person renting to you actually owns the property. Ask for the title deed. Subletting scams exist, and they target new arrivals.