Frequently Asked Questions

No. An agent can only charge a fee when the contract is finalized.

Ejari is an online portal created by Dubai's Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) to formalize all the tenancy contracts. This portal has legal value and it is a required by the law to register every contract with Ejari.

Ejari online registration fee is AED 370 for all properties whether apartments or villas.

Yes. You will have to pay a total of AED 585 in following fees:

• Ejari fee (government tax): AED 155
• Knowledge fee: AED 10
• Innovation fee: AED 10
• Typing charges: AED 40

Ejari website can be accessed here.
In order to register with Ejari, you are required to submit 1) A copy of tenant's Passport and Visa 2) Copy of Emirates ID 3) Scanned copy of the Tenancy Contract 4) DEWA Bill/ Connection Receipt and 5) Tittle Deed or Affection plan or Plot Number.

Yes. The buyer must be 21 years of age to buy a property in Dubai.

• Search for a registered real estate agent and off plan properties online
• Once you have found the best deal, visit the property and your agent for further guidance
• Reserve your interest with the developer via the online reservation process
• Pay the reservation fees, usually 5-15%
• Formulate the sales and purchase agreement
• Pay the scheduled down payment (5-15%)
• On completion date, the deeds are transferred at the developer's office or Land Department's office in Deira

• Search for a registered real estate agent and properties online
• Visit the property and clear any doubts that you may have
• Make an offer
• The seller's agent makes a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Pay reservation fee (usually 10%) to the seller's agent in favor of the seller
• Buyer's bank conducts third-party valuation of the property before approving the loan
• Once approved by the buyer's bank, the seller opts for a No objection Certificate (NOC) from developer
• Both parties appear in-front of land department with the necessary documents for the transfer to be completed
• Buyer pays land department fees (4% of price plus department's fee), agent's fee and property's price

You will have to provide copy of Passport and Residence visa.

Yes, you can mortgage a home in Dubai. There are approximately 30 major local lenders in UAE and a few international lenders like HSBC.

The Central Bank restricts the mortgage payment to be no more than 50% of your monthly income.

It is a market trend to pay advance annual rent in Dubai. Some landlords expect payment via single cheque while others expect 2, 3, 4 or more cheques. It is very rare to find a landlord who permits monthly rental payments.

The local law permits landlords to ask the tenants for a maintenance deposit; the amount used to restore the property back to its original form when it was rented. This is usually 5% of the total rental amount. The law also guides the landlord to refund this unused amount when the contract expires.

Yes, all tenants are required to set up an account with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) by paying a refundable amount of Dh1000-2000 for apartments and Dh2000-4000 for independent units (i.e. townhouses and villas). You also have to pay a non-refundable connection fee of approximately Dh110.

Unlike other countries, landlords cannot dictate the increase in rental payments on their own. A standard Rental Increase Calculator is designed by the Government of Dubai to calculate the rental increase every year.

The landlord must notify the tenant 90 days prior to the increase.

Landlords can demand eviction based on genuine reasons like

• planning to use the property for own self
• renovating or demolishing the property or
• reselling the property.

The local law permits the landlord to demand eviction before the rental contract's expiry if the tenant

• engages in unlawful or unethical activities
• uses the property for a purpose other than the agreed purpose
• re-rents the property without permission
• fails to make rental payments within 30 days of landlord's notice
• did not occupy the commercial property for more than 30 continual or 90 non-continual days
• causes damage to the property
• does not comply to the pre-set tenancy conditions