To rent out an apartment in Dubai on a long-term basis, the owner and tenant should sign a written lease contract, specify the property, term, rent and payment method, and register the contract with RERA through Ejari. The landlord–tenant relationship is regulated by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Rental yield should be treated as an estimate: it depends on the rent actually agreed in the lease and on the owner’s documented costs, while the purchase-price benchmark can be taken from average Dubai apartment sale transactions.
1. Renting out an apartment in Dubai: the basic legal framework
Long-term apartment rental in Dubai is governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. The law applies to real property leased in the Emirate, including property used for accommodation or lawful business activity.
For an owner planning to rent out an apartment in Dubai, the starting point is a written lease contract. Article 4 of Law No. 26 of 2007 requires the contract to be signed by both parties and to identify the leased property clearly. It must state:
- a description of the apartment;
- the purpose of the lease;
- the owner’s name;
- the plot number, type and location of the property;
- the lease term;
- the rent;
- the agreed payment method.
The lease term must be specified. If a term is not specified, or cannot be proven, the contract is deemed valid for the period for which rent is payable. A valid lease cannot be terminated unilaterally during its term unless both parties agree or the circumstances fall within the provisions of the law.
This framework matters when assessing whether it is easy to rent out an apartment in Dubai. Demand, location, asking rent and apartment condition affect the commercial side of letting, but the contractual relationship itself has formal requirements. A property should not be treated simply as an informal monthly arrangement where the parties have not documented the principal terms.
The law excludes hotel establishments and accommodation provided free of charge by employers to employees. Therefore, the legal treatment of hotel-style, weekly or short-stay accommodation should not automatically be assumed to be identical to the long-term residential lease framework described here.
2. What Ejari is in Dubai and why the registration matters
Ejari is the commonly used name for the registration of a Dubai lease contract with RERA. The word is often searched as “Ejari Dubai,” “Ejari contract,” “what is Ejari in Dubai,” or “Ejari translation.” In practical terms, it is the registration record connected with a lease contract; it does not replace the need for a written agreement signed by landlord and tenant.
Article 4 of Law No. 26 of 2007 requires lease contracts covered by the law and its amendments to be registered with RERA. The same article states that judicial authorities and government departments, authorities and corporations may not consider a dispute, claim or other action relating to a lease contract unless the contract has been registered with RERA under the relevant rules and regulations.
For a landlord, this means that Ejari registration is not merely an administrative preference. It is part of the formal structure of the tenancy relationship. The contract information should be sufficiently clear before registration because the law requires the property, purpose, owner, term, rent and payment method to be identified without uncertainty.
Ejari and oqood are not the same term
People also search for “oqood” when looking for property registration in Dubai. Oqood is not defined in Law No. 26 of 2007 in the material considered here, and the law’s requirement for a tenancy contract is registration with RERA. It is therefore important not to use “oqood” as an automatic substitute for Ejari or for a registered residential lease contract without checking the specific transaction and documentation involved.
What an Ejari contract should reflect
The registered lease should reflect the actual agreement between the parties. The principal contractual items are not optional details: the apartment, the intended use, the parties, the duration, rent and payment method are central elements of the lease relationship. If the parties later discuss renewal or a change of terms, the agreement and notice requirements remain relevant.
3. How to make, renew, check, cancel or close Ejari
Searches such as “how to make Ejari,” “how to register Ejari in Dubai,” “how to get Ejari,” “how to check Ejari,” “how to renew Ejari,” “how to cancel Ejari,” and “how to close Ejari” refer to different stages of a tenancy record. The legal foundation is that the lease contract must be registered with RERA. The operational steps, required documents, service channels, charges and timing can depend on the applicable registration procedures and the circumstances of the particular tenancy.
Before a new registration, the parties should ensure that the written contract is complete and consistent with the intended arrangement. In particular, they should confirm the identity of the landlord or authorised representative, the correct property description, the agreed term, rent and payment method. Article 4 recognises that a landlord may include an agent or legal representative entitled to act in relation to the property.
Renewal is not simply a question of issuing a new document at any rent or on any terms. Where either party does not wish to renew or wishes to amend a contract term, Article 14 requires notice to the other party no less than 90 days before expiry, unless the parties have agreed otherwise. The law also addresses the situation where the lease expires but the tenant remains in possession without objection by the landlord: the lease is renewed for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter, under the same previous terms.
When considering cancellation or closure, it is important to separate the registration question from the contract question. Registration does not itself create a right to end a valid lease early. Under Article 7, a lease cannot be terminated unilaterally during its term except by mutual consent or in accordance with the law. The particular procedure for updating or ending an Ejari record is case-specific and should correspond to the actual status of the lease.
A check of Ejari should focus on whether the registered contract accurately matches the signed lease. If there is an inconsistency in the apartment details, parties, rent, term or payment method, it can affect the clarity of the tenancy arrangement. The legislation provided here does not set out a universal document list or a universal timeline for registration, renewal, cancellation or verification.
4. Setting rent for a Dubai apartment: what the lease must cover
A landlord and tenant must specify rent in the lease contract. The tenant must pay it on the mutually agreed dates. If there is no agreement on payment dates, or it is impossible to verify them, Article 12 provides for annual payment in four equal instalments paid in advance.
The law does not provide one average rent for Dubai apartments, one rental price for a studio, or one rent for a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment. A statement such as “the average rent in Dubai” needs a defined property type, location, condition, lease term and comparison date. The sale-transaction data used below are purchase-price data, not rental-price data, and should not be presented as rental rates.
When owners ask “how much can I rent out my apartment for?” or “how much is a one-bedroom apartment rent in Dubai?”, the answer requires a current market comparison of similar apartments in the same area. Article 13 refers to the average rent of similar real property and requires consideration of the property’s condition and the prevailing rental market for similar property in the same area when rent is determined by the Tribunal in the relevant circumstances.
For a new lease, the owner and tenant should agree the rent directly and record it in the contract. For a renewal, they may review the rent. Where they do not agree and continuation of the tenancy is established as necessary, the Tribunal may determine the rent based on the average rent of similar property.
Rent, amenities and deposits
Unless the parties agree otherwise, rent covers use of amenities such as swimming pools, playgrounds, gyms, health clubs and parking areas. This does not mean every building offers the same facilities; it means the contract should make the agreed arrangement clear.
On entering into a lease, the landlord may obtain a security deposit to ensure maintenance of the property at the end of the term. The landlord must refund the deposit, or its remaining balance, on expiry of the lease. The legislation quoted here does not prescribe a standard deposit amount.
Unless the contract provides otherwise, the tenant is responsible for fees and taxes payable to government entities and departments for use of the property, as well as fees or taxes prescribed for a sublease. The allocation of other practical costs should be stated clearly in the contract rather than assumed.
5. Landlord and tenant responsibilities during the lease
Renting out an apartment involves continuing obligations, not only finding a tenant and signing Ejari. Under Article 15, the landlord must hand over the property in good condition so that the tenant can make full use of it for the stated purpose.
Unless the parties agree otherwise, the landlord is responsible during the lease term for maintenance works and for repairing defects or damage that affect the tenant’s intended use. The landlord may not make changes to the apartment, its amenities or annexes that prevent the tenant’s full use. The landlord is also responsible for defects, damage, deficiencies and wear and tear that are not attributable to the tenant.
The tenant must pay rent when due and maintain the apartment as an ordinary person would maintain their own property. The tenant may not make alterations, restorations or maintenance works without the landlord’s permission and, where required, the relevant official licences. At the end of the lease, the tenant must return possession in the same condition as received, except for ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by circumstances beyond the tenant’s control.
Subletting is also a contractual and legal issue. Unless otherwise agreed, a tenant may not assign use of the property or sublet it to third parties without the landlord’s written consent. An unauthorised sublease can be a ground on which a landlord seeks eviction before the end of the lease term.
6. Notice, renewal and eviction: points an owner should understand
At renewal, a landlord or tenant who does not wish to renew, or wishes to amend lease terms, must give the other party at least 90 days’ notice before expiry unless the parties agreed otherwise. This notice period is relevant to changes in rent, renewal terms and non-renewal decisions.
Article 25 identifies circumstances in which a landlord may seek eviction before expiry of the lease term. These include non-payment of rent or part of rent within 30 days after service of notice to pay, unauthorised subletting, unlawful use, certain damaging alterations, use contrary to the purpose for which the property was let, and failure to perform an obligation after a notice period described in the law.
After expiry of the lease, Article 25 also identifies cases in which a landlord may seek eviction, including where a competent government entity requires demolition and reconstruction, where comprehensive renovation or maintenance cannot be completed with the tenant in occupation, where reconstruction or new construction will prevent use, or where the landlord wishes to repossess the property for personal use or use by first-degree relatives. For these cases, the text provided requires notice of the eviction reason at least 90 days before lease expiry.
A landlord may not disconnect services or disturb the tenant’s use of the property. The filing of an eviction claim does not remove the tenant’s obligation to pay rent while the claim is being considered and until an award is issued and executed.
7. Property management: what a management company can do
An owner can manage the tenancy personally or appoint a management company or other authorised representative. Law No. 26 of 2007 recognises that the definition of landlord can include an agent or legal representative of the owner. The scope of a management arrangement should be recorded separately and clearly.
Depending on the agreement, property management may include coordinating the lease process, communicating with the tenant, arranging handover and return of possession, keeping contract records, coordinating maintenance matters, following agreed rent-payment dates and supporting Ejari-related administration. The exact services should not be assumed: they depend on the management contract and on what authority the owner gives to the manager.
Management is particularly relevant where the owner is outside Dubai or prefers another party to coordinate day-to-day communication. However, appointing a manager does not change the statutory nature of the landlord’s obligations. The apartment must still be delivered in a condition suitable for the agreed use, and maintenance responsibility remains subject to the lease terms and Article 16.
No single management fee, percentage, registration charge or standard cost is stated here. Management fees and service scope should be confirmed for the specific apartment and agreement. A yield calculation should use the actual agreed management cost if management is used, rather than an assumed market percentage.
8. Estimating apartment rental yields from Dubai transaction prices
Rental yield is not the same as the rise or fall in apartment sale prices. A rental yield estimate compares rental income with the purchase-price basis. A simple gross yield calculation is:
Annual rent ÷ purchase price × 100.
A net yield estimate starts with the actual rent and deducts the owner’s documented costs under the relevant arrangements before dividing by the purchase price. Because rent, management arrangements and other costs differ by apartment and contract, a net yield cannot be stated honestly as one standard percentage for Dubai.
The following 2025 figures are average apartment sale transaction prices. They are arithmetic averages by transaction, not “starting from” prices and not rental prices. They provide a purchase-price reference for an indicative yield range only.
| Apartment type | 2025 transactions | Average sale price, AED | Average price, AED/m² | Average area, m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 67,759 | 756,755 | 19,589 | 39 |
| 1 bedroom | 108,006 | 1,442,100 | 19,709 | 74 |
| 2 bedrooms | 59,024 | 2,668,265 | 21,620 | 121 |
| 3 bedrooms | 14,081 | 5,381,358 | 26,082 | 193 |
| 4 bedrooms | 1,629 | 15,427,614 | 36,465 | 382 |
For example, an owner may use the average purchase price for the relevant bedroom category as one benchmark, then calculate several scenarios using different possible annual rents supported by comparable long-term leases. The result should be labelled as an estimate, not a guaranteed return. The actual apartment may differ materially from the category average in location, size, building, condition, view, furnishing, amenities and tenant demand.
In 2025, the average apartment sale price across the recorded transactions varied significantly by area. For example, the average transaction price was AED 1,061,992 in Al Barsha South Fourth, commonly known as Jumeirah Village Circle; AED 2,480,481 in Business Bay; and AED 3,962,162 in Marsa Dubai, commonly known as Dubai Marina. These are sale transaction averages and cannot by themselves establish rent or rental yield in those locations.
9. Frequently asked questions
What is Ejari in Dubai?
Ejari is the commonly used name for registration of a Dubai lease contract with RERA. Registration is required for lease contracts covered by Law No. 26 of 2007.
Is Ejari mandatory when renting out an apartment in Dubai?
Yes. Article 4 requires relevant lease contracts to be registered with RERA.
How do I make or register Ejari?
Start with a written, signed lease containing the property details, purpose, owner, term, rent and payment method. The operational registration procedure depends on the applicable RERA process.
How do I renew or cancel Ejari?
Renewal or closure should reflect the actual lease status. A valid lease cannot be ended unilaterally during its term except by mutual consent or under the law.
Can a tenant sublet the apartment?
Not unless the landlord gives written consent, unless the lease provides otherwise.
What is the average rent for an apartment in Dubai?
No single average rent is established here. Rent depends on the apartment, area, condition, term and current comparable leases.
What rental yield can an apartment in Dubai produce?
It is an estimate, not a fixed percentage. Calculate annual rent against the actual purchase price or a clearly identified transaction-price benchmark, then deduct actual owner costs for a net estimate.
