Renting in Abu Dhabi

Every tenancy in Abu Dhabi must be registered on Tawtheeq, the emirate's official system for tenancy contracts — the counterpart to Dubai's Ejari. Registration is normally handled by the landlord or the managing agent, and it is what makes the contract official.

Tawtheeq matters beyond the paperwork. A registered contract is what lets you connect utilities, sponsor family and take a dispute to the committee. Tenants whose lease is registered on Tawtheeq are set up with ADDC, the utility provider, automatically — the electricity and water account follows the contract.

What a landlord can add at renewal is capped by the regulator, ADREC, and that cap has recently changed. From early June 2026, ADREC set the permitted annual increase at 0% — a freeze — referencing the rent on the property's last registered Tawtheeq contract, and said it applies until further notice. Before that, a 5% cap had applied since 2016.

Because this is a recent change and framed as temporary, treat the figure as something to verify rather than assume: check the cap that applies on your own renewal date with ADREC or on the TAMM portal before you negotiate.

The sequence is much like the rest of the UAE, with Tawtheeq standing in for Ejari:

• Find and reserve. Shortlist through a registered agent, agree the rent and the number of cheques, and pay a reservation or holding deposit.
• Sign and pay. Sign the tenancy contract and pay the first rent. Annual rent is usually paid in one to four cheques, and the number is negotiable — fewer cheques often means a lower rent.
• Security deposit. Pay a refundable security deposit, commonly around 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished home and more if it is furnished, returned at the end of the tenancy less any damage.
• Register on Tawtheeq. The landlord or agent registers the contract on Tawtheeq — the step you need before utilities and visas.
• Connect utilities. Your ADDC electricity and water account follows the Tawtheeq registration; arrange any internet and TV separately.

Budget for more than the first cheque. The percentages below are customary rather than fixed, so treat them as a guide:

• Agency fee. A commission to the broker, commonly around 5% of the annual rent, though it varies.
• Security deposit. Refundable, commonly around 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished home (higher if furnished).
• Municipality housing fee. A housing fee for expatriate tenants, reported at around 5% of the annual rent (some sources still cite the 3% it launched at in 2016), billed in monthly instalments on the ADDC bill. UAE nationals renting for their own use are exempt. Confirm the current rate with ADDC.
• Tawtheeq and utilities. A Tawtheeq registration fee, plus an ADDC deposit and connection charge. Confirm the current amounts before you budget.

The landlord-and-tenant relationship is governed by Abu Dhabi's own rental law, which sets notice periods and the limited grounds on which a landlord can decline to renew or ask a tenant to leave — generally with proper notice served well in advance. Keep your contract, your receipts and the Tawtheeq registration.

Disputes are not handled by ADREC but by the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee (RDSC), which sits under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD). You are generally expected to try to settle first; if that fails you file a case with the committee, which can mediate and then issue a binding decision that is enforced by the court. Check the current filing steps and fees with the ADJD.