Renting Out Your Property in Dubai: The Landlord's Guide

If you own a property in Dubai, you can let it to a tenant on a yearly tenancy. The relationship is governed by Dubai's rental law — Law No. 26 of 2007 and its amendment, Law No. 33 of 2008 — and administered by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and its regulator, RERA. This guide is about a long-term let; letting to visitors for short stays is a separate, licensed activity.

You can let the property yourself or through a licensed real-estate agent. Either way, the tenancy has to be put in writing and registered on Ejari before it carries any weight.

• A long-term tenancy. A yearly or multi-year residential lease, registered on Ejari and covered by Dubai's rental law.
• Not a holiday home. Letting short-term is a tourism activity that needs a permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism — a different process from this one.

Before you advertise, make the home lettable and decide how it will be offered.

• Furnished or unfurnished. Decide which. It affects the rent you can ask, the deposit and the kind of tenant you attract.
• Condition and maintenance. A clean, well-maintained home lets faster. Fix snags, service the air conditioning and settle any outstanding service charges with the owners' association.
• DEWA and the building's rules. Clear any DEWA balance, and check whether your developer or owners' association asks for a move-in permit or NOC for a new tenant.

A Dubai tenancy is a written contract that sets the rent, the term, how the rent is paid and who is responsible for what. Dubai uses a Unified Tenancy Contract as the standard form.

• The rent and the cheques. The annual rent is usually paid in one to four cheques. Fewer cheques can command a lower rent; more cheques ease the tenant's cash flow. Agree the number in the contract.
• The security deposit. A refundable deposit is customary — around 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished home and 10% for a furnished one. This is a market norm, not a figure fixed by law. Set it out in the contract and return it, less any agreed deductions for damage beyond normal wear, at the end of the tenancy.
• Who pays for what. Spell out who covers maintenance, the cooling charge and the owners' association service charge. By default, major maintenance is the landlord's responsibility under the rental law unless the contract says otherwise.

You don't have to use an agent, but many landlords do. A real-estate agent in Dubai must be registered with RERA and hold a Broker Registration Number (BRN); the agency holds an Office Registration Number (ORN).

You appoint the agent in writing — Form A is the landlord–agent agreement — and the agent needs a DLD advertising permit to market the property legally. The commission is agreed between you; there is no official rate. Check an agent's BRN in the Dubai REST app before you sign.

Every tenancy in Dubai must be registered on Ejari, the DLD and RERA system that turns a private contract into an official record. Registration is what lets the tenant connect DEWA, sponsor family visas and, if it ever comes to it, file at the Rental Disputes Centre.

You or your agent can register it — online through the Dubai REST app or at a typing centre — for a small fee. You'll need the tenancy contract, the title deed, and Emirates ID and passport copies for both sides.

You can't raise the rent freely. At renewal, any increase is capped by the RERA rental index under Decree No. 43 of 2013, which sets the maximum rise as a band based on how far the current rent sits below the average for similar homes — and that band can be zero. Check the allowed figure on the DLD rental index before you propose one.

To change any term at renewal — the rent included — you must give the tenant at least 90 days' written notice before the contract ends, unless you both agree otherwise. To end the tenancy to sell the property or move in yourself, Law No. 26 of 2007 (Article 25) requires 12 months' notice served through a notary public or by registered post.

During the tenancy, keep to the contract: carry out the maintenance you're responsible for, and give notice before entering the property. If a disagreement can't be settled, either side can file at the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC) at the DLD. The filing fee is a percentage of the annual rent — reported at 3.5%, with a minimum and a cap — so confirm the current amount with the RDC.

On tax: Dubai has no annual property tax and no personal income tax on rent, and a long-term residential tenancy is exempt from VAT, so you don't charge VAT on the rent. The 5% housing fee on the DEWA bill is the tenant's, not yours. If you let property through a company, UAE Corporate Tax may apply to the business — check with the Federal Tax Authority.