Renting a home in the UAE

A tenancy in Dubai and a tenancy in Abu Dhabi are governed by two different systems, with different registration portals, different rent-increase rules and different dispute bodies. This guide covers both, keeps them apart, and flags the general market practice around deposits and fees separately from what the rules actually require.

Because this is legal-adjacent consumer content, it follows Savara's higher-risk editorial process: what the rules say is kept apart from what is common practice or what Savara suggests you check.

Registering the tenancy

In Dubai, a tenancy contract must be registered through Ejari, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency's online system. An unregistered contract is not protected by Dubai's regulatory bodies, and Ejari registration is generally required for connecting DEWA and for most residence visa applications tied to that address.

In Abu Dhabi, the equivalent system is Tawtheeq, run by the Department of Municipalities and Transport. A tenancy contract is registered there instead, and Tawtheeq registration is generally needed for ADDC or TAQA utility connection and for government services tied to the address.

Rent increases

Dubai's system is tiered: an increase is only permitted if your current rent sits below the official rental index average for comparable properties in your area, and the maximum permitted increase depends on how far below that average you are, generally reported as up to 5% if you are 11 to 20% below the average, up to 10% if you are 21 to 30% below it, and up to 20% if you are more than 31% below it. If your rent already sits at or above the average, no increase is permitted. A landlord is generally required to give written notice, commonly reported as around 90 days, before a renewal with a proposed increase takes effect.

Abu Dhabi's system works differently: it uses a flat percentage cap, commonly reported as 5% of the current rent, rather than a comparison to a market average. A notice period before renewal, commonly reported as around two months, generally applies.

As of October 2026, that 5% cap is beside the point anyway. On 2 June 2026, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) posted its own announcement directly: "Your rent stays the same," stating that all residential, commercial and industrial tenancy contracts would be renewed at a 0% increase for the duration of the measure. This guide has not located a numbered decree or resolution behind the freeze, only ADREC's own public statement and the legal and news commentary reporting it; treat it as a real, currently-stated regulatory position rather than a formally codified law. Reporting from early October 2026 describes the freeze as still in effect, with no announced end date. It is not retroactive, so an increase already registered before 2 June 2026 stands. One notable exception: communities managed by Abu Dhabi Global Market, such as Al Maryah Island and Reem Island, are excluded from the freeze.

If an increase looks wrong, raise it with the relevant dispute body before simply paying it: the Rental Disputes Centre under the Dubai Land Department for a Dubai tenancy, or the Rent Disputes Settlement Committee under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department for an Abu Dhabi tenancy. If you are in Abu Dhabi and a renewal notice still shows an increase while the freeze above is active, that is very much the sort of thing worth a polite but firm email, citing the ADREC freeze directly.

Deposits and agent fees

These figures reflect common market practice reported across multiple sources, not one single fixed legal maximum.

• Security deposit: commonly reported as around 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property and around 10% for a furnished one, in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, reported figures vary more, broadly in a 3% to 5% range. It should be refundable at the end of the tenancy, minus genuine deductions for damage beyond normal wear and tear.
• Agent commission, where an agent is involved: commonly reported as around 5% of the annual rent, plus VAT, generally paid by the tenant, in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Who is responsible for maintenance

The general principle, confirmed on the Dubai Land Department's own site and reflected in Abu Dhabi's tenancy law as well, splits maintenance into two kinds. Maintenance that affects whether you can actually use the property as intended, a broken air conditioning unit in summer, for example, is generally the landlord's responsibility, unless the contract says otherwise. Maintenance that does not affect your ability to use the property as intended is generally the tenant's responsibility.

Renewals and notice to leave

A tenancy generally renews automatically unless either party gives notice, and the notice periods referenced above for a rent increase are separate from, though sometimes bundled with, notice of an intention not to renew or to end the tenancy. Read your specific contract's own renewal clause, since the exact timing can be set there as well as by the underlying law.

Before you sign

1. Confirm who the landlord actually is, and that the person or agent you are dealing with has the authority to let the property.
2. Get the registration (Ejari or Tawtheeq) done, in your name, before or immediately after signing.
3. Check what the contract says about maintenance responsibility specifically, not just the general principle above.
4. Know your emirate's dispute body before you need it, not after.
5. Keep every payment receipt and the registered contract itself.

General consumer information only, not legal advice. Rules and regulations can change, and can differ further between other emirates not covered in detail here, so check the latest official guidance for your specific emirate and circumstances.