Dubai, UAE — Between January and March, Dubai registered 135,607 tenancy renewals and 118,385 new leases, each one passing through the city’s Ejari system. Dubai Land Department has now moved Dubai Ejari registration, renewal and cancellation into the DubaiNow app. The utility deposit tenants pay to switch on the lights is in the same app.
For Indian landlords, the contrast with home is plain. In Maharashtra, leave and licence agreements must be registered, and the state has an online route. In Bengaluru, many tenants still sign unregistered agreements and hand over deposits worth up to 10 months’ rent.
Dubai Ejari Registration And The DEWA Deposit Share One App
Tenants and landlords can now create and register tenancy contracts on DubaiNow. The Ejari certificate is issued once the contract is approved, Arabian Business reported. Renewals and cancellations can be completed with UAE PASS, the national digital ID.
The same process takes payment of the security deposit to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. DEWA lists that deposit at AED 2,000 for a flat and AED 4,000 for a villa, refundable when the account is closed.
Mohammed Ali Al Badwawi, who heads the land department’s registration sector, called the service “another milestone” in Dubai’s digital real estate services. The department did not give a target time for completing Dubai Ejari registration on the app.
253,992 Contracts Worth AED 32.2 Billion In One Quarter
Rental contracts registered in the first quarter were worth about AED 32.2 billion ($8.77 billion), according to figures in the department’s announcement. Renewals made up about 53% of the 253,992 contracts.
That split is important for the new service. Most Dubai Ejari registration is renewals, not new tenancies. A renewal that takes minutes on a phone saves more time across the market than a faster first lease.
The market around it is cooling. Brokerage betterhomes said median apartment rents fell 3.8% between June and September.
Also read: Dubai Mortgage Market Hits Record AED 21.8bn As Sales Value Falls 47%
Why A Registered Lease Protects The Landlord Too
A registered contract is what a landlord or tenant relies on at Dubai’s Rental Disputes Centre. Tenants also need one to connect utilities and sponsor family visas.
So faster Dubai Ejari registration helps both sides when a tenancy goes wrong. A landlord with a registered lease has an official record of the rent agreed and the dates.
Mumbai Registers Leases Online, Bengaluru Asks For 10 Months Upfront
Indian cities handle the same step unevenly. Maharashtra requires every leave and licence agreement to be registered, and the state’s e-registration system lets parties do it online without visiting a sub-registrar. In Mumbai and Pune that record is routine.
Bengaluru is different. Deposits of around 10 months’ rent are common there by market convention. The central Model Tenancy Act of 2021 proposed a two-month cap, but only a few states have adopted it.
The returns differ too. Anarock put gross rental yields at 4.6% in Bengaluru, 4.3% in Mumbai and Gurugram, and 3.6% in Hyderabad in its mid-2026 data. Dubai apartments typically yield more, though rents there are now slipping.
UAE PASS Is The Catch For Owners Living In India
The app is built around UAE PASS. Owners who live in India and have no UAE residency may not have one. Agency guides say owners without UAE PASS are usually sent to a land department trustee centre. The department’s own Ejari user page asks non-residents for a passport copy.
For many NRI landlords, that means a property manager or a relative with power of attorney will still handle Dubai Ejari registration. The app saves time mainly for owners and tenants living in the UAE.
Rent itself does not escape India’s tax net. The UAE does not tax personal rental income, but a resident Indian must report it and pay tax on it in India. Rent sent home also moves with the dirham, which has gained about 6.8% against the rupee this year.
Whether Non-Residents Get Full Access Is The Next Test
The land department has not said whether non-resident owners can complete Dubai Ejari registration end to end on the new service. Its next quarterly rental figures will also show whether renewals keep outnumbering new leases as rents ease.
Less Paperwork, The Same Rental Risk
For investors, faster Dubai Ejari registration cuts admin, not market risk. Rents are softening as more homes are completed. End-users renting in Dubai gain most, since they can sign, renew and connect utilities in one place. For Indian owners, Dubai’s registered, app-based lease is more orderly than the norm in Bengaluru or Gurugram and close to Mumbai’s online system. Those who live in India may still need a local agent until non-residents get full access.
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