Plenty of Dubai leases have a company on one side: a firm that owns a building, or a business renting an office, a shop or staff housing. The contract works the same way, but a few fields and signatures matter more, and the Ejari has to line up with the trade licence.
Company details on the tenancy contract
The unified tenancy contract has a licence number field for the landlord and for the tenant, filled only when that party is a company. When you fill these in:
- Use the company's full legal name exactly as it appears on the trade licence, not a brand or shop name.
- Enter the trade licence number and the licensing authority (for example, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism for mainland firms, or the relevant free zone).
- Add the authorised signatory's name and Emirates ID or passport details where the form asks for the party's representative.
- Make sure the licence is valid for the whole lease start date. An expired licence is an easy reason for a rejected application.
Article 4(1) of the rental law requires the contract to describe the property, the purpose of the tenancy, the term, the rent and payment method, and the owner's name if the landlord isn't the owner (Law 26 of 2007, Art. 4). For a business, state the purpose clearly, such as office or retail, so it matches the licensed activity.
Who signs for the company?
Signing a lease commits the company, so the signatory needs real authority. DLD's tenancy guide stresses that the person signing on behalf of a company must be officially authorised. In practice, that's usually:
- the manager or partner named on the trade licence;
- a person holding a power of attorney that covers leasing; or
- an employee with a written authorisation letter on company letterhead, if the other side and the registration channel accept it.
Ask for proof of authority when you deal with a company. If you are the company, keep a signed authorisation ready, because Ejari applications filed by a representative need an official power of attorney.
When the landlord is a company
DLD's tenancy guide lists a copy of the trade licence, the title deed of the company's property and the passport of the official representative as documents for an owner-company using Ejari. Property management companies must be licensed by DLD for a property management activity, and DLD's online Ejari channel requires companies to hold that licence. As a tenant, check that the company named as landlord matches the title deed, or holds a registered management contract with the owner.
Ejari for a business licence and commercial units
Two official points matter most for businesses:
- Commercial Ejari goes in the company's name. DLD says Ejari for commercial properties must be issued under the name of the licensed entity, with a valid licence, so a manager can't register the shop lease in their personal name.
- Your mainland licence depends on it. The UAE government portal says that in Dubai the office or warehouse rental agreement must be registered with Ejari, and lists a copy of the lease contract attested by RERA among the documents for collecting the business licence.
Free zone companies usually follow their own zone's leasing and registration rules, so confirm with the zone authority.
More detail: commercial tenancy contracts in Dubai, the Ejari registration guide, and checking Ejari status.
Staff accommodation
If a company rents flats or villas for employees, DLD's FAQ says the company needs to register as a tenant representative on the Ejari system. Get the contract terms right first so the registration goes through smoothly.