The Dubai REST app is the Dubai Land Department's official app for real estate services, and it is the fastest way for most tenants and landlords to handle Ejari. You can register a new contract, renew it, cancel it and download the certificate from your phone, without visiting a trustee centre. Here is how each task works, based on DLD's own service pages.
Before you start
- Install Dubai REST and sign in with UAE PASS
- Have a copy of the signed Unified Tenancy Contract ready to upload
- Check that both the tenant and the landlord are individuals. Company-managed properties go through the managing company's Ejari account or a trustee centre
- Make sure the owner's details held by DLD are up to date
- Make sure any previous contract on the unit has been registered and terminated. DLD won't register a new contract while an old one is still active
Register or renew Ejari in the app
The same service at a Real Estate Trustee Centre costs AED 220 in total and takes about 25 minutes, not counting waiting time. The app is the cheaper option.
Landlord approval explained
DLD's FAQ says a tenant can start the registration, but the landlord's approval is needed to complete it. Let your landlord know when you submit, so the request doesn't sit waiting. If the landlord can't use the app, a trustee centre can process the registration if the landlord is the owner or holds a valid power of attorney.
Download your Ejari certificate
DLD says the Ejari certificate can be downloaded from the Dubai REST app or from the home page of the DLD website. Keep the PDF. You will need it for DEWA, visa sponsorship and other government services.
Cancel Ejari
- Tenant cancelling from Dubai REST: an approval request is sent to the owner
- Owner: can cancel through the app or at any trustee office
- Fees: DLD says cancellation by the owner or real estate company is free, and cancellation at a trustee office costs AED 40
Using DubaiNow
DLD lists DubaiNow as one of the channels for the Register / Renew Tenancy Contract service, so if you already use DubaiNow for bills and fines you can start the Ejari service there. The fees and the landlord approval rules are the same.
Key limits to know
- Contracts can be registered from less than a year up to a maximum of 10 years
- Individuals can hold a maximum of 3 residential Ejari contracts. Commercial leases have no such cap
- Registration is completed only after DLD approval
For more detail, read our complete Ejari registration guide, learn how to download your Ejari certificate, and see how to cancel Ejari. Your rights as a tenant are summarised on our Dubai rental law page.