Additional Terms
Section 6 of the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract — eight slots for clauses negotiated between landlord and tenant (e.g. parking allocation, pet policy, maintenance split, early termination).
AED
United Arab Emirates Dirham — the currency of the UAE. Used for all rental payments, deposits, and Ejari fees in Dubai.
Annual Rent
The total yearly rent agreed in the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract. Paid via 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12 cheques depending on the agreed payment schedule.
Bed Space
Informal rental of a single bed in a shared room. Common in Deira and Bur Dubai but mostly illegal under Dubai Municipality bylaws and not eligible for Ejari registration.
Cheque (Post-Dated)
Future-dated bank cheque used to pay annual rent in instalments. Bouncing a cheque is a serious offence in the UAE — only commit cheques you can fund.
Chiller
District cooling system used in most modern Dubai buildings (Empower, Tabreed). The chiller bill is typically the tenant's responsibility unless the contract specifies otherwise.
Commercial Lease
A tenancy contract for office, retail, or warehouse space. Uses the same DLD Unified Tenancy Contract format as residential, with Property Usage set to 'Commercial' and additional fit-out clauses.
Contract Value
The total contract amount over its term — usually equal to Annual Rent for a 12-month lease, or Annual Rent × N for a multi-year lease.
DEWA
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority — the utility provider. The DEWA Premises Number is required on the tenancy contract and matches a unique identifier on every DEWA bill.
DEWA Premises Number
An 8-digit identifier assigned by DEWA to every connected unit. Required on the DLD tenancy contract — found on any DEWA bill (top right) or via the DEWA online account.
DLD (Dubai Land Department)
The Government of Dubai authority that issues title deeds, regulates the real estate sector, and publishes the Unified Tenancy Contract template.
DLD Unified Tenancy Contract
The official rental contract template (currently version 1.4) issued by the Dubai Land Department. The only legally recognised tenancy contract format in Dubai, mandated for Ejari registration.
DTCM
Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing — issues holiday-home licences for short-term rentals (under 12 months) in Dubai. Distinct from DLD which regulates long-term tenancies.
Early Termination Clause
An optional clause in the Additional Terms section specifying how a tenant or landlord can exit the contract before its end date — typically 60-90 days notice plus a 1-2 month rent penalty.
Ejari
Arabic for 'my rent'. The Dubai Land Department's mandatory registration system for tenancy contracts. Required for DEWA, residence visa renewal, school enrolment, and access to RERA dispute resolution. Fee: AED 220.
Eviction
Termination of a tenancy by the landlord. Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 limits valid grounds: non-payment (30 days notice), illegal use, damage, personal use (12 months notice via notary), demolition, or sale.
Fit-Out
Tenant alterations to a commercial space. Fit-out clauses in the Additional Terms specify approval timelines, restoration requirements, and ownership of installations at end of term.
Force Majeure
An Additional Terms clause excusing performance under extraordinary circumstances (pandemic, natural disaster, government action). Critical for commercial tenancies post-2020.
Furnished
A rental category where the unit comes with furniture and major appliances. Security deposit is 10% of annual rent (vs 5% for unfurnished). Requires inventory list in Additional Terms.
Holiday Home Licence
Licence issued by DTCM permitting short-term rental of a residential property (under 12 months). Annual fee approximately AED 1,500-3,000 plus AED 10-15 per night Tourism Dirham.
Inventory List
Itemised list of furniture and appliances included in a furnished rental. Co-signed at move-in by both parties. Used to assess deductions from the security deposit at move-out.
Joint and Several Liability
A clause where multiple tenants on one contract are each fully liable for the entire rent — the landlord can pursue any one tenant for all unpaid rent. Standard in shared tenancies.
Landlord
The party leasing the property to the tenant. Usually but not always the same as the property Owner. Landlords can sign through a registered representative with power of attorney.
Maintenance Responsibility
Default Dubai law: landlord pays for major maintenance and structural repairs; tenant pays for minor day-to-day upkeep. Specific split should be written into Additional Terms.
Mode of Payment
The DLD contract field specifying how rent is paid: 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12 cheques per year. Fewer cheques sometimes earn rent reductions (5-10%).
Notarisation
Formal authentication by a UAE notary public. Required for certain eviction notices (12 months personal-use eviction) but not for the tenancy contract itself.
Owner
The legal title-deed holder of the property. Often the same as Landlord; can differ when a property manager or agent signs the lease on the owner's behalf.
Plot Number
A DLD-issued land-parcel identifier unique to a property's plot of land. Required on the tenancy contract — found on the title deed. Format varies (e.g. '351-0', '1234/A').
Property Number
Unit identifier within a building or compound — typically apartment number or villa number. Required on the contract — must match the title deed letter-for-letter.
Property Usage
DLD contract field: 'Residential', 'Commercial', or 'Mixed-use'. Must match the title-deed designation. A residential unit cannot be rented as commercial without separate licensing.
RDC (Rental Dispute Centre)
The Rental Dispute Settlement Centre at the Dubai Land Department. Hears all rental disputes between landlords and tenants. Filing fee is 3.5% of disputed amount (minimum AED 500, maximum AED 35,000).
Renewal
End-of-contract continuation of tenancy. Requires a brand-new DLD Unified Tenancy Contract — there is no automatic extension. Re-registers Ejari within 30 days of new contract start.
Rent Increase
Raise in rent at contract renewal. Requires 90 days written notice. Maximum permitted increase governed by RERA Rent Index — capped at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% based on how far below market the current rent is.
RERA
Real Estate Regulatory Agency — a division of the Dubai Land Department. Enforces tenancy law (Dubai Law No. 26/2007), publishes the Rent Index, and operates the Rental Dispute Centre.
RERA Rent Index
Official government tool published by RERA that determines the fair market rent for any Dubai property. Available at dubailand.gov.ae and the Dubai REST app. Sets the legal cap on rent increases.
Security Deposit
Refundable amount held by the landlord against damage or unpaid bills. Capped by Dubai law at 5% of annual rent for unfurnished properties, 10% for furnished. Must be returned within 30 days of move-out minus legitimate deductions.
Service Charge
Annual fee paid to the building owners' association for common-area maintenance. Typically paid by the property owner, not the tenant — but indirectly reflected in rent levels.
Subletting
Tenant renting all or part of the unit to a third party. Requires landlord's written consent under Dubai Law No. 26/2007 Article 25(d). Unauthorised subletting is grounds for eviction.
Tenant
The party renting the property under the tenancy contract. Multiple tenants can be listed (joint tenancy) — each with full legal rights and joint liability for rent.
Tenancy Contract
The legal agreement between landlord and tenant for a Dubai rental. Must use the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract format to be eligible for Ejari registration.
Title Deed
Government-issued document proving property ownership. Lists owner name, plot number, property number, building name, area, and size. Required for tenancy contract generation.
Tourism Dirham
DTCM-mandated nightly fee charged on holiday-home / short-term rentals. AED 10-15 per night per room, collected from guests by the operator.
Trade Licence
Mandatory business licence for any commercial activity in Dubai. Required to register a commercial Ejari and to operate a holiday-home rental.
Unfurnished
A rental category where the unit comes without furniture or appliances (built-in items only). Security deposit is 5% of annual rent (vs 10% for furnished).
Unified Tenancy Contract
Common abbreviation for the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract — the only legally valid tenancy contract format in Dubai, currently at version 1.4.
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