How to Renew your Tenancy Contract in Dubai in 2026

Renewing your tenancy contract in Dubai means signing a fresh contract (the Unified Tenancy Contract and its addendum) for the upcoming rental period and renewing the Ejari registration against it. The law sets the procedure: changing any term requires written notice at least 90 days before expiry, and rent increases are capped by the RERA Smart Rental Index. Whether you're a landlord or a tenant in Dubai, this guide will help you understand how to renew a rental contract in 2026 and what to expect at each stage.

What Usually Changes When Renewing a Tenancy Contract?

• Dates: renewal starts the day after the previous contract expires.
  Example: If the original contract ends on 10 November, the renewal begins on 11 November;‍
• Rent: may be adjusted by agreement. A landlord's increase must fit the Decree No. 43 of 2013 caps against the RERA Rental Index Calculator. (reductions are not capped and can be negotiated when the market is falling);
• Payment Terms: often unchanged, but can be revised- for example, the landlord might accept more frequent payments to ease tenant cash flow;‍
• Security Deposit: normally carried over to the new period. It is not returned and paid again at each renewal. It stays with the landlord as security until the tenant finally moves out. If the parties agree to adjust it, for example after a rent change, they record the new amount in the renewal contract or its addendum;
• ‍Additional Terms: remove clauses relevant only to new tenancies (for example, initial painting before move-in) to keep the renewal contract clear and avoid disputes.

All other terms stay the same unless the parties agree changes in accordance with the law.

Main Steps to Renew a Tenancy Contract in Dubai

Step 1 - Confirm Renewal (90-Day Notice)

A party who wants to change any term at renewal, including the rent, must notify the other party in writing at least 90 days before the contract expires (Article 14 of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended). The rule applies to both sides: a landlord proposing a higher rent, and a tenant proposing a lower one or different conditions.

Landlords are typically the ones initiating renewal with updated terms. Notice given on time provides the legal grounds to enforce the change, through the Rental Disputes Centre if needed; without it, the other party can insist on the existing terms.

The notice does not have to be a formal legal letter. Written communication that can be evidenced is accepted in practice, including email, and lately even WhatsApp messages have been accepted as evidence in court. Registered channels still give the strongest proof.

Step 2 - Agree on Renewal Terms

For Landlords: a rent increase must fit the caps set by Decree No. 43 of 2013, which depend on how far the current rent sits below the average rental value of similar units in the RERA Smart Rental Index:

• No increase if the rent is up to 10% below the average market rental value;
• Up to 5% if the rent is 11 to 20% below;
• Up to 10% if the rent is 21 to 30% below;
• Up to 15% if the rent is 31 to 40% below;
• Up to 20% if the rent is more than 40% below.

Check the unit in the official RERA Rental Index Calculator (also available in the Dubai REST app) before proposing a new rent.

For Tenants: verify any proposed increase against the same calculator. You can decline an increase outside the legal limits. Reductions are not capped: when rents in an area are falling, you can request a lower rent with the same 90-day notice. For the landlord this is a commercial decision, weighing the discount against the likely vacancy period and the realistic market rent today.

Step 3 - Prepare Renewal Documents

Draft updated tenancy documents, typically including:

1. Unified Tenancy Contract (with new lease dates and rent).
2. Addendum (with updated details, if applicable).

Documents to have at hand: the landlord's title deed, both parties' ID documents, the previous contract or Ejari certificate, and the DEWA premise number. If nothing changed since last year, all of this can be taken from the previous contract.

There are several routes to cover this step:

• Manual update. Edit the previous contract in Word or PDF and sign it in person;
• The DLD template. Download the latest version of the official template from the Dubai Land Department. Keep in mind: there is no addendum included. If you need to set out extra terms, you draft and attach one yourselves;
• An agent. An agent prepares the contract and addendum for the renewal fee (see fees below). If the property is under a management contract, the property management company handles the renewal;
• Online platforms like Habi. On Habi you can Renew Tenancy Contract with the addendum included, free of charge.

Step 4 - Sign the Renewal Contract

Both landlord and tenant sign the updated tenancy documents. This can be done online or on paper, directly between the parties or with the agent or property management company intermediating the leasing.

Step 5 - Renew Ejari

Register the signed renewal contract in the Ejari system so the record stays current. The channels:

• the Dubai REST app (landlord);
• a Real Estate Services Trustee centre;
• an authorised agent;
• the property management company, if the property is under management;
• renew Ejari online through platforms like Habi.

Costs, channels, and documents are covered in our guide to Ejari renewal.

Step 6 - Update Payments

The tenant provides updated rental cheques or arranges other agreed payment methods, following the schedule in the renewed contract. Typically, this is done when signing the renewal documents.

Other Key Things to Know About Renewal in Dubai

Tenant’s Rights for Renewal in Dubai

1. A landlord can recover the property only on the specific grounds set by Article 25 of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended: demolition or reconstruction, comprehensive renovation impossible with the tenant present, personal or first-degree-relative use, or sale. This requires 12 months' written notice served through a notary public or by registered mail; the notice runs from the date it is served — the same grounds and notice procedure that apply whenever a landlord seeks to end a tenancy early, covered in detail in our guide on How to Cancel a Tenancy Contract in Dubai.
2. Any change to the terms, including rent, must be communicated in writing at least 90 days before expiry. Without the notice, a change cannot be enforced, and the tenant can insist on the existing terms.
3. Tenants can decline rent increases outside the Decree 43/2013 limits, and can leave at expiry if they disagree with proposed changes.

Renewal Fees for Tenancy Contracts in Dubai

Agent renewal fees are market practice, not set by the government: commonly around AED 2,000, ranging from around AED 1,000 to AED 5,000; some agents charge a percentage of the annual rent instead. The fee is usually paid by the tenant, though who pays is a matter of agreement. It typically covers mediating the negotiation between landlord and tenant and drafting the renewal documents.

Charging a renewal fee is not mandatory. A renewal-fee clause in the tenancy contract does not oblige the parties to renew through the agent; to claim the fee, the agent needs a separate agreement with the party who pays. The fee can be avoided when both parties handle the renewal directly.

The Ejari renewal fee is separate: AED 177.75 online via the Dubai REST app or DLD, or AED 219.75 at a Real Estate Services Trustee centre.

Dubai’s Official Rental Laws

The legal framework for tenancy renewals is set by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, and rent increase caps by Decree No. 43 of 2013.

If disagreements arise, on rent, contract terms, or notice, either party can file a case with the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC).

What if the contract expires with no renewal signed?

Under Article 6 of Law No. 26 of 2007, if the contract expires and the tenant remains in the property without objection from the landlord, the contract renews for the same period, or one year, whichever is less, on the same terms. Still, keep the Ejari registration current: visa processing, RDC cases, and other services that ask for a valid Ejari need the renewed record even when the terms have not changed.