How to renew your tenancy contract in Dubai without an agent?

No agent is required to renew a tenancy contract in Dubai. The landlord and tenant agree the terms for the new period, sign a fresh tenancy contract, and renew the Ejari registration. An agent is one way to handle the negotiation and the paperwork, not a legal requirement. This guide covers what agents charge for renewals, when engaging one makes sense, and the steps for renewing directly.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• No law requires an agent for a tenancy renewal in Dubai. Agreeing the terms, signing the contract, and renewing Ejari are all completed between the landlord and the tenant.
• 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.
• A renewal-fee clause in the current contract does not oblige either party to renew through the agent. To charge a renewal fee, the agent needs an agreement with the party who pays it.

Do you need an agent to renew a tenancy contract in Dubai?

No. A tenancy renewal in Dubai is an agreement between the landlord and the tenant: they agree the terms for the new period, sign a fresh tenancy contract, and renew the Ejari registration against it. The law that governs renewals, Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended, regulates the landlord and the tenant; an agent is not a required party at any step.

The idea that renewals must go through an agent comes from habit rather than law. Most leases in Dubai are arranged by agents, and the same agent often continues to handle the renewals. That is a service the parties can choose, and many landlords and tenants renew directly instead.

What agents charge for a tenancy renewal

Agent renewal fees are market practice, not set by the government. A flat fee is most common: typically around AED 2,000, with quotes 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 itself a matter of agreement.

The renewal fee typically covers two things: mediating the negotiation between landlord and tenant, and drafting the renewal documents, the contract with its addendum. Ejari registration is a separate cost. In many renewals the parties agree the terms directly and no mediation is needed, so before engaging an agent, be clear about what the fee will cover in your case.

What if the current contract mentions an agent renewal fee

Some tenancy contracts include a clause about an agent renewal fee. Such a clause does not oblige the landlord or the tenant to renew through the agent.

For an agent to charge a renewal fee, the agent must have an agreement with the party who pays it. If neither party engages the agent for the renewal, the parties renew directly.

When an agent is worth engaging at renewal

An agent is worth engaging when the negotiation needs a third party: the landlord and tenant are far apart on the rent or the conditions, and a mediator with market references helps them reach an agreement. If the parties have already agreed the terms, what remains is paperwork and registration, which they can complete themselves using the steps below.

How to renew a tenancy contract without an agent

1. Check the dates. A change to any term, including the rent, requires written notice at least 90 days before expiry (Article 14, Dubai tenancy law). 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.
2. Agree the terms directly. Check a proposed rent against the official RERA rental index calculator and put the agreed points in writing.
3. Create and sign the contract. Use the unified tenancy contract template with an addendum for the agreed conditions. On Habi you can create and sign the tenancy contract for your renewal with the addendum included, free of charge. You can also download the template from the DLD website and draft the addendum yourselves, or have an agent prepare it. If the property is under a management contract, the property management company handles the renewal.
4. Renew the Ejari registration. The signed contract must be registered so the record stays current. Channels, costs, and documents are in our guide to Ejari renewal.
5. Settle the payments. Cheques or transfers follow the schedule agreed in the contract.

The rules behind these steps, including rent-increase caps, the security deposit, and what happens if the contract expires with nothing signed, are covered in our guide to renewing a tenancy contract in Dubai.

Sources

• Dubai Government. Dubai Real Estate Legislation: Law No. 26 of 2007 (as amended by Law 33 of 2008), Article 14 [PDF].
  URL: https://rdc.dubailand.gov.ae/Assets/img/Real_Estate_Legislation_en.pdf.
  Accessed: 06.07.2026.
• Dubai Land Department. Download Unified Ejari Tenancy Contract [e-service].
  URL: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/ejari-templates/download-unified-ejari-tenancy-contract/#/.
  Accessed: 06.07.2026.
• Dubai Land Department. Rental Index [e-service].
  URL: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/rental-index/.
  Accessed: 06.07.2026.
• Agent fee figures are market practice, confirmed by Habi's founder; they are not set by any government fee schedule.