How to Rent Out Your Property in Dubai: Landlord Guide

Letting a property in Dubai means finding a tenant, agreeing the cheques, and registering the tenancy with Ejari. A managing agent typically charges 5 percent of the annual rent to handle it.

This guide covers what you earn, what you pay, and the obligations that come with being a landlord here.

What it costs to let a property

Service charges are the number landlords most often forget. They are payable whether the property is occupied or empty, and on an apartment they can take a meaningful bite out of the yield.

What you can charge

Not whatever you like. The RERA rental index compares your property to similar ones nearby and sets the ceiling for increases on an existing tenancy. For a new tenancy you can ask the market rate, but pricing above it simply means a longer void.

An empty month costs more than a slightly lower rent. A property let at AED 90,000 immediately earns more over the year than one held out for AED 95,000 and let six weeks later.

Your obligations as a landlord

Register the Ejari

Legally the tenancy must be registered. Without it your tenant cannot connect DEWA or sponsor a family visa, and neither of you can use the Rental Dispute Centre.

Maintain the property

Unless the contract says otherwise, major maintenance is the owner's responsibility. Minor repairs, usually defined as under a few hundred dirhams, fall to the tenant.

Give proper notice

To raise the rent or change terms at renewal you must give 90 days written notice before the contract ends. To take the property back to sell it or live in it, you must give 12 months notice through a notary or registered post. Missing the deadline means the contract renews unchanged.

Return the deposit

The security deposit is the tenant's money, held against damage beyond fair wear. Deductions need to be justifiable, and this is the most common source of disputes.

Furnished or unfurnished?

Furnished commands a higher rent and a 10 percent deposit rather than 5, and it attracts shorter tenancies and more turnover. Unfurnished tends to bring longer, quieter tenancies. Which is better depends on whether you value the higher figure or the fewer voids.

Should you use a managing agent?

If you live outside the UAE, effectively yes: someone has to hold keys, meet contractors and be reachable when a tenant has a problem at 10pm. If you are here and have one property, self-managing is realistic, but you still need a letting agent to market it properly.

Let your property with TRPE

We handle marketing, viewings, tenant screening, the contract and Ejari, and can manage the tenancy afterwards. List your property with us or speak to a RERA-licensed adviser about what it would achieve in today's market.

Curious what tenants are paying? See current apartments, villas and townhouses for rent.