2 November 2026
Dubai Land Department (DLD) launched an enhanced Ejari service in the DubaiNow app on Monday 2 November 2026. Landlords and tenants can now create, register, renew and cancel residential tenancy contracts in one digital process, with both sides signing through UAE PASS. The Ejari certificate is issued immediately after the contract is approved, and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) security deposit can be paid in the same journey to move on to electricity and water activation. The change covers a large market: in the first quarter of 2026 Dubai registered 118,385 new rental contracts and 135,607 renewals, about 254,000 in total, worth AED 32.2 billion.
What DLD announced on 2 November 2026
The upgraded service was launched by DLD together with DEWA and the Digital Dubai Government Establishment, the body that runs DubaiNow. DubaiNow is the shared government app for individuals in Dubai and already brings together services from different authorities. With this update, the main steps of renting a home sit in that one app instead of several separate services.
According to the announcement, the enhanced Ejari service covers five steps of the tenancy cycle:
- New contract. The landlord creates a tenancy contract in DubaiNow and submits it to the tenant.
- Review and signature. Both parties review the agreement and sign it electronically with UAE PASS, the national digital identity.
- Instant certificate. Once the contract is approved, the Ejari certificate is issued immediately.
- Renewal and cancellation. Existing contracts can be renewed or cancelled in the same app, also through UAE PASS.
- DEWA deposit. Where applicable, the customer pays the DEWA security deposit within the same journey and proceeds to activation of electricity and water for the property.
DLD said the goal is to reduce the number of steps, speed up transactions and improve security and transparency for both landlords and tenants.
How the new tenancy journey works
For someone moving into a rented apartment, the sequence in DubaiNow now runs in one line. The landlord prepares the contract and sends it to the tenant. The tenant reads it and both sides sign with UAE PASS. After approval, the Ejari certificate appears straight away, and the app offers the next step: paying the DEWA security deposit so that electricity and water can be connected before move-in.
The same app handles the later stages. When the lease term ends and both sides agree to continue, the renewal is done digitally. When a tenant moves out, the cancellation service closes the registration. Ejari data was already used by DEWA in its move-in process; the update brings the deposit payment into the same flow, so the tenant does not have to switch to a separate DEWA channel.
Who stands behind the service
Three government entities worked on the integration, and each commented on the launch:
- Mohammed Ali Al Badwawi, CEO of the Real Estate Registration Sector at DLD, called the launch another milestone in Dubai’s digital real estate services and said it brings the tenancy journey together through a trusted government platform.
- Dr Moza Suwaidan, Executive Director of the Digital Applications and Platforms Sector at Digital Dubai, said success is measured by fewer steps, greater time savings and a smoother experience for people.
- Marwan Bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future at DEWA, said the integration lets customers pay the security deposit and activate electricity and water through one digital journey.
The project is part of the Dubai Government’s Services 360 policy, which connects related services from different authorities into one journey. It also supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Digital Strategy.
The size of the rental market
DLD data for the first quarter of 2026, published in April, shows the volume of contracts that pass through Ejari every quarter:
| Indicator, Q1 2026 | Value |
|---|---|
| Total value of rental contracts | AED 32.2 billion |
| New rental contracts | 118,385 |
| Renewed contracts | 135,607 |
| New and renewed, total | about 254,000 |
| Cancelled contracts | down 25% |
| Real estate offices in the market | 10,200 |
Renewals outnumbered new contracts by more than 17,000 in the quarter. Each of these transactions requires an Ejari registration, which is why the number of steps in one procedure matters at the scale of the whole market.
What is not yet clear
The announcement leaves several practical points open. DLD did not publish fees for registering Ejari through DubaiNow, and DEWA did not state deposit amounts in the release. The service is described in the context of the housing journey, and DubaiNow is the app for individuals, so the release does not say whether commercial leases for offices, shops or warehouses can be processed the same way. It also does not say whether existing channels, such as real estate service centres and property management companies, change their role.
What this means for residents and companies
For tenants and landlords of residential property, the change is direct: a new lease, a renewal or a cancellation can be completed from a phone with UAE PASS, and the Ejari certificate no longer requires a separate visit or a separate DEWA step afterwards. A practical checklist before using the service:
- Check that both landlord and tenant have an active UAE PASS account, since both signatures run through it.
- Agree the contract terms, rent, payment schedule and dates before the landlord submits the contract for signature.
- Keep the Ejari certificate: other procedures rely on it, including DEWA move-in.
- Plan the DEWA deposit payment as part of move-in, so utilities are active on the day you get the keys.
- When moving out, cancel the contract in the same app, so the registration of the property is closed on time.
For companies, Ejari matters beyond housing. On the Dubai mainland, a lease for office or warehouse premises registered with Ejari is part of the licensing documents, as we explain in our guide to documents for company registration in the UAE. The 2 November release does not cover commercial leases, so for now businesses should plan office Ejari through the existing channels. Employers relocating staff to Dubai can point employees to DubaiNow for their personal leases. Investors who buy property to let out can use our guide to mortgages in the UAE for residents and non-residents to plan the purchase side.
How Atlant Capital can help
We work with founders, investors and families who are setting up in Dubai. Our company setup team handles the licence together with the premises paperwork, including Ejari registration of an office lease where the licensing authority requires it. When a move involves residence visas for the founder, staff or family, our work visa and residency service coordinates the documents, including the tenancy records requested in the process. Contact us to discuss your case.
Conclusion
On 2 November 2026 Dubai Land Department moved the full Ejari tenancy cycle into the DubaiNow app: contract creation, UAE PASS signatures, instant certificate, renewal, cancellation and the DEWA security deposit now run in one process. The service is built for residential leases of individuals. Fees, DEWA deposit amounts and the treatment of commercial leases were not published in the announcement.
Source: Gulf News, Dubai Land Department.
FAQ
Can I register Ejari on the DubaiNow app?
Yes. Since 2 November 2026 the DubaiNow app offers an enhanced Ejari service from Dubai Land Department. Landlords and tenants can create, register, renew and cancel residential tenancy contracts in one digital process, signing with UAE PASS, and the Ejari certificate is issued immediately after the contract is approved.
Can I pay the DEWA security deposit through DubaiNow when I register Ejari?
Yes. The upgraded service lets customers pay the DEWA security deposit within the same digital journey as the Ejari registration, where applicable, and then proceed to activating electricity and water for the rented property. The announcement did not state deposit amounts.
How do I cancel an Ejari tenancy contract in Dubai?
Under the enhanced service launched on 2 November 2026, landlords and tenants can cancel a tenancy contract digitally in the DubaiNow app through UAE PASS. The same app also handles renewals of existing contracts, so the full tenancy cycle can be managed in one place.
How many rental contracts are registered in Dubai?
According to Dubai Land Department, in the first quarter of 2026 Dubai registered 118,385 new rental contracts and 135,607 renewals, about 254,000 in total. The total value of rental contracts in the quarter was AED 32.2 billion, and the number of cancelled contracts fell by 25%.
