Is your lease expiring soon in the UAE? Here are the steps to follow

Is your lease expiring soon? If so, you may have already received notice from your property management company or the state office that your lease needs to be renewed. Here is everything you need to know about the process and what it may cost you if you are unsure.

Your landlord will notify you three months before your lease expires if the rent for the next year will be increased. This is a provision of the Dubai Tenancy Law, Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, which governs landlord-tenant relations in the Emirate of Dubai.

If the landlord does not serve the notice of rent increase within 90 days, he is not allowed to increase the rent.

He cannot increase the rent if he misses this notification even by one day.

So, if the rent of your apartment or house has not been increased or you have agreed to a rent increase, you must renew your lease. To do this, follow the steps below:

– Arrange with your landlord or real estate agent to present you with postdated checks for the coming year. The number of checks you can split the year’s rent between, and whether you need to pay the amount in cash, will depend on the company’s policies and your lease.

– Get the receipt – After you deposit the checks, always get the receipt because you may not receive the renewed contract from the broker the same day.

You will receive the revised contract as soon as the landlord signs it.

– Register the Ejari – After that, the new contract must be registered. In Dubai, this procedure is known as Ejari. The registration fee for Ejari is Dh155.

How to renew your rental contract in Abu Dhabi
You can renew your Abu Dhabi lease online on the Tamm website, the official website of the Abu Dhabi authorities. According to Tamm, the steps to renew your contract are as follows:

– Visit the service link: https://www.tamm.abudhabi/en/aspects-of-life/HousingProperty/renting/leasecontracts/RequestforaLeaseContractRenewal

– Use your UAEPass to log in.

– Select the contract and verify the premise information.

– Provide contact information and submit documentation, if applicable.

– Act as the lessor when reviewing the contract.

– Pay the required fees (about Dh100).

– Get the final approval and download the contract.

Read also: Are you looking for a new home? How to check the previous rents for a property in Dubai

How to renew your lease in Sharjah
You can renew your lease through your real estate office or a typing center in Sharjah. Who you contact for the renewal process depends on your property management company’s policy. These are the actions you need to take whether you request the renewal directly from the landlord, through a real estate agent or through a Public Relations Officer (PRO).

– Sign the contract – the broker will first give you the renewal contract to sign.

– Submit the postdated checks – as required by your contract, you must submit the checks as well as any cash payments. The broker will then make sure the landlord signs the contract as well.

– Go to Sharjah Municipality to renew the contract – once you receive the signed contract from the broker, you will need to pay the renewal fees at Sharjah Municipality.

Cost of contract renewal
Renewal fees – 4% of the total annual rent.

Dh177 for municipal fees

You may also have to pay a fee to the property management company for PRO services or maintenance costs.

The municipality will confirm the renewed contract when you make the payment.

How to renew your lease in Ajman
If your lease in Ajman has expired, you can apply directly to your property management company for a renewal. According to Waqar Ahmed, a real estate agent at Ajman Properties, real estate agents handle most of the renewal process.

– Visit your real estate agent: depending on the contract, the agent will accept checks or cash payments for the renewal. If your rent is paid in four installments, your contract may require that the first installment be paid in cash. Depending on the contract, you may need to give the broker cash and checks.

– Sign the contract: The contract must be signed by both the tenant and the landlord and will be processed by the Ajman Sewerage Department and the Ajman Municipality.

– Pay the Sewerage Account Renewal Fees: After paying the renewal fees, the agent contacts the Sewerage Department to renew the sewerage account. The office then issues a no-objection certificate to the municipality, allowing it to renew the contract.

– Wait for the Ajman Municipality to send you a link to pay your fees: The broker then uploads the clearance certificate along with the tenant and landlord ID to the Ajman Municipality portal.

Once the broker has completed this process, you will receive an email with a link to pay the renewal fees.

– Download of the renewed contract: After payment, the contract is renewed in seconds and can be downloaded.

Renewal of the contract costs 2% of the total annual rent.