Dubai Ejari & 5% Housing Fee Calculator
Calculate the Dubai Municipality housing fee on annual rent and understand Ejari registration, DEWA move-in, rent increases and 12-month eviction rules.
Government service fees are separated from rental-market rules and from your actual DEWA consumption.
Important distinction: Housing Fee vs DEWA consumption
The 5% charge is a Dubai Municipality housing fee collected through DEWA. It is calculated from the annual rental value and divided over 12 monthly payments.
It is not 5% of your electricity/water consumption, not a 5% VAT charge and not an Ejari registration fee.
Current Dubai tenancy framework
Dubai tenancy relationships are governed by the emirate's landlord- tenant legislation, including Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Article 4 of the amended law states that tenancy contracts and amendments for properties subject to the law are to be registered with RERA.
Ejari is the registration system used for this tenancy-record process. DLD's current service allows registration through the Dubai REST app/DLD website, property-management channels where available, and Real Estate Services Trustee Centres.
The exact requirement depends on the property and transaction: DEWA has a separate process for free-zone premises that are exempt from Ejari.
5% Dubai Municipality Housing Fee Calculator
DEWA states that housing fees are divided into equal instalments over 12 months.
Dubai REST & Online Tenancy Security
Use secure connections when accessing government tenancy, utility and property-management services online.
Quick result
| Annual rent | AED 90,000 |
| Housing fee | AED 4,500 |
| Monthly fee | AED 375.00 |
Current Ejari registration cost
AED 100 registration + AED 10 knowledge fee + AED 10 innovation fee + AED 55 service-partner fee + AED 2.75 VAT on the partner fee.
Current DLD online route
- Log in to Ejari / Dubai REST.
- Select the tenancy-registration service.
- Enter the required contract information and upload the required document(s).
- Pay the applicable DLD service charges.
- Receive the electronic Contract Registration Certificate.
Ejari, DEWA and special property cases
DEWA move-in screening
DEWA move-in costs
Current DEWA guidance lists a refundable electricity/water security deposit of AED 2,000 for a residential apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa, plus the current supply-activation fee.
Is Ejari required for family visas and Tax Residency Certificates?
| Purpose | Correct position |
|---|---|
| Ordinary DEWA tenant move-in | Current DEWA guidance requires a valid Ejari for tenant move-in outside free-zone properties that are exempt from Ejari. |
| Family residence sponsorship | GDRFA services can require an attested Ejari lease or ownership evidence for the relevant sponsor-file/application. This is an application-document requirement, not a statement that Ejari alone creates visa eligibility. |
| UAE Tax Residency Certificate | FTA applications for natural persons can require an officially documented residential lease such as Ejari, depending on the residence/evidence route. TRC eligibility is assessed under the applicable tax-residence rules. |
| Free-zone property | DEWA states that properties in free zones exempt from Ejari follow a separate move-in process using the applicable tenancy contract. |
Dubai rent increases at renewal
The RERA/DLD rental framework does not allow the landlord to simply choose any percentage at renewal. DLD currently states that rental increases range from 0% to 20% according to the difference between the existing rental value and the average market rent, with the applicable criteria determined by the current rental index.
| Difference between current rent and average market rent | Indicative maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% above average market rent | 0% |
| More than 10% and up to 20% | 5% |
| More than 20% and up to 30% | 10% |
| More than 30% and up to 40% | 15% |
| More than 40% | 20% |
Use the current DLD Rental Increase Calculator with the actual Ejari contract number, property data and current annual rent for the property-specific result.
Rent-increase calculator
Indicative maximum increase under the DLD/RERA bracket represented by this calculator.
This is not a substitute for the live DLD Rental Increase Calculator because the official system considers the actual property and contract data.
12-month eviction notice: choose the actual legal reason
Owner wants to sell the property
A 12-month notice may apply after expiry of the tenancy contract where the owner wishes to sell the leased property.
| 12-month owner-eviction ground | Additional legal point |
|---|---|
| Sale | Owner must give the required 12-month notice before the specified eviction date. |
| Personal use | Owner must satisfy the statutory conditions concerning alternative suitable property. |
| Demolition / reconstruction | Required permits/approvals must be obtained. |
| Comprehensive maintenance | A technical report from or attested by Dubai Municipality is required under the law. |
What happens after a personal-use eviction?
Where the Rent Dispute Settlement Tribunal awards possession for the owner's personal use or first-degree-relative use, Article 26 restricts the landlord from renting the residential property to a third party for at least two years from possession, unless the Tribunal sets a shorter period. A tenant may seek fair compensation if the statutory rule is breached.
Ejari and tenancy checklist
- Ensure the Unified Tenancy Contract contains the correct property, tenant, landlord, term and rent information.
- Register the tenancy through the DLD/Ejari route applicable to the property.
- Keep the electronic Contract Registration Certificate.
- Check that the annual rent used for the housing fee matches the registered rental value.
- Keep receipts and copies of all landlord/agent communications.
- Check whether the property is subject to ordinary Ejari rules or a free-zone exemption.
- Confirm DEWA move-in requirements before handing over keys.
- Check the refundable utility security deposit separately from the landlord's rental deposit.
- If rent is changing at renewal, check the 90-day notice issue.
- Use the live DLD Rental Increase Calculator for the property- specific renewal figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official DEWA / Municipality resources
Current 2026 DLD tenancy-registration fees, Ejari routes, DEWA move-in requirements, housing-fee collection, Dubai rental-index rules and the Law No. 33 of 2008 eviction framework were checked.
A property's actual rent, rental-index result, eviction dispute or service eligibility depends on the property and contract facts. Use the live government calculator/service for the final decision.