Dubai Land Department merges Ejari registration, renewal and cancellation into the DubaiNow app

Dubai's Land Department has pulled the main steps of renting out a home, contract registration, renewal, cancellation and even the utility deposit, into a single app. The change is aimed at both sides of a lease and, for property owners, at cutting the time and paperwork around each tenant.

One platform for the whole tenancy journey

On Monday, 2 November 2026, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) announced an upgraded Ejari service inside the DubaiNow app that lets landlords and tenants create, register, renew and cancel tenancy contracts through a single digital platform. Both parties are connected through UAE PASS, the emirate's digital identity system, and the Ejari certificate is issued immediately once the contract is approved.

The same flow also covers utilities: residents can pay the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) security deposit and activate electricity and water as part of registering the contract, rather than completing separate procedures across different government entities.

What it means for owners and investors

For an investor who rents out a Dubai apartment, the change is mainly about speed and admin. Registering a new tenant, renewing an existing lease or closing out a contract when a tenant moves out can now be handled from one app, which shortens the time between signing and a tenant actually moving in and switching on utilities.

Using UAE PASS for both sides also adds transparency: renewals and cancellations are tied to verified identities, which the DLD says improves security. The announcement does not change rent-increase rules, Ejari fees or deposit amounts; it reorganises how the existing steps are completed.

Part of Dubai's digital services push

The DLD links the launch to the Services 360 policy, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Digital Strategy, all aimed at connecting government services so residents do not repeatedly switch between platforms. Mohammed Ali Al Badwawi, CEO of the Real Estate Registration Sector at the DLD, called it another milestone in the evolution of Dubai's digital real estate services.

The rental market behind the move is sizeable. According to the DLD, in the first quarter of 2026 Dubai registered 118,385 new rental contracts and 135,607 renewals, with rental contracts worth approximately AED 32.2 billion over the three months.