A proposed change to a Dubai tenancy contract must be notified no less than 90 days before expiry unless the parties agreed otherwise, under Article 14 of Law No. 33 of 2008. The renewal file then moves through a current Rental Index check, a signed contract and a new Ejari e-Contract Registration Certificate, with each date and delivery record kept as evidence.

The renewal clock has three different kinds of date

The dates mean different things, so label each one before anyone acts on it. A legal notice deadline, a contract-specific deadline and a sensible reminder are not interchangeable.

First, term changes. Article 14 says that when either party wants to amend a tenancy term under Article 13, that party must notify the other at least 90 days before expiry unless the contract says otherwise. A proposed rent, duration, payment schedule or other clause change belongs in this file. DLD also states that a rent increase applies only when the required notice was given and the Smart Rent Index supports eligibility, as checked on 20 September 2026.

Second, a decision not to continue. DLD's current Ejari campaign tells a tenant who does not wish to renew to notify the landlord at least three months in advance and says additional contract terms must be followed. For a landlord seeking eviction at expiry on one of the grounds in Article 25(2), the law sets a separate 12-month clock and requires service through a Notary Public or registered mail. That is not the same process as proposing a new rent or another renewal term.

Third, operating reminders. A 60-day Rental Index check and a 30-day document review are useful calendar points in this workflow. They are not extra statutory deadlines. The signed contract or addendum can also set its own notice provisions, so both parties need the same current document in front of them.

Use one countdown table for the contract and the record

The calendar works best when it names the actor, the proof and whether a date comes from law, the contract, DLD's service or simple file management. The table below is locked to official pages checked on 20 September 2026.

The table does not turn every conversation into formal notice. Routine scheduling can happen earlier, but any message intended to satisfy a legal or contractual notice requirement needs a delivery record that can be read later without guessing what was sent or when it arrived.

Check the Rental Index against the renewal date

The current DLD calculator asks for the contract end date because the renewal decision belongs to a specific tenancy period. For a residential check, the live page also asks for property type and lets the user search by a 9-digit DEWA premises number, Ejari contract number or area. Area searches add details such as building or community and bedrooms, while the form also asks for current annual rent (DLD Rental Index, checked 20 September 2026).

Run the check with the same property and contract details that appear in the renewal file. Save the result date and inputs alongside the proposed terms. The index result does not replace notice: DLD's published mechanism requires both the notice timing and index eligibility for a proposed increase.

The full percentage-band mechanics sit in the separate Dubai rent increase rules guide. This calendar keeps the focus on sequence and evidence: notice first when required, current index check, written agreement, then the renewed registration.

Renew the contract, then create the new Ejari record

The new certificate comes from a fresh Register / Renew Tenancy Contract request after the renewal document is signed. Ejari is Dubai's official tenancy-registration system. The renewed certificate records the new term and agreed contract details; the previous certificate remains useful as history but does not describe the renewed period.

1. 1

   Agree and sign the renewal

   Both parties review the final rent, term, dates, payment schedule and addenda. The document submitted to DLD should match the version each party keeps.

2. 2

   Choose the eligible DLD channel

   DLD lists the Ejari system or DLD website, Dubai REST and Real Estate Services Trustee Centres. Its campaign says landlords can use the business-user Ejari system, a trustee centre or Dubai REST. Tenants can use Dubai REST or a trustee centre, with landlord approval for a tenant-led request.

3. 3

   Submit the current documents

   For the app route, DLD's public service card lists a copy of the Unified Tenancy Contract. At a trustee centre it lists the original Unified Tenancy Contract, the applicant's Emirates ID and an official power of attorney when a representative applies. Follow the live service prompts if the case requires more.

4. 4

   Pay and complete approval

   Pay the published channel fee. Where the tenant starts the Dubai REST request, the landlord reviews it inside the 5-day platform window. An automatically cancelled request is not a renewed record.

5. 5

   Receive and file the certificate

   DLD says the e-Contract Registration Certificate is emailed after online review and approval. It can also be downloaded from the Property Wallet in Dubai REST. Store it with the signed renewal and payment evidence.

Source: DLD Register / Renew Tenancy Contract, service page checked 20 September 2026. The AED 177.75 online total comprises AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee, an AED 55 service-partner fee and AED 2.75 VAT on that partner fee.

For the wider registration requirements and uses of the certificate, use the current Ejari registration master. If the tenancy is ending rather than renewing, the Ejari cancellation evidence workflow covers that separate record-closing process.

Worked calendar for a 31 December 2026 expiry

The 90-day date for a contract expiring on 31 December 2026 is 2 October 2026. If either party proposes a contract-term change and the contract does not provide a different agreed period, Article 14 places the notice no later than that date.

Here is a neutral file sequence:

• 2 October 2026: the party proposing a changed term sends the written notice and retains delivery evidence. This is the legal term-change date in the example.
• 1 November 2026: both sides run or refresh the DLD Rental Index using the 31 December 2026 contract end date and save the result. This 60-day point is an operating reminder.
• 1 December 2026: both sides compare the final draft with the current contract, confirm the new rent and payment schedule, and correct any identity or authority details. This 30-day point is also an operating reminder.
• By the renewal handoff: both parties sign the final version they intend to register. A tenant-led Dubai REST request then needs the landlord's approval inside the platform's 5-day window.
• 1 January 2027: the illustrative renewed term begins. Once DLD approves the request, the new e-Contract Registration Certificate becomes the current record for that term.

Nothing in the official pages read for this guide states a separate 14-day Ejari renewal deadline, so this calendar does not create one. The controlling items are the applicable law, the signed contract, the current DLD service steps and any case-specific direction from RERA or the Rental Disputes Center.

If agreement or delivery becomes disputed

The useful evidence is the file that shows sequence without reconstruction. Keep the last Ejari certificate, the signed contract and addenda, the proposed terms, the full notice, delivery proof, the dated Rental Index result, responses, the final signed renewal, the submission record, the fee receipt and the new certificate.

The Rental Disputes Center FAQ, checked 20 September 2026, lists the last lease contract registered in Ejari among first-instance lawsuit documents. Where an eviction request is involved, it also lists a copy of the legal warning with the notice representative's statement or the registered-mail delivery result. That does not mean every renewal disagreement becomes a case. It explains why clean delivery and contract records matter to both parties.

Sources and date lock

Every rule and fee in this calendar was checked against an official page on 20 September 2026.

• Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008: Notice definition and Articles 13, 14 and 25.
• DLD Register / Renew Tenancy Contract: channels, documents, fees, trustee service time and issued certificate.
• DLD Ejari campaign: actor routes, tenant-led approval clock and certificate download path.
• DLD Rental Index: live calculator inputs.
• DLD Smart Rent Index explanation: notice and index interaction.
• Rental Disputes Center FAQ: current dispute-document context.

FAQs, checked 20 September 2026

How much does Ejari renewal cost?+

DLD lists a total of AED 177.75 through Dubai REST or its website and AED 220 through a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. These figures come from the current Register / Renew Tenancy Contract service card, checked 20 September 2026.

What documents are required for Ejari renewal?+

For app use, DLD's current public card lists a copy of the Unified Tenancy Contract. At a trustee centre it lists the original Unified Tenancy Contract, the applicant's Emirates ID and an official power of attorney where a representative applies. The live service can request case-specific information.

How long does Ejari renewal take?+

DLD publishes 25 minutes, excluding waiting time, for the trustee route. The current public service card does not state an online completion time, so the online status and approval notifications are the reliable record for that request.

Does every renewal message have to be sent 90 days before expiry?+

No. Article 14 applies the 90-day clock to a proposed change in contract terms unless the parties agreed otherwise. DLD gives separate non-renewal guidance, and Article 25 has a distinct 12-month rule for specified eviction grounds at expiry.

Can a tenant renew Ejari through Dubai REST?+

Yes. DLD's current Ejari campaign lists Dubai REST and trustee centres for tenants, with landlord approval. If the landlord does not approve the tenant-led request within 5 days, DLD says the request is automatically cancelled.