Ejari is an online registration system initiated by Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) that requires all Dubai rental or lease contracts to be recorded at this portal. The main motive behind this system is to legalize the otherwise unpleasant relationship between landlords and tenants in Dubai. RERA has made it mandatory from 14 March 2010 for landlords to enter the basic details like terms of tenancy agreement and property details, at this portal. Each entry will be assigned a unique bar code by the system for future reference. Ejari will put an end to malpractices in rental sector by making the whole procedure transparent, for all of the stakeholders. Tenancy contracts, which are not registered at Ejari, will not be protected by any of the regulatory authorities in Dubai.
As of 2013, an Ejari registered tenancy contract must be submitted with all residency visa applications. As of June 2013, such a contract must also be presented for connection of Du home services, including Internet and TV.
The responsibility of registering a tenancy contract with Ejari lies with both the landlord and tenant or, if a property management company is involved, with that company's agent. However, It is more common that the tenant registers their contract and pay the associated fees themselves.
Criticism
NOTE: Du and DEWA (Dubai Electric and Water Authority) are different companies. Du is telephone and DEWA is electricity and water. The statement below refers to both companies as if they were the same company.
Ejari and DEWA have received criticism for their lack of intergovernmental cooperation. For Ejari registration, a receipt for the payment of the DEWA security deposit must be provided. However, the receipt provided with online payment of the DEWA security deposit is not acceptable for Ejari. This intergovernmental disconnect often results in long delays, which results in the inability of tenants to subscribe to internet, TV and telephone service if they are in an area of Dubai serviced only by Du.