Before you sign a tenancy contract
Pick your emirate and tick each check before you pay or sign: who owns the home, the broker, the contract terms, registration and the move-in inspection. Rules that we could not confirm on an official page are marked "check with the authority".
Runs on your phone. Nothing you pick is uploaded. Your ticks are saved only in this browser on this device, so they are still there when you come back. "Clear ticks" removes them.
Good to know
A deposit "to hold" a flat you have not visited, for a landlord you have not met, is the most common rental scam. See the home, see the owner's papers, then pay.
A registered contract is what the rent dispute bodies, utilities and other government services rely on. In Sharjah, government bodies must refuse a lease that has not been attested.
In Dubai, neither side can end a valid lease alone during its term unless the law or the contract allows it. What you pay to leave early is usually what the contract says, so read that clause before you sign.
The signed contract, cheque copies, the deposit receipt, the broker's receipt and your move-in photos. You will need them when you renew, leave or have a dispute.
Sources, all checked on 27 October 2026: Dubai Land Department, Tenancy Guide (Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008: Art. 14, 90 days' notice before expiry to change terms or not renew; Art. 25(2), eviction at expiry only for listed reasons with 12 months' notice through a notary public or registered post; Art. 7, no one-sided termination during the term; Art. 16, landlord maintenance unless agreed otherwise; Art. 20 and 21, deposit refunded at expiry, normal wear excepted; ownership and power of attorney checks), "Register / Renew Tenancy Contract" (AED 177.75 online or by app, AED 220 at a trustee centre), "Licensed Real Estate Brokers", "Verify License and Permits" and "Verification of Certificate of Title" (dubailand.gov.ae); Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, "Tenancy" rules (Law No. 2 of 2025, Art. 5: real estate activities need an ADREC licence), "Verify Document" (tenancy contracts and listing permits) and the press release of 3 June 2026 lowering the yearly rent increase cap from 5% to 0% until further notice (adrec.gov.ae); Sharjah Government Media Bureau, Law No. 5 of 2024 on leasing real estate (no increase in the first 3 years unless agreed; no eviction in the first 3 years except for listed reasons; at least 3 months' notice for the owner's own use; at least 30% of the remaining rent to end early, unless agreed otherwise; landlord attests within 15 days) (sgmb.ae); Sharjah Municipality, residential tenancy contract template (shjmun.gov.ae); u.ae, "Leasing a property in the UAE" (updated 20 Jan 2026; registration in each emirate; broker commission up to 5% of the rent). Notice periods in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates were not confirmed on an official page: they are marked "check with the authority". This is a guide, not legal advice.