Buying a Tenanted Apartment in Dubai: Ejari, Rent and Notice Checks

The Short Answer

Documents to Ask For Before You Pay

What Happens to the Tenancy When Ownership Changes

Rent: What You Can and Cannot Change

Can You Ask the Tenant to Leave?

Inspecting a Unit That Is Occupied

Price and Financing

Common Mistakes

Why Choose Banke International Properties?

Conclusion

Dubai Real Estate Insights · Buying Checks Buying a Tenanted Apartment in Dubai: Ejari, Rent and Notice Checks If you buy a Dubai apartment that already has a tenant, you buy the tenancy with it. The tenant's contract, rent and rights carry over to you, so the checks you make before you pay matter more than they do for a vacant unit. This Banke UAE

guide sets out what a buyer of a tenanted apartment should ask for, how the tenancy is registered, what a new owner can and cannot do about the rent or the tenant, and the mistakes that cause disputes later. The Short Answer A sale does not cancel a Dubai tenancy. The Ejari-registered contract continues with you as the new landlord, on the same rent and

terms, until it ends or is renewed under the rules. You cannot simply ask the tenant to leave because you have bought the unit, and you cannot raise the rent outside the renewal framework. That can suit an investor who wants income from day one. It does not suit a buyer who wants to move in soon. Decide which you are before you make an

offer, and price the unit with the tenancy in mind. For the wider process, see Banke UAE's guide to selling Dubai property with tenants still in residence (the seller's side of the same issue) and our Banke UAE note on Ejari registration . Documents to Ask For Before You Pay The Ejari certificate and the tenancy contract. Check the tenant's name, the unit, the start

and end dates, the annual rent, the number of cheques and any special clauses. The title deed. Confirm the seller is the registered owner. See Banke UAE: how to read a Dubai title deed . Proof of rent paid. Ask for cheque copies, bank transfer records or receipts, and a statement that no rent is overdue. The latest service charge statement. Arrears on the unit

can become a problem when ownership changes. Any notices already served. If the seller has sent the tenant a notice about rent, renewal or vacating, you need to see it and understand its status. The security deposit. Find out how much the tenant paid and who holds it. It should be transferred to you or credited in the price. What Happens to the Tenancy When

Ownership Changes In Dubai, the tenancy is registered against the unit through Ejari. When the title transfers at the Dubai Land Department, the contract continues. Ask your conveyancer or the registered broker how the Ejari record will be updated to show you as landlord, and make sure the tenant receives written notice of the new owner and the payment details. Until the tenant knows where

to pay, rent can go to the old owner by mistake. Agree in the sale terms who keeps rent for the month of transfer and how any overlap is settled. Rent: What You Can and Cannot Change During the contract term, the rent stays as agreed. At renewal, any increase must follow the Dubai rules, which use the rental index published by RERA and require

written notice before the contract ends. Our guide to Banke UAE: Dubai rent increase rules explains how the index works. This matters for your numbers. If the tenant pays a rent that is lower than the market, you may not be able to lift it quickly. If you are buying for yield, calculate income from the rent in the contract, not from rents quoted in

listings. Can You Ask the Tenant to Leave? Only in the limited cases the law allows, and only by following the formal process and notice period. One recognised ground is that the new owner wants the unit for personal use or the use of close family, but it requires proper written notice served the right way, typically well ahead of the contract end date. Our

guide to Banke UAE: eviction notice rules in Dubai covers the notice route. Do not rely on a verbal promise from the seller or the agent that the tenant "will move out". If vacant possession matters to you, make it a written condition of the sale and check it with a lawyer. Inspecting a Unit That Is Occupied You can still inspect a tenanted apartment,

but you need the tenant's cooperation and reasonable notice. Ask for a viewing slot through the seller, and use it to check the condition of the unit, the air-conditioning, plumbing and any visible defects. Note anything the tenant tells you about repairs or complaints. Who is responsible for what depends on the contract and the law, so read the maintenance clause. Price and Financing Price.