Alright, so amidst all the rental drop news that’s been doing the rounds, there’s something else that has been dropped too. And this is related to your Ejari contract. So, if you’re about to sign your Ejari contract, you’ll need to declare all the co-habitants, as in every single person living under your roof. Yup, even if it’s just your cousin who “is only staying for a few months.” The Dubai Land Department (DLD) isn’t buying it anymore. Dubai is tightening the reins on who gets to live where, and they’d quite like to know if you’re sneaking in flatmates. Landlords and their representatives are now duty-bound to chase you after having a glance at your list. And just to keep things thrilling, DLD has upped its building inspections and are scrutinizing left, right and center for compliance. And landlords, you’re in the game too. If you suspect that your tenant is playing hide-and-seek with co-occupants and fail to report, then perhaps you could be the one slapped with the penalty.
What the Rulebook Says About Ejari
- One Ejrai per unit: This is the general rule that applies to all unless your property has a proper licence for co-living
- If your landlord has approvals to rent out individual rooms, then, it’s perfectly line. You just have to ensure that those mini-contracts are linking back to the parent Ejari.
- To maintain transparency throughout, all the people living in the unit must be officially registered in the Ejari system.
- In the event of someone missing to be registered and the inspectors suspect unauthorised subletting or overcrowding, things could turn ugly for both you and your landlord.
Why Bother Registering In The Ejari System?
Apart from staying out of trouble (a pretty solid reason, if you ask me), registering co-occupants will:
- Ensure you’re on the right side of Dubai regulations.
- Make life transparent for both tenants and landlords.
- Help authorities know who’s inside in case of emergencies (firefighters can’t save a mystery roommate they don’t know exists).
Alright, stop panicking already. You only have to list their names, there’s no need to provide any detailed personal information. But if you’re the “I-do-everything-a-lil-extra” type, you can go ahead and feed in those details as well. Yup, just to keep everything neat and proper.
Also read: You Won’t Believe This Dubai Property Hack – Get Your Ejari Done Via WhatsApp!
How To Actually Do It
It’s pretty straight-forward and I’m going to list it out step-by-step for you:
- First off, you need to head to the App Store or Play Store and download the Dubai REST App. Alternatively, you can do it online by heading to the DLD Website.
- You need to sign in with UAE PASS (yes, yet again).
- Scroll down and select your property
- Click on “Manage Co-occupants.”
- Provide names of all your roomies, family members – yup, everyone staying with you in that property!
To add someone, all you got to do is type in their Emirates ID and date of birth, hit verify, and just like that, the work’s done. And in case your roomie has moved out recently, you have to remove their name from the list. Fret not, the REST App will save your day! You just need to tap their name and click the delete button and hope that they don’t come back in a month’s time.
Why Is This Happening All Of A Sudden?
If you remember the tragic Marina tower fire incident which happened a couple of months ago, you’d also recall how Dubai’s been cracking down on makeshift partitions and overcrowded flats ever since. The takeaway was loud and clear – Dubai is completely against cramming nine people into a two-bedroom apartment.
Also read: Dubai Partition Flat Evictions – Tenants Asked To Vacate ASAP
Legal Co-Sharing Rentals: Dubai’s New Way of Living Together
Legal co-sharing is now front and centre, and it’s growing fast. Platforms like Rentify are upping their game and spotlighting what these arrangements actually cost across the city’s busiest neighbourhoods.
In prime areas like Business Bay, Dubai Marina, Downtown, Jumeirah Lake Towers and Al Barsha, the co-sharing rental scene is expanding and how! Let’s take the example of Al Barsh. Shared rooms in the area could range anywhere between AED 800 and AED 2,500 a month. It all boils down to size, location and whether you’ve lucked out with a balcony. Now, if you consider Deira, you’ll find shared spaces that cost between AED 1,100 and AED 2,500. Also, some of the studio-style setups may even climb to AED 3,000.
Apps To Locate Co-Sharing Rentals
Where there’s demand, there’s an app (welcome to Dubai!). Of late, there have been multiple platforms cropping up that are solely dedicated to spotting shared housing. This streamlines the entrie process of house hunting and makes it as easy as online shopping. On Roomy Finder, for example, tenants can filter by budget, neighbourhood—or even nationality if you fancy living with someone from a particular country.
All of the flats are clean, regulated, and yes, more expensive than the dodgy “three men to a room” setups. But at least you can sleep soundly knowing you won’t be evicted mid-movie night.
You may also like: Dubai Rents Soar In 9 Areas Due To New Metro Line
