How to pay rent in Dubai: Top 3 payment methods for tenants

Dubai: When renting a home in Dubai, one of the most important decisions tenants face is how they will pay their rent. While cheques remain the most common method, newer and more flexible payment options are becoming increasingly available.

Here are the main rent payment methods used in Dubai and what tenants should know before signing a tenancy contract.

1. Cheque payments in Dubai: Single or multiple cheques

In practice, many landlords in Dubai prefer fewer cheques or a large upfront payment because it reduces their payment risk and improves cash flow. It’s common for landlords to ask for one cheque (full year) or two to four cheques dated in advance at the start of the tenancy but this is due to market practice and negotiation, not a legal mandate.

Postdated cheques are still the most common form of rental payment in Dubai. While you can pay through a single cheque or multiple cheques, the number of cheques you need to submit depends on your landlord.

Recent trends show more landlords in Dubai are offering tenants to pay rents on their apartments and villas via four cheques or more.

2. Monthly rent instalments in Dubai

Monthly instalments are increasingly being discussed as one of the most significant reforms in the UAE rental market.

In 2025, Property Finder announced a partnership and investment in Keyper, a UAE firm that allows tenants to pay rent in monthly instalments.

Monthly rent payments are emerging as one of the most significant reforms in the UAE rental market, easing liquidity pressure and giving residents a structure that mirrors how they earn and plan their finances.

For some tenants, the challenge has not been the cost of rent but the requirement to pay it through one to four large cheques. Instead of accumulating several months of rent ahead of renewal, tenants can treat rent like any other recurring household bill.

3. Direct debit rent payments in Dubai

Direct debit payments are also becoming more common as landlords move away from cheque-based systems. In a study published by Visa in January 2025, it indicated that more UAE consumers are ditching cheque payments when it comes to settling their rents with landlords.

More landlords have switched over to direct debits from their tenants’ bank accounts, a move that has the full backing of the UAE Central Bank.

In 2023, in a circular issued by DLD, tenants in Dubai can pay their rent via direct debit. According to DLD, the registered tenancy contract - Ejari – was integrated with the Noqodi Direct Debit system.

Noqodi is the digital payment channel for Dubai government services and the Direct Debit System by UAE's Central Bank (UAEDDS) provides UAE residents with an automated payment method to facilitate recurrent payments from their bank accounts.

If you are currently paying your rent with post-dated cheques, you can only switch over to direct debit payments at the time of contract renewal, which means it is up to your landlord or the property management company to switch over to this payment method. The instalment plan would need to be mutually agreed upon by the tenant and the landlord.

Important things tenants should know

• Whatever payment schedule you agree on must be explicitly written in the tenancy contract and registered with Ejari.

• You can negotiate the payment schedule before signing the contract. For example, you can agree to pay in more instalments if the landlord accepts.

• There are ongoing moves in Dubai and across the UAE to allow monthly payment options, either through platforms that let tenants pay monthly while landlords still receive the full amount upfront, or through direct bank options.