Dubai: If you are planning to not renew your lease agreement in Dubai, and want to shift to a new apartment or villa, one of the main documentation that you need to ensure is completed is the cancellation of Ejari.
Ejari refers to the registered lease contract in Dubai, and you would need one whenever you are renting a property in Dubai. But what is the process of cancelling the Ejari in Dubai? Here is all you need to know.
Who is responsible for registering and cancelling the Ejari?
Even after you have signed your lease contract, it is important to note that the process for Ejari – which is the registration of that lease contract – still needs to be completed. When it comes to registering your Ejari with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera), it is the responsibility of your landlord to complete the process, but paying for it is the tenant’s responsibility.
When it comes to the cancellation of Ejari, at the time of moving out, this process, too, has to be completed by the landlord.
“It is the responsibility of the landlord to cancel the Ejari as there should only be one Ejari registration against a property,” Tinicia Hepworth, Director of Leasing at Better Homes, said.
It is the responsibility of the landlord to cancel the Ejari as there should only be one Ejari registration against a property.
When is the Ejari cancelled?
According to real estate experts that spoke to Gulf News, Ejari is cancelled, when a tenant or landlord do not plan on renewing the lease or a rental contract is terminated early.
But, Hepworth explained that in the case of early rental termination, both parties must provide their approval.
“The Ejari can be cancelled before the contract expires, only if there is a written No-Objection-Certifcate (NOC) from both the landlord and tenant,” she said.
Does Ejari automatically get cancelled after moving out?
Louisa Bridge, Head of Property Management of Haus and Haus Real Estate, said that the Ejari is not cancelled automatically, and an application requesting the application must be filled out by the landlord or property management company.
She said: “You have to cancel it by applying for Ejari cancellation online or at an Ejari Typing Centre. After the application has been submitted, it will take 24 hours to reflect in the system.
“When you cancel, you get a cancellation certificate to provide as proof of the cancellation so the next tenant can proceed to register their Ejari.”
When you cancel, you get a cancellation certificate to provide as proof of the cancellation so the next tenant can proceed to register their Ejari.
What happens if the Ejari is not cancelled?
Apart from making it hard for the landlord to officially allow another tenant to move in to the unit, you may also face problems as a tenant when you move into your new home.
“Without the previous Ejari being cancelled, the new tenant may have issues with registering their new lease contract and you will not be able to connect to water and electricity through Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa),” said Hepworth.
