A good tenancy starts before the lease, with a few calm checks on the person, the household and the plan to pay. Use the same checks for every applicant, write down what you agree, and keep the details you collect private and safe.
Key points
- DARI needs the tenant's Emirates ID or Unified Number, or a company's trade licence number.
- Agree the number of occupants: overcrowding and subletting without permission are grounds for eviction under Law No. 20 of 2006.
- Salary letters and landlord references are practical checks, not DARI requirements.
- After registration DARI lets you change very little (occupants, amenities, who pays the utility bill), and only in the first 7 days, so check every field first.
1. Who is the tenant?
The lease is registered in DARI (Tawtheeq), and the form needs the tenant's details: an Emirates ID or Unified Number for a person, or a trade licence number for a company. The tenant then accepts the contract in DARI. Ask for these details early and check that the name on the documents matches the person you are meeting.
If a company will sign for its employee, confirm who signs for the company and whose name goes on the contract.
2. Who will live in the home?
Ask how many people will live there and each person's name and Emirates ID or Unified Number, because DARI records the occupants on the contract. Abu Dhabi's tenancy law, Law No. 20 of 2006, lists two related grounds for eviction: housing more people than is generally accepted for the home, and assigning or subletting it without the landlord's permission. The tenant may not assign or sublet without your written permission.
Ask about pets too, and write the answer into the lease. On Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands, ADGM's AccessRP lets a "Pets Allowed" clause be added to a residential lease.
3. Can they pay, and how?
Agree the rent, the deposit, the number of cheques and the start date before anything is registered. Checks many landlords find useful:
- A letter from the employer or a salary certificate.
- For a company tenant, a valid trade licence and the name of the person authorised to sign.
- A reference from a previous landlord, if the applicant has rented before.
These are practical checks, not documents DARI asks for. Ask only for what you need to decide, and delete copies you no longer need.
4. How will they use the home?
The law says the tenant uses the home as agreed, and may not change it without your written permission unless the change causes no damage. If an applicant plans to paint, fit shelves or work from home with visitors, discuss it now and write down what you allow.
5. Check the lease before you submit it
After registration, DARI's Modify service lets you change only the occupants, the amenities and who pays the water and electricity bill, and only in the first 7 days; after that you can only add occupants. So read every field before you submit: names, dates, total rent, deposit, payment method, number of instalments, who pays the municipality fees, and whether subletting is allowed.
Before you sign: checklist
- Identity documents match the person and the details entered in DARI.
- The number of occupants is agreed and each one is named.
- The payment plan and deposit are agreed in writing.
- Rules on pets, changes to the home and subletting are in the lease.
- Utility bills: who pays, and from which date.
- An inventory and dated photos of the home's condition, signed by both of you.
If a disagreement arises later, the Rental Dispute Settlement Committees of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department hear landlord and tenant disputes. A clear, complete lease is the best way to avoid needing them.
Official sources
Read on 29 October 2026. Rules and fees can change: check the official page before you act.
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