Renting

Tenancy Contracts and the Ejar Platform: What Owners and Tenants Should Know

A plain explanation of registering tenancy contracts on Ejar, the clauses every contract needs, and each party's rights when a dispute arises.

Most landlord–tenant disputes do not start with bad faith; they start with a clause nobody wrote. Who pays to fix the water heater? When is the deposit returned? May the tenant sublet? A well-drafted contract answers these before they are asked, and registering it on the Ejar platform turns it into a recognised document rather than a private piece of paper.

What is Ejar?

A platform of the Real Estate General Authority on which tenancy contracts are registered electronically. Registration makes the contract recognised by government bodies and banks, simplifies enforcement in a dispute, and is required for many routine procedures such as utility transfers.

Clauses no contract should be missing

• Party and unit details: ID numbers, precise unit description, number and area.
• Rent and payment: the annual amount, number of instalments, dates and payment method.
• Term: start and end dates stated clearly, plus the renewal mechanism.
• Deposit: the amount, what may be deducted, and when it is returned after vacating.
• Maintenance: what belongs to the owner (structural, major) and what to the tenant (day-to-day).
• Use: residential or commercial, and whether subletting is permitted.
• Utilities: who carries electricity, water and shared service charges.
• Notice: the notice period before vacating or non-renewal.

The handover record everyone forgets

At handover, photograph every room and every meter, document any existing defect in writing and in pictures, and have both parties sign. This is the document that settles the deposit argument a year later, when the owner says the wall was intact and the tenant says it was already cracked.

When a dispute arises

Always begin with direct, written communication — most disputes end there. If they do not, a contract registered on Ejar gives you a faster and clearer route through the relevant authorities than an unregistered paper agreement ever will.

For owners

• Verify the tenant's seriousness and ability to pay before signing.
• Do not over-price to recover one vacant month — it can cost you three.
• Raise renewal two months before expiry, not on the final day.

For tenants

• Read the maintenance clause before signing; it is the most disputed one.
• Keep the contract, handover record and every payment receipt.
• Make no structural alteration without written consent.

A good contract does not favour one side. It makes both sides know exactly what they owe before they sign.

Common questions on this topic