Sharjah regulates rents differently from Dubai. There is no Ejari system here (Ejari is Dubai’s registration platform), and rent increases are not tied to a published percentage cap. Instead, the leasing law sets time-based limits on increases and requires landlords to have contracts attested by the municipality. Here is Law No. 5 of 2024 on property leasing in the Emirate of Sharjah, read from the official text on the Sharjah legislation portal, with a clear note wherever the detail sits in executive regulations we have not read. It is general information, not legal advice. For a broader tenant checklist, see our renting and tenancy contract guide.
The law at a glance
The Ruler of Sharjah issued the law on 19 September 2024, and Sharjah24 reported it on 23 September 2024 (Sharjah24). The Arabic text on the legislation portal shows 24 articles, takes effect from issue and repeals Law No. 2 of 2007, while keeping its regulations and decisions in force until replaced (Sharjah legislation portal, Arabic). It applies to residential, commercial, industrial and professional leases in the emirate. The exclusions (Article 2) include agricultural land, government-granted housing that has not been transferred to the occupier, staff housing provided free by an employer, hotel property leased only to guests, free-zone property with its own dispute bodies, and anything the Executive Council designates.
Rent increases: what Article 16 says
This is the most-asked question, so here is the text in plain terms (Article 16, Arabic text):
- A landlord may not increase the agreed rent before three years from the start of the rental relationship, unless the parties agree otherwise.
- If the tenant accepts an increase within those three years, the landlord may not raise it again until two years after that increase.
- After those periods, an increase must be at the “fair rent” value (the Arabic term refers to the rent of a comparable property). The executive regulations are to set the controls for fair rent and how to calculate it.
- The Executive Council may change these periods by decision.
Three things the law does not say. It does not set a maximum percentage. It does not say rents can only rise every two years in general; the two-year gap applies after an early agreed increase. And the fair-rent method is not in the law itself. Some commentary describes a “once every two years” rule or a calculator, and the Executive Council’s Executive Regulations are reported to be Resolution No. 43 of 2024, but we have not read that resolution and found no percentage cap in the law. Check the current regulations and Sharjah Municipality’s rental indicator tools before relying on any figure you are quoted. Khaleej Times’ legal column reaches the same reading of Article 16 and points tenants to the Rental Disputes Centre (Khaleej Times).
Two related protections: a new owner who buys the property takes over the lease and cannot evict or raise rent except under the law (Article 17), and the lease does not end on the landlord’s death (Article 18).
Attestation: the landlord’s job, within 15 days
Article 4 puts the duty on the landlord:
- Attest the contract, or any renewal, and pay the fees to the municipality or its authorised bodies within 15 days of drafting.
- If the landlord refuses, the tenant can ask the Rental Disputes Centre’s urgent-matters judge to compel attestation.
- An unattested contract attracts an administrative fine on the landlord, set by the executive regulations, plus the fees. The municipality can also seek a court order at any time.
- Government bodies other than the Centre must refuse unattested leases for any transaction or service.
Article 7 lets either side go to the Centre to prove a rental relationship without an attested contract, with the landlord then paying the attestation fees. Article 3 requires the contract to be in writing or electronic, on forms approved by the Executive Council. Attested leases count as enforceable instruments for eviction and handover claims over unpaid rent (Article 5).
In practice, Sharjah Municipality offers a “certified lease contract” service, and in July 2025 it said attestation is now processed automatically from municipality data, with the contract passed to SEWA and the tenant paying the electricity deposit by text message prompt (WAM, 10 Jul 2025). Confirm current fees on that page, which is partly machine-translated.
For leases signed before the law and never attested, the Sharjah Executive Council approved a one-off settlement on 28 October 2025: 50% off attestation fees and no fine for non-attestation, valid only from 1 November to 31 December 2025 (Sharjah Executive Council). That window has closed, so do not assume it still applies.
Eviction: Article 13
For the first three years (residential) or five years (commercial, industrial or professional), the landlord cannot request eviction unless one of these grounds applies:
- The tenant has not paid rent or an instalment within 15 days of the due date.
- The tenant breaches a legal or contractual duty and does not fix it within 30 days of notice.
- The tenant assigns or sublets in breach of the law.
- The tenant uses the property for a different purpose or an unlawful or improper one.
- The landlord wants to demolish, rebuild or carry out comprehensive maintenance that makes occupation impossible, on conditions in the regulations.
- The landlord wants to live in the property or house a first-degree adult relative, provided he owns no other suitable home within the municipality, gives at least three months’ notice, and the landlord or relative moves in within two months and stays one year without a break.
If the landlord does not follow the demolition or personal-use conditions, the tenant can claim compensation at the Centre.
Payment, subletting and early termination
- Instalments. If the parties have not agreed (or cannot prove) how rent is paid, it is paid in four equal instalments over the lease term (Article 15). A tenant whose landlord refuses payment can deposit it with the Centre (Article 14).
- Subletting. A tenant cannot assign the lease but may re-let under conditions in the regulations (Article 12).
- Early termination. For a fixed-term lease, a tenant who proves exceptional, unforeseen circumstances that make performance burdensome can ask to end it; the Centre decides if the landlord refuses. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the tenant pays compensation of at least 30% of the rent for the remaining term (Article 19).
Practical steps
- Ask for the contract on the approved form and confirm it will be attested within 15 days.
- Diarise the three-year date from the start of the tenancy, and the two-year gap if you accept an early increase.
- If a landlord proposes an increase, ask in writing for the basis, such as comparable rents, and check municipal rental indicators.
- Keep proof of payments and of every notice.
- For disputes, use the Rental Disputes Centre; do not withhold rent without advice, since non-payment is an eviction ground.
Before you rely on this: We read the Arabic law text and the Sharjah24 summary, but not the executive regulations, which hold the fair-rent method, fine amounts and subletting conditions. Fee amounts come from a machine-translated municipality page. Take legal advice for a specific dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a rent cap in Sharjah?
Not as a stated percentage in the law we read. There is a three-year freeze on increases (unless both sides agree), then increases must follow “fair rent” as the regulations define it.
Can my landlord raise the rent at renewal in year two?
Not unless you agree to it. If you do agree early, the next increase must wait two years from that increase.
Do I need Ejari in Sharjah?
No. Ejari is Dubai’s system. In Sharjah the lease is attested through Sharjah Municipality or its authorised bodies.
Who pays for attestation?
The law puts the duty and the fees on the landlord (Article 4 and Article 7).
General information only, not legal advice. Laws and fees change; confirm with Sharjah Municipality or the Rental Disputes Centre. Information checked 3 October 2026.
This site publishes general information and does not advertise specific units. District context: Muwaileh hub, Al Khan hub and Best areas to live in Sharjah for families.