Paying rent is an essential part of being a tenant. In Dubai, paying rent traditionally involves providing post-dated cheques to landlords or their representatives.
Dubai Land Department (DLD) has introduced a new initiative that allows tenants to pay rent via direct debit through Ejari.
In July 2022, DLD announced its plan to enable direct debit rent payments in collaboration with the UAE Central Bank. The system was fully integrated with Ejari in February 2024, allowing tenants to pay rent via direct debit through the Ejari platform. This new service is called the Noqodi Ejari Direct Debit Service.
With this system, landlords and tenants mutually agree on a payment schedule when signing or renewing the contract. They decide on recurring payments to be deducted from the tenant’s bank account as outlined in the DLD manual. Tenants must sign an authorization form consenting to the instalment payments.
Paying rent via Ejari direct debit provides several benefits:
- A streamlined process for paying rent without cheques
- The agreed schedule prevents late payments
- Automated payments provide convenience
- Helps build credit history when payments are on time
How to Register for Noqodi E-Wallet
To use Ejari’s direct debit service, you’ll need to register for a Noqodi e-wallet account:
- Go to Noqodi.com.
- Click the “Sign Up Now” button to create a new account.
- Your new account must have an active mobile number and email address.
- Once you have registered for Noqodi, you can set up direct debit payments.
- Agree with the landlord on payment frequency and dates when negotiating your lease.
- Payments will be automatically deducted from your account as outlined in DLD’s process manual.
- You must sign a form authorizing the withdrawals per the agreed schedule.
- You can pay rent yearly in 2, 4, 6, or 12 instalments.
How to pay house rent in Dubai via Ejari direct debit
Once set up, here is how you will use Ejari direct debit:
Payments will automatically be debited from your Noqodi account on the agreed dates.
The dates cannot be altered once set up, but this may change with future updates.
Updates to allow date changes are expected in the future.
When setting up, choose how many payments you wish to make annually (2, 4, 6, or 12).
FAQs
What happens if a payment is missed due to low account balance?
Noqodi will attempt payment three times. If it fails, you will be contacted, and you may face fines or legal action.
Can rent still be paid with cheques?
Yes, cheques are still accepted but may be phased out as direct debit becomes more widely used.
Cheques will likely be discontinued as more tenants adopt Ejari direct debit payments.
Conclusion
Paying rent via Ejari’s new direct debit system streamlines the payment process for tenants in Dubai. Following the step-by-step process outlined here, you can easily set up automated rent payments. This convenient method helps avoid late fees and builds your credit history. As more residents transition to direct debit, post-dated cheques will be gradually phased out in the coming years.
