Renting an office in Dubai

Why start with your licence, not the listing?

In Dubai, your office and your trade licence are linked. Businesses licensed by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (mainland) generally need a registered mainland address, and the lease is registered on Ejari. Companies in a free zone usually lease space within that free zone, registered through its own system. Some free zones and mainland authorities offer flexible arrangements, but the rules are specific to each authority.

Before you view anything, confirm with your licensing authority what kind of premises your activity needs and whether a desk, a serviced office or a full office is acceptable. Signing a lease that your licence cannot use is an expensive mistake. Our commercial Ejari explained guide covers how registration fits in.

What types of office space are available?

• Serviced offices and business centres. Furnished, flexible terms, shared reception and meeting rooms. Quick to start, and often acceptable for licence purposes, but check.
• Fitted offices. Previously fitted with partitions, ceilings, lighting and sometimes furniture. Faster to occupy, but you inherit someone else's layout.
• Shell and core. A bare unit. You design and build the fit-out, which takes time and approvals, but you get exactly what you need.

Think about headcount growth, meeting needs, client visits, parking and access for staff before deciding which type suits.

Location and building checks

Office districts differ in character, transport links and tenant mix. Business Bay, for example, mixes offices with residential towers, while dedicated business parks feel more corporate. Visit at rush hour to see access and parking.

Inside the building, look at lift capacity at peak times, air conditioning (and whether chiller is included or billed separately), access hours, security, internet providers available, washroom standards and how well common areas are kept. Ask for the building's current service-charge arrangements, and whether any of these are passed to tenants. See chiller fees explained.

Which lease terms should you negotiate?

Commercial leases are more negotiable than many tenants assume. Discuss:

• Rent and payment schedule, including the number of cheques.
• Any rent-free period for fit-out.
• Lease length and renewal terms; renewal increases are linked to the DLD rental index rules for mainland properties.
• Who pays for which repairs and maintenance.
• Reinstatement obligations at the end: must you remove your fit-out?
• Break options and early-termination terms.
• Permission to sublet or share space with group companies.

Put everything in the contract or an addendum. See tenancy contract addendum explained.

Fit-out and usage permissions

Almost any fit-out needs the landlord's written consent and, in most buildings, approval from the building management or master developer. Larger works may also need authority permits through the relevant municipality or free-zone authority. Some activities have extra requirements, such as clinics or food businesses.

Allow time for design, approvals and contractor works before you can trade, and make sure your lease's rent-free period, if any, reflects that. Keep approvals on file; you will need them when you leave.

How do you register the lease and get started?

For a mainland office, register the tenancy on Ejari once signed; the Ejari certificate is commonly needed for licence issue or renewal and for DEWA connection. Free-zone tenants follow their authority's process. Then arrange DEWA (or the zone's utility provider), internet and building access.

Keep a diary of the expiry date. Changing terms at renewal follows the same principle as residential leases: the landlord must give at least 90 days' notice before expiry to change tenancy terms. If you are deciding whether to buy instead, read buying an office in Dubai.