--- title: "Tenancy Contract Arabic Translation Dubai" description: "Signed a Dubai rental contract without reading the Arabic? The Arabic version is the legally binding one. Here's what that means and what to do about it." url: "https://onlinetranslation.ae/blog/landlord-contract-arabic-signed-anyway/" lang: "en-AE" --- [](/blog)Back to Blog *Daily Blog* # Your Landlord's Contract Is in Arabic. You Signed It Anyway. 4 min read You found the apartment. You negotiated the price. The agent handed you a stack of papers, half in English, half in Arabic. You read the English side, skimmed the rest, and signed. Everyone does this. And for most people, it's fine — until it isn't. ## The part nobody mentions at the viewing In the UAE, when a contract is written in both Arabic and English, the Arabic version is the one that counts in court. Not the English. Not "whichever you signed first." The Arabic text. This is settled law. If you ever end up at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDC) — and plenty of tenants do — the judge reads the Arabic. Your English version is a courtesy translation at that point. Most of the time, the two versions say the same thing. But "most of the time" isn't "always." ## Where the differences tend to hide The discrepancies aren't in the obvious parts. Your rent amount is the same in both languages. Your name is the same. The address is the same. The gaps show up in the clauses you don't think to question: - Early termination penalty. The English might say "two months' rent." The Arabic might say "two months' rent plus forfeiture of security deposit." That's a difference of several thousand dirhams. - Maintenance responsibility. Who fixes the AC? The English version might be vague. The Arabic often specifies a threshold — minor repairs below a certain amount are yours, above that are the landlord's. - Rent increase notice period. Your English version says 90 days. The Arabic says 60. When your landlord sends a rent increase letter on day 75, you think you're safe. You're not. - Security deposit return conditions. The English says "upon vacating." The Arabic adds "after inspection and deduction for damages as assessed by the landlord." That second part changes everything. None of these are hypothetical. These come up at [](/legal/contracts/lease)RERA and RDC hearings regularly. ## It's not that landlords are hiding things Usually, the discrepancies come from the contract template itself. Many Dubai [](/legal/contracts)tenancy contracts are generated by [](/blog/typing-center-overcharged-translation)typing centers or property management companies using standard Arabic templates. The English version gets added alongside — sometimes carefully, sometimes not. Nobody is trying to trick you. But nobody is checking that both versions match perfectly either. That's on you. ## What you can actually do about it If you haven't signed yet: Get the Arabic portion translated before you commit. Yes, it adds a day. But you're about to hand over tens of thousands of dirhams in post-dated cheques. A translation takes an hour for a standard contract — WhatsApp us for a quote. If you already signed: You can still get it translated now. It won't change what you agreed to. But it tells you exactly what you agreed to. If something in there is a problem, you'll know before it becomes a dispute — not during one. If you're renewing: Your landlord may have updated the Arabic template without changing the English. Renewals are the most common place for silent changes. Worth checking before you sign the renewal papers. If a [](/blog/rera-dispute-arabic-english-difference)RERA dispute comes up later, the Arabic text is what the adjudicator reads — not the English. ## The Ejari angle When you register your lease with [](/blog/uae-arrival-paperwork)Ejari, the system records the contract details. If there's ever a dispute, RERA pulls the Ejari-registered version. That version is based on the Arabic text. Name transliteration differences between your passport and Ejari can also [](/blog/dewa-ejari-name-mismatch-passport)block your DEWA application entirely. So even if you've been operating based on what the English version says for the past year, the system has been operating based on the Arabic version the whole time. ## A five-minute decision that prevents a five-month headache Getting the Arabic side of your tenancy contract translated isn't a big project. It's one document. For a standard Dubai [](/legal/contracts/lease)lease agreement, the turnaround is usually within the hour. If you're not sure what's in yours, send it over on WhatsApp — [+971 50 862 0217](https://wa.me/971508620217). We'll look at it and tell you whether the two versions match before you pay anything. ## Common questions ### Is the Arabic version of my tenancy contract legally binding? Yes. In UAE courts, when a contract exists in both Arabic and English, the Arabic version takes legal precedence. If there's a discrepancy, the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre and Dubai Courts rely on the Arabic text. This applies to all bilingual contracts in the UAE, not just tenancy agreements. ### Can I get my existing contract translated after signing? Yes. You can get the Arabic portion translated into English at any time. This won't change the legal terms, but it helps you understand what you've agreed to. Many tenants do this after moving in, especially before a renewal or if a dispute comes up. A standard [](/legal/contracts/lease)lease contract translation usually takes about an hour. ### What should I check in the Arabic version? Focus on early termination penalties, maintenance responsibility clauses, security deposit return conditions, rent increase terms, and landlord access rights. These are the sections where the Arabic and English versions most commonly differ. If you're about to sign a renewal, also check whether the Arabic template has changed from the original contract. ### Not sure what your contract says? Send the Arabic side of your tenancy contract via WhatsApp. We'll tell you if the two versions match — before you pay anything. [WhatsApp Your Contract](https://wa.me/971508620217) +971 50 862 0217 [Your document concierge](/about/#concierge-model) — we review before you pay. ## Related [](/legal/contracts/lease) ### Lease Agreement Translation MOJ-certified translation for Dubai tenancy contracts and Ejari [](/legal/contracts) ### Contract Translation All contract types — NDAs, MOUs, SPAs, and corporate agreements [](/resources/moj-vs-certified) ### MOJ vs Certified Translation Which type of translation you actually need for your document