The Sharjah Executive Council has approved a landmark decision offering significant relief for tenants and landlords who are caught up in expired or unauthenticated lease contracts in the emirate.
What’s the relief exactly?
- A 50% exemption on authentication/attestation fees for lease contracts that were concluded and expired before 19 September 2024.
- A full waiver of administrative fines that would normally apply for failing to register or attest the lease in line with the law.
- The relief applies to all types of leases: residential, commercial, industrial, and investment.
- The window for this relief is set from 1 November 2025 to 31 December 2025.
Why did Sharjah do this?
This move is part of Sharjah’s efforts to bring all lease contracts into compliance with latest legislations (namely Law No. 5 of 2024 on real estate leasing) and to make it easier for tenants and landlords to regularise situations without being excessively penalised for past non-compliance.
What it means for tenants and landlords
- If you have an expired or unauthenticated lease contract signed before the 19 September 2024 deadline, this is a chance to regularise it at roughly half the cost of authentication and with zero fines.
- By doing this, you avoid potential legal or bureaucratic headaches down the line.
- For landlords, it also means lesser friction and a cleaner legal footing for their leased properties.
- For brokers or real-estate professionals, this presents an opportunity to guide clients through the process, provide value, and potentially expand service offerings.
What you should check or act on
- Confirm whether your lease falls under the criteria: signed before 19 September 2024, expired or unauthenticated.
- Prepare required documents: old lease contract, identification, perhaps proof of expiration or non-attestation (depends on the property type).
- Visit the relevant Sharjah municipal or leasing regulatory portal (or your agent) to begin the attestation process under the relief scheme.
- Take note: the period for this relief is short (just two months), so acting sooner is better.
Implications for the market
- This kind of policy not only benefits individual tenants and landlords but also strengthens the overall leasing ecosystem in Sharjah by reducing unauthorised agreements, improving transparency, and making the market more credible.
- In marketing or communications for real-estate agencies, this relief could be used as a value-addition message: “We can help you regularise at lower cost and avoid penalties”.
- If you’re working in adjacent sectors (such as home-appliances, services for residents, or property management), this kind of regulatory relief can shift the conversation. Residents may feel more secure in renewing or choosing longer-term contracts, which may affect their buying behaviour, renovation decisions, appliance upgrades, etc.