Q Guide: Notary Services ยท 6 minute read # Addendum to Tenancy Contract Dubai: What to Write and Who Signs A An addendum to tenancy contract Dubai landlords and tenants use is a short signed paper that adds to or changes a tenancy contract you already have. We draft the addendum and check every clause, and our in-house notary public notarises it in person at our Battuta Gate office, online or on a home visit. The aim is simple: both sides sign the same words. In this guide * What an Addendum to a Tenancy Contract Does * Terms People Add to a Dubai Tenancy Contract * Who Signs the Addendum * Does the Addendum Need a Notary? * Keeping the Addendum and the Registered Contract in Line * Mistakes That Get an Addendum Refused * How We Prepare It * Fees WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790 and send us your tenancy contract and the change you want. ![Hand passing a set of keys to another hand across an office desk](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/passing-keys-across-a-desk.jpg) ## What an Addendum to a Tenancy Contract Does A tenancy contract addendum is a separate paper that sits beside the signed contract. It does not replace the contract. It records one change or a few, so both sides can point to the same wording later. Common reasons people use one: * a change to who lives in the property * a change to how rent is paid * a repair or fit-out the landlord has agreed to * an extra term agreed at renewal * a correction to a name or a detail written wrongly The catch is that an addendum is only as good as its match with the original. If the two papers say different things, each side will read the one that helps them. We prepare documents; we do not represent people in court. If you already have a dispute, you need a practising advocate. Side by side ## Terms People Add to a Dubai Tenancy Contract Write each term as one clear sentence. Say who does what, and by when. These are the usual headings: | Term | What the addendum should say | | --- | --- | | Payment | How the rent is paid and to whom | | Repairs | Who pays for which repair | | Use of the property | Any change to who may live there or how it is used | | Extra items | Furniture, parking or storage added to the deal | | Renewal | What is agreed when the contract is renewed | | Corrections | The wrong detail and the right one | Do not copy figures, notice periods or legal rules from a sample. An addendum to tenancy contract Dubai sample from the internet may be out of date or written for another place. Use it for the layout only. For the rules that apply to your contract, check what the contract itself says and ask the body that holds the contract what it needs for a change. ![Five steps for an addendum to tenancy contract Dubai landlords and tenants sign](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/steps-a8eb325351a0-1024x782.png) ## Who Signs the Addendum Everyone who signed the original contract should sign the addendum. That is normally the landlord and the tenant. If one side signs through an agent, the agent needs a power of attorney that covers this act. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, a power of attorney in general terms gives the agent only acts of management (Article 871(1)). A special power of attorney is needed for other acts (Article 870(1)). You can read the law on the [UAE legislation portal](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011). If a company owns or rents the property, the person who signs must have authority to sign for the company. See our page on [power of attorney for an LLC in Dubai](https://notariolawyersuae.com/company-power-of-attorney/). ![Two hands exchanging a key beside a laptop, as a landlord and tenant agree a change](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/two-hands-exchanging-a-key-beside-a-laptop-as-a-landlord-and-tenant-ag-1024x682.jpg) Ask about your document [+971 52 484 1790](tel:+971524841790) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971524841790) ## Does the Addendum Need a Notary? Check with the body that will rely on it. Some offices ask for a notarised paper. Others accept a signed one. We cannot answer this for every case, so ask before you decide. What the notary does is plain. The notary public checks the identity, capacity and consent of the people signing and applies the seal. That gives both sides a record that the right people signed. Notarial acts in the UAE are regulated by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, published on the [UAE legislation portal](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563). If the addendum is in English, ask the receiving body if it also needs Arabic. In Dubai, a notarised instrument is in Arabic, or comes with a certified Arabic translation signed with it (Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, Article 27). A legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice prepares the Arabic text. Our page on [contract drafting and notarization in Dubai](https://notariolawyersuae.com/contract-drafting-dubai/) explains how we prepare the paper. ## Keeping the Addendum and the Registered Contract in Line If your tenancy contract has been registered with an authority, ask that authority what it needs when a term changes. Do not assume the addendum alone updates the record. Follow these steps: 01 Read the original contract and mark each clause the addendum touches. 02 Write the change using the same names, dates and property details. 03 State that all other terms stay the same. 04 Have every party sign, and notarise it if the receiving body asks for it. 05 Give each side a copy, and keep a copy with the original contract. Watch for ## Mistakes That Get an Addendum Refused 01 The names or the property details do not match the original contract. 02 One party who signed the contract has not signed the addendum. 03 The addendum is vague, such as "the rent will be adjusted". 04 A signer acts for someone else without a power of attorney that covers it. 05 The text is in English only when the receiving body wants Arabic. ## How We Prepare It We draft the document, check every clause, prepare the Arabic text through a legal translator, and our in-house notary public notarises it. You sign before our in-house notary public, in person at our office, online or on a home visit. The notary checks your ID and applies the seal. If typing is all you need, we will tell you so. Prices ## Fees | Service | Our service price | Government fee | | --- | --- | --- | | Contract drafting or typing add-on | from AED 200 | Paid on top, at cost | | Commercial documents | from AED 500 | Paid on top, at cost | | Legal translation | from AED 50 per page | None | | Home visit | Quote on request | Quote on request | All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay. [See the full fees list](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-document-fees-dubai/) Questions ## Frequently asked questions If your question is not here, ask it on WhatsApp. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it. [Ask on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971524841790) ### What is an addendum to a tenancy contract? It is a signed paper that adds to or changes a tenancy contract you already have. It sits beside the original and does not replace it. Both sides should sign the same wording. ### Is there a sample addendum to a tenancy contract in Dubai? Samples exist, but use them for the layout only. An addendum to tenancy contract Dubai pdf from the internet may not fit your contract. Send us your contract and we draft the addendum to match it. ### Does a tenancy addendum need to be notarized? It depends on who will rely on it. Some offices ask for a notarised paper and others do not. Ask first, then tell us. Our page on [notarized document requirements](https://notariolawyersuae.com/notarized-document-requirements-uae/) shows what the notary checks. ### Who should sign a tenancy contract addendum? Everyone who signed the original contract. That is normally the landlord and the tenant. An agent can sign only with a power of attorney that covers this act. ### What happens to the addendum when the contract is renewed? We cannot say for every contract, because it depends on what the contract and the addendum say. State in the addendum whether its terms continue at renewal. If you are unsure, send both papers to us. Guides ## More guides [View all guides](https://notariolawyersuae.com/blog/) * [How to register a will in the UAE: choosing where to register](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) How to register a will in the UAE: the questions that decide between DIFC, the Dubai Courts notary and Abu Dhabi, and how each route changes the drafting. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) * [Can a lawyer be a notary in the UAE?](https://notariolawyersuae.com/can-a-lawyer-be-a-notary/) Can a lawyer be a notary in Dubai and the UAE? Yes, once registered as a private notary. Who may notarise, how to check, and what a lawyer alone can sign. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/can-a-lawyer-be-a-notary/) * [Is a lawyer a notary public? The difference between a notary and an advocate in the UAE](https://notariolawyersuae.com/is-a-lawyer-a-notary-public-2/) Is a lawyer a notary public in the UAE? Not automatically. The plain answer under UAE and Dubai law, and how a notary differs from an advocate. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/is-a-lawyer-a-notary-public-2/) * [The UAE Attorney General office: what it does and how it differs by emirate](https://notariolawyersuae.com/the-uae-attorney-general-office/) What the UAE Attorney General office does, how the federal prosecution differs from Dubai and Abu Dhabi prosecution, and the documents people need. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/the-uae-attorney-general-office/) ## Get your tenancy addendum drafted Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it, and we will reply with what it needs and a starting price. Office: 10th floor, Battuta Gate offices, Dubai, UAE. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. [Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971524841790). Our services ## Every service hub * [Legal drafting](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-drafting-dubai/) * [Legal translation](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-translation-dubai/) * [Wills](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-writing-services-dubai/) * [Family and travel documents](https://notariolawyersuae.com/child-travel-poa-consent-letter-dubai-uae/) * [Notary lawyer](https://notariolawyersuae.com/notary-lawyer-in-dubai/) --- Source: https://notariolawyersuae.com/addendum-to-tenancy-contract-dubai/