You have rented in Khalidiya or Al Raha for years, then you sign for an apartment on Al Reem and the paperwork suddenly looks wrong. There is no Tawtheeq registration, a different platform appears, and the WhatsApp group starts insisting somebody has missed a step.
The short answer is that Al Reem Island and Al Maryah Island now sit under Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) jurisdiction for real property. Ownership, registration, development, leasing and disputes on the two islands now generally follow the ADGM framework rather than the standard mainland Abu Dhabi process.
That matters immediately for tenants, landlords and buyers. Leases register on AccessRP rather than Tawtheeq or DARI, ADGM has its own residential rent increase rules, and purchases and title administration also run through the ADGM system.
What changed on Al Reem
ADGM's Real Property Regulations 2024 have applied to Al Reem property since 1 January 2025, and ADGM has completed the island's operational integration. Al Maryah Island is also within ADGM jurisdiction for real property.
If you are comparing neighbourhoods before moving, our Al Reem Island area guide covers the island itself, while the Al Reem vs Al Raha Beach comparison is useful precisely because the two areas now sit under different property administration systems.
Renting means AccessRP, not Tawtheeq
For a new lease on either ADGM island, registration is handled through AccessRP, not Tawtheeq or DARI. The landlord initiates the registration and pays the lease registration fee, then the tenant reviews and approves the registration inside the platform.
AccessRP also handles renewals, variations, sales, transfers, mortgages and title certificates. Utility and identity integrations are built into the platform, so it is not simply a substitute tenancy form.
For a wider checklist on moving into a rental, the tenant's guide to renting in Abu Dhabi is still useful for practical preparation. Just remember that any mainland registration steps in a general guide need to be checked against the ADGM process when the property is on Al Reem or Al Maryah.
The 2026 rent increase split
On the mainland, Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) has held rent increases at 0% for Tawtheeq tenancies since 3 June 2026, until further notice. That measure does not automatically apply to ADGM leases on Al Reem Island or Al Maryah Island.
Currently, as of 2026, ADGM's published guidance allows residential rent increases at renewal of up to 5%. The landlord must give written notice at least 90 calendar days before the lease expires, and the increase cannot exceed 5%. Commercial leases do not have a percentage cap.
If you have seen 60 days quoted online for a residential increase, that number came from a draft consultation. The enacted rule is 90 calendar days.
In practice, the question is not simply whether Abu Dhabi has a rent freeze. It is whether your tenancy is a Tawtheeq tenancy or an ADGM tenancy, and what your own contract says.
Deposits have their own ADGM rules
For qualifying short-term residential leases, the security deposit is capped at 5% of the first year's annual rent and must be held on trust. If the landlord makes deductions, the tenant must receive notice and cost evidence within 14 days, and fair wear and tear is excluded.
A qualifying short-term residential lease must include a handover condition report, countersigned by the tenant, with any disagreement recorded on the report. That makes the move-in walkthrough worth doing carefully, with dated photos and a written record of anything already damaged or worn.
The landlord bears the cost of preparing the residential lease. That is another point worth separating from whatever may be customary or familiar in a mainland tenancy.
Buying on Al Reem needs one extra question
Purchases, transfers, mortgages and title certificates on the ADGM islands also run through AccessRP. For a buyer considering a resale apartment, the practical question is not only what the unit costs or rents for, but exactly what legal interest appears on the title.
There is a specific caveat for older Al Reem stock. The nature and interpretation of pre-2025 usufruct and musataha interests remain governed by Abu Dhabi law, even though the property now sits within ADGM administration.
For a resale, that makes the title type a due diligence question rather than a label to gloss over. Ask what type of interest is being transferred and make sure the sale documents describe it correctly before proceeding.
Where rental disputes go
For a lease registered with ADGM, ADGM Courts are the usual forum for landlord and tenant disputes on both Al Reem Island and Al Maryah Island, unless the parties have validly agreed to arbitration or another court. That is the default route for current ADGM registered leases.
A legacy Al Reem tenancy that remained registered with the municipality before the transition may still point to Abu Dhabi's Rental Dispute Settlement Committee. The jurisdiction clause in the contract and the registration history decide the route, so check both before filing anything.
Our guide to how rental disputes work in Abu Dhabi can help with the broader process, but the first question for an Al Reem case is now jurisdiction. Filing in the familiar place is not helpful if the contract belongs somewhere else.
The practical takeaway
For new leases, Al Reem is not Tawtheeq territory any more, and Al Maryah follows the same ADGM property framework. Before signing, renewing, increasing rent, buying or starting a dispute, confirm the current rules with ADGM, check the property's registration history, and read the wording of your own contract or title.
East Face holds Al Reem listings and covers the island regularly. If you want help checking how the current rules apply to a specific lease, renewal or resale title, Ask us.