A permit, renewed a month early
Executive Council Resolution No. 47 of 2017 requires a rental permit, valid for one renewable year and renewed at least 30 days before it expires.
The two layers of rulesRent a car software for Dubai.
The RTA permit, the TARS unified contract, the DET deposit circular, ten Salik gates and fines that arrive weeks after the car came back. DECK is the operations panel that keeps a Dubai rental office on the right side of all of it.
The rules here
What Dubai asks of a rental office.
The RTA unified contract, through TARS
RTA has issued electronic lease contracts through TARS since October 2021 and campaigned in 2026 that the unified contract is mandatory for Dubai rental offices: photographed condition at hand-over and return, a deposit refund commitment, a ban on undisclosed charges such as tolls, and OTP as the signature.
What the market actually doesThe 30 day deposit rule
DET Circular No. 1 of 2024: the security amount is blocked, not charged, and released within 30 days of the return. Deductions are limited to actual costs, meaning fines, damage, tolls and a stated admin fee. DET fines for breaking it start at AED 10,000.
The deposit and the 30 day ruleSalik, variable and now with VAT
Ten gates. Peak AED 6.30 and off peak AED 4.20 since VAT arrived on 1 June 2026, free from 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM, flat on Sundays. Crossing on an empty account costs AED 50 a day after five working days, and that penalty cannot be passed on.
What Salik charges nowFines from Dubai Police, weeks later
Look them up through the RTA or Dubai Police fines inquiry, the apps, or by calling 901. Dubai publishes no standing early payment discount; campaigns come around national occasions. Moving a fine to the driver is done in person at a traffic department with their Emirates ID and licence.
Where to look up a fineThe clause that held up in court
In a case reported in June 2026 the Dubai Civil Court ordered a renter to pay a rental company AED 8,735, including AED 5,660 in traffic fines and AED 350 in Salik, on the strength of the lease and the violation and toll records.
The clause that decides
Salik at a glance
What a crossing costs in Dubai.
Including 5 per cent VAT since 1 June 2026. Public holidays and special event days revert to the normal peak bands; in Ramadan peak is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The full picture, with sources, is in Salik and Darb side by side.
| Window | Hours | Per crossing |
|---|---|---|
| Peak, Monday to Saturday | 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM | AED 6.30 |
| Off peak, Monday to Saturday | 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM | AED 4.20 |
| Sunday | All charged hours | AED 4.20 |
| Free window, every day | 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM | AED 0 |
In DECK
What DECK does with it.
The agreement, signed on their phone
Fuel, kilometres, price and deposit recorded at hand-over and printed on the contract, with the clauses that let you recover a fine or a toll. Every driver named on it signs, from a link DECK sends on WhatsApp, by email or in person.
ContractsThe TARS contract in one click
A signed rental waits on Rentals with one button. One click sends it to TARS with every field filled in from your contract, so nobody types it in again, and you close the return on TARS from DECK as well.
TARSSalik crossings on the right contract
Every crossing lands on the rental that was live at that minute, so it leaves on the invoice before the deposit is released inside the 30 days.
Fines and tollsA late fine, charged to their card
The renter saves a card when they sign. When a fine or a Salik crossing turns up after the deposit is released, you charge it to that card from DECK, through your own Stripe account, and the renter gets a receipt.
PaymentsVAT invoices and the month's books
Tax invoices with your TRN, receipts read for you and the bank statement matched line by line. The month goes to your accountant in one pack for QuickBooks, Zoho Books or Xero.
AccountingEvery plate, every date
Mulkiya and insurance expiry on every car, what is out and what is back today, and a planner that refuses to promise a car twice.
Fleet and planner
Questions
What Dubai operators ask.
Does DECK put my rentals on TARS?
Yes, with nothing extra to pay. Every signed rental is one click from TARS: DECK fills in every field from the contract, and when the car comes back you close it on TARS from DECK as well. DECK also writes and signs your own agreement: fuel, kilometres, price, deposit and the clauses that make a fine or a toll recoverable.
Does each Salik crossing go on the right rental?
Yes. Each crossing goes on the rental that was running at that minute.
The deposit goes back within 30 days. What about a fine that comes later?
If the renter saved a card when they signed, you charge the fine to that card from DECK, weeks after the car is back, through your own Stripe account. The renter gets a receipt for every charge. If the card fails, you send them a secure payment link from DECK instead.
We have cars in Dubai and Sharjah. Is that one account?
Yes. One account, every branch and every person on the desk included. DECK serves every emirate; Abu Dhabi has its own page only because Darb works differently from Salik.
How much is it for a Dubai fleet?
AED 9,480 a year, every car included, wherever the cars are. No setup fee, no per-car charge, seven day trial with no card.