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Dubai rent increase calculator: how much can your landlord raise the rent?
A Dubai landlord may raise the rent only at renewal, and only if it is more than 10% below the average for similar homes: by at most 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% as the gap grows (Decree 43 of 2013). Notice must come at least 90 days before the lease ends (Law 26 of 2007).
Updated 21 Oct 2026 · Law checked 16 Oct 2026 against the official texts · Method
“Run your number before the landlord calls. If new tenants in your building sign for less than you pay, you are not negotiating a rise, you are negotiating a cut. In JVC a new 1-bed of 700–900 sq ft signs at AED 73,000; renewals at AED 63,800.”
Can they raise my rent?
Signed Ejari leases, not adverts. Two tools use them: get more home for your money, then negotiate.
Rent increase calculator
Estimate from Ejari leases. The legal figure is the DLD Smart Rental Index: check it before you act. Official DLD Rental Index calculator →
The legal bands (Decree 43 of 2013, Article 1)
How far your rent is below the average rental value of similar units, and the most the landlord may add at renewal. The average is the one in the RERA rent index (Article 3).
| Your rent against the average | Maximum increase | On AED 100,000 a year, up to |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10% below the average (or above it) | 0% | 0 |
| 11% to 20% below | 5% | 5,000 |
| 21% to 30% below | 10% | 10,000 |
| 31% to 40% below | 15% | 15,000 |
| More than 40% below | 20% | 20,000 |
The decree words the bands in whole percentages ("up to 10%", "11% to 20%"). Where your gap falls between two, such as 10.5%, the calculator uses the higher band; the DLD figure decides.
Why our figure can differ
Our average is the leases; the legal average is the index
Ejari leases 16 Oct 2025–15 Oct 2026
Our average is the median rent of every signed lease of the same bedrooms in the same community over the last 12 months (606,744 leases), narrowed to a size band when you give a size. The DLD index rates your building, so a well-kept tower can have a higher average than its community and an older one a lower average. Use ours to see where you stand and what new and renewing tenants pay; use the DLD result for the legal band.
Example: a 1-bed of 800 sq ft in JVC (Jumeirah Village Circle) rented at AED 55,000. The median of 8,841 JVC 1-bed leases of 700–900 sq ft (16 Oct 2025–15 Oct 2026) is AED 70,000. AED 55,000 is 21.4% below it, so the band is 10%: up to AED 5,500 more, AED 60,500 a year. New tenants there pay AED 73,000; renewing tenants AED 63,800.
The rules
What the law says, word for word
Fetched from the official texts on 16 Oct 2026
The bands. “When renewing Real Property Lease Contracts, the maximum percentage of Rent increase” is: none where the rent is “up to ten percent (10%) less than the average rental value of similar units”; 5% where it is 11% to 20% less; 10% at 21% to 30%; 15% at 31% to 40%; 20% where it is “more than forty percent (40%) less”. Decree No. 43 of 2013 Determining Rent Increase for Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai, Articles 1–3 (issued 18 December 2013).
Which average. The average rental value is set by “the Rent Index of the Emirate of Dubai” approved by RERA (Article 3, Decree No. 43 of 2013, Dubai Land Department copy). It applies to all landlords, public and private, including free zones (Article 2).
Notice. “Unless otherwise agreed by the parties”, a party that wants to change a lease term at renewal “must notify the other party of this intent no less than ninety (90) days before the date on which the Lease Contract expires”. At renewal the two sides may agree to increase or reduce the rent; if they cannot agree, the rent disputes tribunal may set a fair rent (Articles 13 and 14, Law No. 26 of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants, Articles 13 and 14, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008).
The Smart Rental Index. The Dubai Land Department launched it on 2 January 2025. It classifies each building by its construction, finishes and maintenance, location and services, and the increase follows the gap between the current rent and the average, from 0% to 20%. It is updated once a year and covers all residential areas. Tenants and landlords check it through the Rental Index service on the DLD website or the Dubai REST app (Dubai Land Department, "Dubai Land Department launches Smart Rental Index 2025", 2 January 2025; Dubai Land Department, Smart Residential Rent Index: questions and answers).
The official calculator asks for the lease expiry date, the property type, the area, the number of rooms and the current annual rent (Dubai Land Department, Rental Index service (the official calculator)).
Questions
Can my landlord raise the rent in Dubai?
Only when the lease is renewed, and only if your rent is more than 10% below the average rental value of similar homes in the RERA rent index (Decree 43 of 2013, Articles 1 and 3). The landlord must tell you at least 90 days before the lease ends, unless your contract says otherwise (Law 26 of 2007, Article 14).
How much can a landlord increase rent in Dubai?
At most 20%. The bands: no increase if your rent is up to 10% below the average; 5% if 11–20% below; 10% if 21–30% below; 15% if 31–40% below; 20% if more than 40% below (Decree 43 of 2013, Article 1).
How much notice must a landlord give for a rent increase?
At least 90 days before the lease expires, unless the parties agreed otherwise in the contract (Law 26 of 2007, Article 14, as amended by Law 33 of 2008).
What if my rent is already above the average?
Then no increase is allowed: the decree allows none where the rent is up to 10% below the average, and a rent above the average is closer still. At renewal either side may also propose a lower rent; if you cannot agree, the rent disputes tribunal may set a fair rent (Law 26 of 2007, Article 13).
What is the Smart Rental Index?
The Dubai Land Department rent index launched on 2 January 2025. It rates each building by construction, finishes, maintenance, location and services, is updated once a year, and sets the average used for the 0% to 20% bands. Check it in the Rental Index service on dubailand.gov.ae or the Dubai REST app.
Is this calculator the official one?
No. It applies the Decree 43 bands to the median of signed Ejari leases (16 Oct 2025–15 Oct 2026) for your community, bedrooms and size. The legal figure is the DLD Smart Rental Index result, which rates your building.
How the calculator works, and the limits
Updated 21 Oct 2026. Leases to 15 Oct 2026. Legal texts fetched 16 Oct 2026.
Average. Median annual rent of Dubai Land Department Ejari leases (new and renewed, residential, one unit per lease) starting 16 Oct 2025–15 Oct 2026, by community and bedrooms; with a size, by size band (studio under 400 / 400–550 / 550+ sq ft; 1-bed 700 / 900; 2-bed 1,000 / 1,300; 3-bed 1,500 / 2,000; villa 2,500 / 4,000). A figure needs 10+ leases; 1,857 figures in 159 communities clear it. The legal average is the RERA index, which can differ.
Band. % below = (average − your rent) ÷ average. Up to 10%: 0; then 5, 10, 15 and 20% for each further 10 points. Bands follow Decree 43 of 2013, Article 1.
Not legal advice. We quote the law; we do not interpret your contract. For a dispute, the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre decides.
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