Rent increase in Dubai: how much your landlord can legally ask

Yes, but only when three things line up:

1. The increase applies at renewal, not partway through your contract.
2. The landlord gave you written notice at least 90 days before the contract’s expiry.
3. The Smart Rental Index confirms your unit is eligible for an increase, and the amount is within the cap.

If any one is missing, the increase doesn’t apply for that renewal. These rules are for Dubai. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have their own rules and dispute bodies.

Decree No. 43 of 2013 links the maximum increase to the gap between your current rent and the average rent for similar units:

• Up to 10% below the average: no increase
• 11% to 20% below: up to 5%
• 21% to 30% below: up to 10%
• 31% to 40% below: up to 15%
• More than 40% below: up to 20%

These are ceilings, not automatic rises. A landlord can ask for less, and you can negotiate.

The Dubai Land Department’s rental index (often still called the RERA rent calculator) is on the DLD website and the Dubai REST app. You enter details from your Ejari contract, such as the expiry date, property type, area, number of rooms and current annual rent, and it shows the average rent and the increase allowed.

The newer Smart Rental Index, introduced in early 2025, uses the rents registered in your building, average rents in the area and the building’s classification, rather than broad area averages alone. For contracts renewed from 2025 onwards, the new index is the one that counts. DLD says it updates the index regularly, so check it close to your renewal date and screenshot the result.

You pay AED 80,000 a year. The index shows an average of AED 100,000 for similar units in your building.

• Your rent is 20% below the average (20,000 ÷ 100,000).
• That falls in the 11% to 20% band, so the cap is 5%.
• Maximum new rent: AED 80,000 × 1.05 = AED 84,000.

If your landlord asks for AED 90,000, you can point to the index result and offer the legal maximum instead.

Your landlord has to tell you about any change to the contract terms, including a rent increase, at least 90 days before the contract ends. DLD has confirmed that if notice comes later than that, the increase doesn’t apply at that renewal, even if the index would have allowed it.

• Count back 90 days from your contract’s expiry date and note it in your calendar.
• Keep the notice, the date you got it and how it was sent (email, WhatsApp, courier or notary).
• A verbal mention isn’t the same as written notice.

Ejari is Dubai’s official tenancy contract registration. The index works from your Ejari details, the renewed contract needs to be registered in Ejari, and a Rental Dispute Centre case relies on a registered contract. Make sure your current contract is registered and that the renewal is registered at the agreed rent.

For the wider picture on deposits, eviction notice and maintenance, see our Dubai tenant rights guide.

1. Reply in writing with your index result and the cap that applies, and offer to renew at that figure.
2. Keep paying the current rent as agreed while you discuss it.
3. File with the Rental Dispute Centre at the Dubai Land Department if you can’t agree, ideally before your contract expires. Bring the contract, Ejari certificate, the landlord’s notice, your index screenshot and your messages. Check the current filing fee on the RDC website before you file.

This is general information, not legal advice. If your case involves an eviction notice or a sale of the property as well, the rules are different. If you’re unsure how this applies to your renewal, you can ask an expert in a $1 chat (priced in USD) at helpbyexperts.com.