Dubai Rent Increase Rules: How Much Can Your Landlord Raise It?

In Dubai, a landlord cannot raise your rent by any amount they like when a lease is renewed. Government of Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013 sets a maximum that depends on how your rent compares with the average market rent for similar units.

The bands

Your rent compared with the market average	Maximum increase
Less than 10% below (or above the average)	None
11% to 20% below	5%
21% to 30% below	10%
31% to 40% below	15%
More than 40% below	20%

(Article 1.) The decree leaves small gaps between bands, such as between 10% and 11%. We treat anything above 10% and up to 20% as the 5% band, and likewise for the higher ones.

Who it covers

All landlords in Dubai, public and private, including special development areas and free zones such as the Dubai International Financial Centre (Article 2).

Where the average comes from

The average market rent is set by the Rent Index approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Article 3). The Dubai Land Department offers it as the Rental Index e-service. It launched a “Smart Rental Index” in January 2025, and its announcement describes the same increase bands.

Example

Your rent is AED 80,000 a year and the index says similar units average AED 100,000.

• Your rent is 20% below the average
• That is in the 11% to 20% band, so the maximum increase is 5%
• Maximum increase: AED 4,000, so the new rent can be up to AED 84,000

If your rent was AED 100,000, you would be at the average and no increase would be allowed.

Things to check

• The cap applies when the lease is renewed, not during a lease.
• The rules on giving notice of a change and on disputes are set elsewhere. Check with the Dubai Land Department or the Rental Dispute Centre.
• Use the current figure from the official Rental Index, not an old one.

Use the rent increase calculator to work out your maximum.

Official sources: Dubai Land Department Rental Index · Dubai Land Department Tenancy Guide (PDF)

Checked against the official text of Decree No. 43 of 2013 on 1 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.