How much can a landlord raise rent in Dubai? What the law allows in 2026.
The five Decree 43 brackets, the 90-day notice rule, a worked JVC example, and what happens if the tenant disputes the increase. Written for owners managing a renewal.
By the Mulki team · Updated 9 June 2026
At renewal in 2026, a Dubai landlord can raise the rent only by how far it sits below the RERA rental index. Within 10% of the index, no increase is allowed. The steps run 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% as the gap widens past 40%. Any change needs 90 days written notice before the contract expires. This is current as of June 2026 and reflects Decree 43 of 2013, still the governing law.
Decree 43 of 2013 sets five brackets, measured by how far your rent sits below the RERA index average, not by how long the tenant has stayed.
Within 10% of the index the permitted increase is zero. The cap only reaches 20% once the rent is more than 40% below market.
Any rent change needs at least 90 days written notice before renewal, under Article 14 of Law 33 of 2008. A late demand is not enforceable.
Because the brackets cap each step, a deep rent gap closes over several renewals, not in one. The full market rent usually returns only at a natural vacancy.
The reference number is the RERA index, in the DLD rent calculator and Dubai REST, not an agent's estimate. Our checker reads it from registered DLD contracts.
How the brackets work
Dubai does not allow a free-hand rent rise at renewal. The ceiling is fixed by one number: how far the current rent sits below the RERA rental index average for the same area, building type and unit size. The further below the market a tenant is paying, the more you may raise, in five fixed steps.
The gap is measured against the index, not against the rent you charged last year. So a unit that was 25% below market last year, and got its 10% rise, may sit only 12% below this year and qualify for just 5%. You read the brackets fresh at every renewal.
| How far the rent is below the index | Maximum increase at renewal |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below | 0% |
| 11% to 20% below | 5% |
| 21% to 30% below | 10% |
| 31% to 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
Decree No. 43 of 2013 governing rent increases for properties in the Emirate of Dubai. The gap is the percentage by which the current rent is below the RERA rental index average for comparable units.
Two things follow from the table. A tenant paying at or above the index cannot be raised at all, however long you have held the unit. And the top 20% step needs a rent more than 40% below market, which is rarer than owners expect once the index is checked honestly.
A worked example
Take a JVC one-bedroom. The RERA index average for the unit type is around AED 72,000, in line with the 2026 Ejari median. Your tenant signed two years ago at AED 60,000 and is up for renewal.
| Line | AED / year |
|---|---|
| RERA index average (market level) | 72,000 |
| Current rent | 60,000 |
| Gap below index (12,000 ÷ 72,000) | 16.7% |
| Bracket (11% to 20% below) | 5% max |
| Maximum new rent (60,000 × 1.05) | 63,000 |
Index average illustrative, drawn from 2026 Ejari medians for the area. Your own index figure is unit-specific and shown in the DLD rent calculator.
The tenant is AED 12,000 below market, but the law lets you recover only AED 3,000 this year. If you wanted the full AED 72,000, your options are to step toward it over the next two or three renewals, or to wait for the tenant to leave and re-let at the market rate, which is a new contract and not bound by the brackets.
Run the deeper gap and the point sharpens. A tenant at AED 40,000 against a AED 72,000 index is 44% below, which clears the top bracket, so the most you may charge is AED 48,000. Still AED 24,000 short of market, and still only closable a step at a time. Rent gaps left to drift for years are the most expensive habit in Dubai letting, because the brackets will not let you fix them quickly once they open.
Your renewal, the legal ceiling.
We pull the average rent for your building from registered DLD contracts.
What you pay today under the existing contract.
Find your building and enter your current rent to see the permitted increase.
The 90-day rule
The brackets decide how much. The notice rule decides whether the increase is valid at all. Under Article 14 of Law 33 of 2008, any change to the terms of a tenancy, the rent included, must be agreed at least 90 days before the contract expires, unless both parties agree to something else in writing.
In practice that means a rent increase has to be put to the tenant 90 days out, not sprung on renewal day. Miss the window and the contract renews on its existing terms for another year, at the old rent. The cleanest record is written notice, dated, sent with enough margin that the 90 days are not in doubt.
Managing a gap over time
- 01
Check the index before every renewal.
The permitted increase is measured against the RERA index, which moves with the market each year. Read it fresh in the DLD rent calculator or Dubai REST, then apply the bracket. Last year's bracket tells you nothing about this year's.
- 02
Send the 90-day notice on time, in writing.
An increase agreed inside 90 days of expiry is not enforceable. Diarise the date, send written notice, and keep the proof. This single habit protects more rent than any negotiation.
- 03
Recover deep gaps in steps, not in one demand.
A tenant 40% below market can only be raised 20% this renewal. Plan the next renewals to step the rest of the way, or accept the gap closes fully only at a vacancy. Trying to force the full jump in one year is not lawful and risks a dispute at the Rental Dispute Centre.
- 04
Price a re-let from registered contracts, not listings.
When a tenant does leave, the new contract is free of the brackets, so the market rate applies. Set it from recent registered Ejari contracts for comparable units, not from asking prices, which in Dubai routinely sit 5 to 10% above what actually signs.
General guidance based on Decree 43 of 2013 and Law 33 of 2008, current at June 2026. Not legal advice. Disputes are handled by the Rental Dispute Centre; confirm the current index figure for your unit before serving any notice.
Frequently asked questions
- How much can a landlord increase rent in Dubai in 2026?
- It depends on how far the current rent sits below the RERA rental index average for similar units. Within 10% of 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 five brackets come from Decree 43 of 2013 and apply at renewal, not to new contracts.
- How much notice must a landlord give to increase rent in Dubai?
- At least 90 days before the contract expires. Under Article 14 of Law 33 of 2008, any change to the terms of a tenancy, including the rent, has to be agreed at least 90 days before the renewal date unless both sides agree otherwise. A rent increase raised on renewal day, with no prior notice, is not enforceable.
- Can a landlord increase the rent every year?
- Only if the rent is still below the index by enough to clear a bracket. If your rent already sits within 10% of the RERA index average, the permitted increase is 0%, however many years you have held the unit. The brackets are measured against the market each renewal, not against last year's rent.
- What is the RERA rental index?
- It is the Dubai Land Department's official average rent for a given area, building type and unit size, published through the rent calculator on the DLD site and the Dubai REST app. The Decree 43 brackets are measured against this index figure, so the index is what decides your permitted increase, not a number an agent quotes you.
- Can a landlord evict a tenant just to raise the rent?
- No. Under Article 25 of Law 33 of 2008 a landlord can only end a tenancy at expiry for specific reasons, mainly selling the property, using it personally or for next of kin, or demolition and major works, and must give 12 months' written notice through the notary public or registered mail. Wanting to re-let at a higher rent is not one of the legal grounds.
- Do the rent increase brackets apply to a new tenant?
- No. Decree 43 governs renewals of an existing tenancy. A brand new contract with a new tenant is negotiated freely at the market rate. This is why a unit often jumps to the full market figure at a natural vacancy, but can only step toward it while the same tenant stays.
- What happens if the tenant disputes the increase?
- The tenant can file at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, the judicial body inside the Land Department that hears rental cases, online or in person. The Centre applies the same Decree 43 brackets and the RERA index, so an increase that follows the bracket and the 90-day notice is usually upheld, while one that exceeds the cap or skips the notice is struck down. Filing costs 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000, and most cases are heard within about 30 days. Half the basic fee is refunded if both sides settle, which is why checking the index together first is almost always cheaper than litigating it.
- Rent increase checkerEnter your rent, pull the market average from registered DLD contracts, see your bracket.
- Rental yield in Dubai: the owner's guideWhat a closed rent gap is worth to your net yield, area by area.
- Renting out your propertyPlacement, Ejari and renewals handled, so the 90-day window is never missed.
Mulki flags every renewal and the legal ceiling, 90 days early.
Get notified