The rent increase RERA actually allows.
Five brackets decide everything at renewal. Find your building and enter your current rent, and see exactly where the contract stands.
In Dubai, how much a landlord can raise the rent at renewal depends on how far the current rent sits below the RERA index average. Within 10% of it, no increase. From 11% to 40% below, the cap steps up through 5%, 10%, then 15%. More than 40% below, up to 20%. The rules come from Decree 43 of 2013.
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 brackets
- 01
Within 10% of the index: no increase.
If the current rent is at most 10% below the RERA average for comparable units, the rent is considered fair and must renew unchanged.
- 02
11% to 40% below: 5%, 10%, or 15%.
Each 10-point band below the average unlocks the next 5% step. The increase applies to the current rent, not the index average, so catching up to market takes several renewal cycles.
- 03
More than 40% below: up to 20%.
The deepest bracket, common with tenants who signed years ago. Even here, a single renewal cannot close the gap, which is a real input when you compare holding a long-tenanted unit against selling it.
This checker reads the average rent for your building from registered DLD contracts and applies the bracket math to it, so you can sanity-check any number you’re given. The average mixes unit types in a building, so for the binding figure on a specific unit, the Dubai Land Department’s own calculator and the rental index in the Dubai REST app remain the authoritative source.
Based on Decree 43 of 2013. Last reviewed June 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How much can a landlord increase rent in Dubai?
- It depends on how far the current rent sits below the RERA 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 brackets are set by Decree 43 of 2013 and apply to renewals, not new contracts.
- Where do I find the RERA index average for my unit?
- The official rental index is available through the Dubai REST app and the Dubai Land Department website's rental increase calculator. It returns the average rent for units of your type, size and area, which is the benchmark the brackets are measured against.
- How much notice is required for a rent increase?
- Ninety days before the renewal date, in writing. If the landlord does not give 90 days' notice, the tenancy renews on the existing terms regardless of what the index would have allowed.
- Can a tenant refuse a rent increase?
- A tenant can refuse an increase that exceeds the permitted bracket or that was served with less than 90 days' notice. Disputes go to the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC), which applies the index brackets mechanically, so knowing your bracket before negotiating is genuinely useful for both sides.
- Do the brackets apply to a new tenant?
- No. The decree governs renewals with the existing tenant. With a new contract the landlord can ask any rent the market will bear, which is why long-sitting tenants often pay well below market, and why the gap matters when you're valuing a tenanted unit.
- Rent increases in Dubai, explainedThe five Decree 43 brackets, the 90-day notice rule, and a worked example.
- Rental yield calculatorSee what the new rent would do to your gross and net yield.
- Rental yield in Dubai: the owner's guideTypical yields by area and the costs most calculations skip.
- Renting out your propertyWhat placement, Ejari and management actually involve.
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