RERA rent increase rules in Dubai: caps, notice, how to check

A renewal letter arrives with a higher rent. Before you answer, check two things: did it arrive at least 90 days before your lease ends, and does the Dubai Land Department’s rental index allow that increase? In Dubai, the cap on a renewal increase is set by a decree and measured against an official index. This guide shows the caps, the notice rule, and how to check your own rent.

How much can a landlord raise the rent in Dubai?

Decree No. 43 of 2013 sets the maximum increase when a lease is renewed. It depends on how far your current rent sits below the average rent for similar units, as set by the Dubai rent index. The decree applies to private and public landlords, including units in special development zones and free zones such as the DIFC.

Your rent compared with the index average	Maximum increase on renewal
Up to 10% below the average	No increase
11% to 20% below	5% of the rent
21% to 30% below	10% of the rent
31% to 40% below	15% of the rent
More than 40% below	20% of the rent

These are maximums, not entitlements. The landlord can ask for less, and you can negotiate. The table has no row that allows an increase for a rent already at or above the average.

Worked examples: what would my new rent be?

Current rent (AED/year)	Index average for similar units	Gap	Maximum new rent
100,000	105,000	4.8% below	100,000 (no increase)
80,000	100,000	20% below	84,000 (+5% = 4,000)
60,000	80,000	25% below	66,000 (+10% = 6,000)
50,000	90,000	44.4% below	60,000 (+20% = 10,000)

The averages here are made-up numbers to show the method. Your real average comes from the DLD tool in the next sections.

How much notice must a landlord give?

Under Article 14 of Dubai’s landlord and tenant law, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, a party who wants to change the terms of a lease for renewal, including the rent, must give notice no less than 90 days before the lease contract expires. The article begins “unless otherwise agreed”, so a signed agreement that says something different can change this. The law also says that if the two sides cannot agree on new terms, the rental disputes tribunal may set a fair rent.

The law text I read does not spell out what happens if the notice is late. Brokers and law firms commonly say a late notice means the lease renews on the same terms. I could not confirm that sentence in the law’s wording, so treat it as the usual result, and keep proof of the date you received the notice. Under the law, a notice means a written notification sent through a notary public, by registered mail, by hand, or by another technological means approved by law.

Do not mix this up with eviction. A landlord who wants you out at the end of the lease for a listed reason, such as demolition, major repairs, personal use or sale, must give at least 12 months’ notice, served through a notary public or by registered mail. That is Article 25 of the same law and is a separate rule.

What is the Smart Rental Index?

The DLD launched the Smart Rental Index 2025 on 2 January 2025. It replaces the older yearly index with a building classification system that scores structure, finish and maintenance quality, location, and services such as cleaning and parking management. The DLD says it uses artificial intelligence, and that the earlier index was updated once a year while this one can be updated in minutes. The DLD’s announcement says landlords can use it to set rent increases transparently and that tenants are protected from unjustified increases.

Under Article 3 of the decree, the average rent comes from the rent index of Dubai approved by RERA. My reading is that the Smart Rental Index is that index today, so the five tiers above are applied to its numbers. The DLD announcement describes the caps but does not print a separate table for the new index. One small warning: the announcement page names the decree as number 34 and says “above average” in one line, where the decree text says Decree No. 43 and “below average”. The decree text on Dubai’s legal portal is the one to trust.

How do I check my rent increase?

1. Open the DLD Rental Index service on the DLD website. The DLD also gives a support line at +971 8004488 and a chat assistant.
2. Choose Residential, enter your contract end date and the property type.
3. Search by your DEWA premises number, your Ejari contract number, or by area. You can also enter area, building and community names and the number of bedrooms.
4. Optionally enter your current annual rent, then press Calculate.
5. Compare the result with the notice you received. If the notice asks for more than the cap, reply in writing, attach the result and ask for the rent to stay within the cap.

The DLD page lists no fee for the service. I could not run the calculator myself because it needs your own details and a captcha, so I cannot tell you exactly how the result screen is laid out. The tool may also be reachable in the Dubai REST app, which the DLD names for registering and renewing rental contracts.

What can I do if the notice is wrong?

Reply in writing before the lease ends. If you cannot agree, the law says the rental disputes tribunal may set a fair rent. Keep the notice, the index result and your Ejari contract. If the landlord only sent the notice by message, check the date against the 90-day rule.

Check the latest rules with DLD or a licensed broker before you sign.