How much can your landlord increase rent in Dubai? Between 0% and 20% — and the exact number is not your landlord’s choice. Dubai’s RERA rent increase rules (Decree No. 43 of 2013) fix the maximum increase based on one comparison: your current rent versus the average for similar units on the official Smart Rental Index. Most tenants will find the answer is 0%, 5% or 10%. Here’s how the bands work, how to check your own cap in two minutes, and what to do when a landlord asks for more than the law allows.
The short answer: the five RERA rent-increase bands
Find how far your current annual rent sits below the Smart Rental Index average for a similar unit in your area, then read off the cap:
| Your rent vs. the index average | Maximum legal increase |
|---|---|
| Within 10% below the average (or above it) | 0% — no increase allowed |
| 11–20% below the average | Up to 5% |
| 21–30% below the average | Up to 10% |
| 31–40% below the average | Up to 15% |
| More than 40% below the average | Up to 20% (the legal ceiling) |
Two worked examples so the maths is concrete:
- Example 1: you pay AED 90,000; the index average is AED 110,000. You’re 18.2% below → the 11–20% band → cap is 5%, so the maximum new rent is AED 94,500.
- Example 2 (DLD’s own): index average AED 80,000, current rent AED 60,000 → 25% below → the 21–30% band → cap is 10% of your current rent → AED 6,000 → new rent AED 66,000. Note the percentage applies to your current rent, not to the market average or the size of the gap.
The 90-day notice rule (miss it, lose the increase)
Even when the index allows an increase, your landlord must give written notice at least 90 days before the tenancy contract expires — Article 14 of Law No. 33 of 2008 (amending the tenancy Law No. 26 of 2007). Notice served on day 89 counts the same as no notice at all: the increase cannot apply for that renewal, and the lease continues on its existing terms. The Dubai Land Department confirmed in 2025 that the 90-day rule still applies under the Smart Rental Index.
Practical notes: the notice must be in writing (registered email, letter, or via the DLD REST app — verbal claims don’t hold up at the Rental Disputes Center). And the increase can only happen at renewal — at most once every 12 months. There is no longer any “once every two years” rule; it was removed in 2008.
The Smart Rental Index: what changed in 2025
In January 2025 the Dubai Land Department replaced the old RERA rental calculator with the Smart Rental Index. What’s new is the granularity: instead of one area-wide average, the index uses AI to rate individual buildings on a 1-to-5-star scale — building condition and age, amenities (pool, gym, concierge), maintenance history — and benchmarks your unit against genuinely comparable properties. The five increase bands from Decree No. 43 of 2013 did not change; only the benchmark got smarter. Leases renewed before 2025 were assessed under the old index.
How to check your legal cap: the rent increase calculator Dubai tenants use
The official rent increase calculator Dubai landlords and tenants both use lives in two places: the Dubai REST app and the Dubai Land Department website (Rental Index section). It takes about two minutes:
- Open the Rental/Smart Rental Index tool.
- Enter your Ejari number (or your DEWA number), or search manually by area, building name, property type and bedrooms. New to Ejari? See our guide to how to register Ejari online.
- Enter your current annual rent from the Ejari contract (the annual figure, not per-cheque).
- The tool shows the index average for your unit and the maximum percentage increase your landlord may apply.
Screenshot the result. Combined with a printout of the index page, it’s the evidence you present if the increase is disputed. Third-party versions exist (search “dubai land rent increase calculator” or “rent increase dubai calculator”), but the DLD’s own figure is the one that counts in a dispute.
RERA rent increase rules in Dubai: tenant checklist
Run through this before you agree to anything at renewal:
- Did you get 90 days’ written notice? No notice (or late notice) = no increase, full stop.
- Is your rent actually below the index? Within 10% of the average = 0% cap. Many tenants in 2026 discover no increase is permitted at all.
- Does the proposed increase fit the band? Calculate it yourself — landlords sometimes apply the percentage to the wrong base figure.
- Is your Ejari current? An unregistered contract is hard to enforce; you need Ejari for utilities, visa processes and any RDC filing. See how to register Ejari.
- Shared accommodation? Dubai Law No. 4 of 2026 (in force August 2026) requires a permit for every shared unit — see our bed space and partition rules guide.
What if your landlord asks for more than the cap?
First, decline in writing, citing Law No. 26 of 2007 and attaching your Smart Rental Index calculation. Most disputes end here — landlords know the bands. If yours doesn’t back down:
- Rental Valuation Certificate: the landlord can apply to the DLD for an official valuation of the unit (costs roughly AED 2,000, paid by the landlord). This overrides the online calculator — but the 20% ceiling still applies, and if you still disagree, the matter goes to the RDC.
- Rental Disputes Center (RDC): file a case with your Ejari contract, the notice history and your index screenshots. Filing costs 3.5% of the annual rent.
- Know the “new RERA rules regarding rent increasement”: there is no separate new-increase law for 2026 — the framework is still Decree 43 of 2013 + the Smart Rental Index (since 2025) + the 90-day notice rule. Anyone citing a brand-new percentage law is mistaken.
Watch: facing rent increases in Dubai — know your rights
UAE legal consultant Dr. Hassan Elhais explains how rental increases work under RERA: