What's in this guide
A landlord asks for 25% at renewal. Is that legal? The honest answer is: it depends entirely on one number — and it is a number you can look up yourself in three minutes.
Dubai does not let landlords set increases freely. Decree No. 43 of 2013 fixes the maximum, and it applies to every landlord in the emirate — private, government, free zones, and the DIFC. No exceptions.
This matters to investors as much as tenants. If you are buying a tenanted unit expecting to reprice it at renewal, the decree decides what you can actually do.
1. The five legal brackets
The permitted increase depends on how far below the market average your current rent sits. That average comes from the RERA rental index, not from listing prices.
| How far your rent is below the market average | Maximum increase allowed |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below | No increase permitted |
| 11% to 20% below | 5% |
| 21% to 30% below | 10% |
| 31% to 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
Two consequences people miss:
- 20% is the absolute ceiling. There is no scenario in which a lawful renewal increase exceeds 20%. A demand for 25% or 30% is not a hard bargain — it is outside the decree.
- If your rent is already near market, the answer is zero. Sitting within 10% of the index means no increase at all, regardless of what the landlord wants or what the area has done.
2. How the market average is actually set
The benchmark is the RERA rental index, maintained by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency and built from real registered tenancy contracts (Ejari data) — not asking prices, not agent estimates, not what the building next door achieved.
This distinction is the whole argument. A landlord pointing at a portal listing is pointing at an asking price. The decree does not care about asking prices.
You can check your own position using the official rent calculator on the Dubai Land Department website or the DLD app. You will need your Ejari contract number. The calculator compares your registered rent against the index value for your property and returns the permitted increase — often zero.
3. Why Ejari decides everything
Ejari is the mandatory registration of every tenancy contract in Dubai, run by DLD. Registration is not paperwork — it is what gives the contract legal standing.
Without it:
- Enforcing your tenancy rights becomes significantly harder, including at the Rental Disputes Centre
- You cannot run the rent calculator, because it needs your Ejari number
- Utility activation and residence processes tied to your address get complicated
Registration goes through the Dubai REST app, the DLD portal, or an authorised typing centre, using the signed contract, title deed and ID copies for both sides.
Investor note: registered Ejari contracts are exactly what feeds the index. Every properly registered tenancy in your building shapes the benchmark that governs what you can charge later.
4. The 90-day notice rule
A rent increase is not valid because it was mentioned. It must be notified in writing at least 90 days before the tenancy expires.
Miss the window, and the tenancy renews on existing terms. A message sent two weeks before expiry does not create an obligation to pay more.
The same principle governs eviction: a landlord seeking possession must give 12 months' written notice through a notary public or registered mail, and that requirement survives the contract expiring.
Informal channels — a WhatsApp message, a phone call, a verbal conversation — are generally not sufficient for either notice.
5. What to do if the increase is not legal
- Run the calculator. Use the official DLD rent calculator with your Ejari number. Get the permitted figure in writing.
- Reply in writing. State the index position and the lawful maximum. Most landlords adjust at this point, because the number is not arguable.
- File with the RDC. The Rental Disputes Centre is the specialised judicial body for landlord–tenant matters, sitting under DLD. It is designed to be accessible without full litigation.
Note the balance the decree strikes. It protects tenants from arbitrary increases, but it also gives landlords a clear, defensible route to move a materially under-market rent upward. Both sides are working from the same published number, which is precisely the point.
6. What this means if you are buying
If you are buying a tenanted unit, the rent roll you are shown is not a number you can simply reset.
Before committing, establish three things:
- Where the current rent sits against the index. If it is already at market, your income is flat for now, whatever the seller implies.
- When the tenancy expires and whether notice was served. This sets the earliest date anything can change.
- Whether the tenancy is registered on Ejari. An unregistered tenancy is a complication you are inheriting.
A seller marketing "significant rental upside" on a unit already at index value is describing something the law will not permit. That is a question worth asking before the deposit, not after.
7. Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord increase rent in Dubai?
Between 0% and 20%, depending on how far the current rent sits below the RERA index average. No increase is permitted if the rent is within 10% of the market average. The maximum in any case is 20%.
Can my landlord increase rent by 25%?
No. Under Decree No. 43 of 2013 the maximum lawful renewal increase is 20%, and that applies only where the rent is more than 40% below the market average.
How much notice must a landlord give for a rent increase in Dubai?
At least 90 days in writing before the tenancy expires. If proper notice is not given, the tenancy renews on the existing terms.
How do I check the legal rent increase for my property?
Use the official rent calculator on the Dubai Land Department website or the DLD app. You need your Ejari contract number. It compares your registered rent to the index and returns the permitted maximum.
What is Ejari and is it mandatory?
Ejari is DLD’s mandatory registration system for tenancy contracts in Dubai. Without it, enforcing tenancy rights is significantly harder and you cannot use the rent calculator.
Does the rent cap apply in free zones and the DIFC?
Yes. Decree No. 43 of 2013 applies to all landlords in Dubai, including special development zones, free zones and the DIFC.
How much notice is required to evict a tenant in Dubai?
Twelve months’ written notice through a notary public or registered mail, and that requirement applies even after the tenancy contract expires.
Buying a tenanted unit?
Send Ali the unit and the current rent. He will tell you where it sits against the index, what you can lawfully do at renewal, and whether the yield being marketed to you is actually achievable.
Sources & verification. Rent caps taken from the text of Decree No. 43 of 2013 on the Dubai Legislation Portal, and the Dubai Land Department. General information, not legal advice. Figures reflect the position as at 3 August 2026 and can change — always confirm current rules with the relevant authority before you commit.