Few emails cause more worry in Dubai than the one from a landlord or agent proposing a new rent ahead of renewal. The good news is that you do not have to guess whether the figure is fair. The Dubai Smart Rental Index, run by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), sets out how much a rent may rise at renewal, building by building, and anyone can check it in a few minutes.
In this guide we explain how the index rates buildings, how the permitted increase is worked out, where to run the check and how tenants and landlords can use the result in renewal talks. We also set out what our own DLD registered rent figures show for the Dubai market this year.
What is the Dubai Smart Rental Index?
The DLD unveiled the Smart Rental Index at the start of January 2025, replacing the older RERA rental index. Khaleej Times reported at the launch that it covers every residential area in the emirate, including the main districts, special development zones and free zones. Commercial buildings such as offices and shops are not included.
The main change from the old system is the level of detail. Instead of a broad average for an area, the index draws on rent contracts registered in the building itself, average rents in the surrounding area and a classification of the building. The DLD also said the new index can be refreshed daily, where the previous one was updated quarterly, half-yearly or once a year.
How buildings are rated
Each residential building is given a rating from one to five stars. The assessment, which uses artificial intelligence, looks at the building’s technical and structural features, the standard of its finishes and upkeep, its location, and the services residents receive, such as maintenance, cleaning and parking management.
The rating matters because it feeds into the average market rent that the index calculates for your type of home in your building. A well-run, well-kept building will tend to carry a higher benchmark than a tired one in the same neighbourhood.
Dubai rent increase rules: how the permitted rise is worked out
The index does not set your rent. It sets the ceiling on any increase at renewal, under Decree No. 43 of 2013. The test is simple: how far is your current rent below the average market rent the index shows for a comparable home?
According to the bands set out in the decree, as reported by Gulf News: if your rent is no more than 10% below the average, no increase is allowed; between 11% and 20% below, the landlord may add up to 5%; between 21% and 30% below, up to 10%; between 31% and 40% below, up to 15%; and more than 40% below, up to 20%. If your rent is already at or above the average, there is no room for an increase at all.
A worked example
Gulf News uses a clear illustration. If the index shows an average rent of AED 80,000 and the tenant pays AED 60,000, the rent is 25% below the average. That falls in the 10% band, so the landlord may add up to AED 6,000, and the new rent can be no more than AED 66,000. Had the gap been under 10%, the rent would have stayed where it was.
Can older buildings raise rents?
Yes, but the route runs through the rating. Khaleej Times reported that owners of older buildings can see a higher rating, and with it more room for increases, if they upgrade and renovate. For landlords, this links the rent a building can command to the way it is run and maintained.
How to check your building on the RERA rent calculator
Most people still call it the RERA rent calculator, but the official name is the DLD Rental Index service. You can reach it on the DLD website, through the Ejari system, in the Dubai REST app or in the DubaiNow app, and the result is immediate.
You can search with the title deed number, if you have it, or enter the property details by hand. The service asks for the end date of your tenancy contract, whether the home is an apartment or a villa, the area, the number of rooms and the current annual rent. You can also select the building by name, which is what makes the result specific to your home rather than to the neighbourhood as a whole.
The result shows the average rent for similar homes, where your rent sits against it and the largest increase the law allows. If the building does not qualify for an increase, the calculator says so. Keep a screenshot or a saved copy: it is the clearest evidence you can bring to a renewal conversation.
The 90-day rent increase notice
An index that supports an increase is not enough by itself. The DLD confirmed in February 2025 that a landlord must still give the tenant 90 days’ notice before the contract ends to raise the rent, even where the index allows it. Gulf News notes that the same written notice applies to any other change in the contract terms.
If the notice reaches you later than that, raise it with the landlord or agent before you agree to anything, and keep a note of the date it arrived alongside your index result.
What our DLD rent figures show
Our records of DLD registered rent contracts give useful context for the whole market. In the third quarter of 2026 (1 July to 30 September), 249,916 rent contracts were registered across Dubai, with a median rent of AED 60,000 a year. In the same quarter of 2025, there were 261,022 contracts with a median of AED 58,000. So the median annual rent edged up between the two quarters, on slightly fewer contracts.
Month by month, the picture was steady. The median stayed at AED 60,000 a year in both August 2026 (82,650 contracts) and September 2026 (86,815 contracts).
These are city-wide medians across every type of home, from studios to villas, so they are background rather than the comparison the index itself makes. What they show is a market where the typical registered rent moved modestly between the third quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2026. For the wider sales and rent picture, see our review of the Dubai property market in September 2026.
Using the result at renewal
The index has changed the tone of renewal talks. Khaleej Times reported in January 2026 that agents and property managers were seeing tenants answer increase notices with their index results, and some landlords revising or pausing increases once the permitted figure was lower than they had proposed.
For tenants
Run the check as soon as a renewal notice arrives, using the building name and your exact current rent. If the proposed rise is above the cap, reply in writing with the result attached. Remember that the cap is a maximum: a landlord may ask for less, and you can still discuss terms such as the number of cheques. If you are weighing up a move instead, our guide to renting a flat in Dubai covers what to check before you sign, and you can browse our listings to compare what is on the market.
For landlords
Check the index before you send the notice, and send it in good time to meet the 90-day rule. If your rent is close to the average, the index may allow no increase, and a reliable tenant who stays may be worth more than the cost of a vacant month and a new letting. If you think your building’s rating undervalues it, the rating reflects upkeep and services, so improvements there are what the system rewards.
If you cannot agree
Where a landlord insists on more than the index allows, the tenant can file a case with the Rental Dispute Centre at the DLD. In our experience, most disagreements are settled well before that point once both sides are looking at the same official figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord increase rent in Dubai?
It depends on how far your current rent is below the average market rent the Smart Rental Index shows for a comparable home. The cap ranges from no increase, if you are within 10% of the average, to 20% if you are more than 40% below it. If your rent is at or above the average, no increase is allowed.
How do I check my rent increase on the Dubai Smart Rental Index?
Use the Rental Index service on the DLD website, the Ejari system, the Dubai REST app or DubaiNow. Enter your contract end date, property type, area, number of rooms and current annual rent, or search by title deed number, and select your building. The result shows the average rent and the largest increase allowed.
Does a landlord have to give notice of a rent increase in Dubai?
Yes. The landlord must give written notice at least 90 days before the tenancy contract ends. The DLD has confirmed this applies even when the index allows an increase.
Does the Smart Rental Index apply to offices and shops?
No. The index covers residential properties across Dubai, including free zones and special development zones, but not commercial buildings.
What can I do if my landlord asks for more than the index allows?
Reply in writing with your index result attached; many cases are resolved at that stage. If the landlord still insists, you can file a case with the Rental Dispute Centre at the Dubai Land Department.
Thinking about buying, selling or letting in Dubai? Send us an enquiry or a WhatsApp message and we will arrange a private viewing at a time that suits you.
Sources
- No major rent increases at renewal as Dubai’s Smart Rental Index guides hikes | Khaleej Times (khaleejtimes.com)
- How Dubai’s new Smart Rental Index works: All you need to know | Khaleej Times (khaleejtimes.com)
- Dubai: 90-day notice must for rent hikes even under smart rental index, DLD clarifies | Khaleej Times (khaleejtimes.com)
- How to check if your rent increase in Dubai is legal | Gulf News (gulfnews.com)
- Dubai Land Department – Rental Index (dubailand.gov.ae)
This article is for general information only and is not investment advice. Figures are taken from the sources named and from Dubai Land Department registrations at the time of writing; prices and rents can fall as well as rise. Please take independent advice before making any decision.
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