If you are checking a rent increase in Dubai before a renewal, compare the proposed amount with the current official Rental Index and review the terms of your tenancy contract. The index can help you understand a possible adjustment, while the contract and applicable rules determine how a change should be handled.
What the Dubai Rental Index can tell you
The Rental Index is an official reference for comparing rents and checking whether an adjustment may be permitted. It is not a promise that a landlord can raise the rent by a particular amount, nor does it predict what a specific property will earn. The result depends on the property and tenancy details entered, as well as the guidance in force when you check.
Use the Dubai Land Department’s Rental Index service for the current result. If you want broader context on how the index can be used to compare properties, M&M Real Estate also explains what the Dubai Rental Index can tell an investor.
How to check a potential adjustment
The service may ask for details about the property and the tenancy. Keep your contract and Ejari information to hand, then follow the fields shown on the official tool. The interface can change, so use its current instructions rather than relying on an older set of steps.
- Open the official Rental Index service and select the relevant property or unit type.
- Enter the location and property details requested, such as whether it is an apartment or villa and the number of rooms.
- Provide the contract end date and current annual rent if the calculator requests them.
- Check your entries before submitting them, then save or record the result for your renewal discussion.
The figure is only useful if the information is accurate. Compare like with like where possible, taking account of the property’s location, type, size, condition and lease terms. A broad neighbourhood average may not reflect the characteristics of an individual unit.
Foreign capital is hesitating. The 3.9 million people inside the UAE have not. The asymmetry that defines 2026, and what it tells you to do about it.
Download free→A worked example of the calculation
For arithmetic only, suppose a fictional annual rent is AED 100,000 and the official result for that hypothetical case permits a 5% adjustment. The calculation is: AED 100,000 × 5% = AED 5,000; then AED 100,000 + AED 5,000 = AED 105,000. These assumed inputs are not market data or a prediction for any property. Check the applicable rate through the DLD Rental Index service before relying on a calculation.
How much notice must a landlord give?
Under Article 14 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, unless the parties have agreed otherwise, a party seeking to amend tenancy terms must notify the other party at least 90 days before the contract expires. The notice period applies to proposed changes to the agreement, including a rent adjustment. Check the official legislation and your contract for the rules relevant to your circumstances.
Keep written records of any renewal proposal and your response. If you receive notice close to the expiry date, or the proposed change differs from the index result, ask the landlord or property manager to clarify the basis for it. Do not assume that an index result, by itself, changes the terms of your signed agreement.
What to do if the proposed rent seems too high
First, check that the calculator details match your property and tenancy. Then compare the result with the proposed amount and review the notice and renewal clauses in your contract. If there is a disagreement, explain your concern in writing and retain copies of relevant messages, documents and the index result.
If you and the landlord cannot resolve the issue, the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre is the formal channel for rental disputes. Check its current guidance on the appropriate process for your case. M&M Real Estate’s overview of the Smart Rental Index also provides background on the role of rental benchmarks, but official DLD guidance should take precedence for a specific renewal.
Prepare for renewal early
Review the contract, confirm the expiry date and check the current Rental Index before responding to a proposed adjustment. Keep the discussion in writing and make sure any agreed changes appear clearly in the renewed tenancy documents. If a notice or calculation is unclear, seek clarification from the relevant official source or a qualified property professional before making a decision.
