Tenant tools
Can your landlord legally raise your rent in Dubai?
In Dubai a landlord cannot raise rent freely — and cannot raise it at all unless you are already paying meaningfully below the market rate. How far below decides the ceiling. This checks your case against 3,457,899 registered Ejari contracts across 180 areas: rents people actually signed, not what listings ask.
How the bands work
Set by Decree No. 43 of 2013. The gap is measured against the market rate for a comparable home — same area, same property type, similar size.
| If your rent is below market by | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% | No increase allowed |
| 10% – 20% | 5% |
| 20% – 30% | 10% |
| 30% – 40% | 15% |
| More than 40% | 20% |
A landlord must also give 90 days’ written notice before changing any term of the contract, including rent. That requirement is often the strongest thing a tenant has: an otherwise lawful increase served late does not bind you for that renewal.
This is a guide built from registered contract data, not a ruling. Disputes are decided by the Rental Dispute Centre, and RERA’s own calculator is the authoritative instrument. Where the two disagree, RERA’s is the one that counts — so check yours against it before you argue a number: RERA Rental Index calculator, also in the Dubai REST app.