RERA Rent Increase Calculator — Dubai
Dubai caps rent increases by law: the further your current rent sits below the market average for your building, the more your landlord may add at renewal — from 0% up to 20%. Enter two numbers and see the legal maximum.
Get this from the official DLD Rental Index calculator — since 2025 it benchmarks your specific building (star-rated 1–5), not just the area.
Maximum legal increase
—
Enter your rent and the market average.
| Your rent vs market | — |
| Allowed increase (Decree 43/2013) | — |
| Maximum increase in AED | — |
| Maximum new rent | — |
| 90-day notice deadline | — |
The official DLD calculator is the authoritative source — this tool shows you the mechanics so you can sanity-check an increase and negotiate. If your landlord didn't give written notice at least 90 days before the contract ends, the increase is invalid for this renewal cycle.
The legal slabs (Decree No. 43 of 2013 — unchanged in 2026)
- Rent within 10% below market average → 0% increase allowed
- 11–20% below market → up to 5%
- 21–30% below market → up to 10%
- 31–40% below market → up to 15%
- More than 40% below market → up to 20%
The percentage applies to your current rent. Example: you pay AED 60,000, the market average is AED 80,000 → you're 25% below → the landlord may add up to 10% = AED 6,000.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Smart Rental Index?
Launched January 2025, it replaced the old area-average index. An AI model rates every building 1–5 stars on 60+ factors (location, age, maintenance, amenities) and benchmarks your rent against your specific building's class — updated again in January 2026 with sub-community granularity and separate furnished/unfurnished benchmarks. The increase slabs themselves did not change.
How much notice must my landlord give for a rent increase?
Written notice at least 90 days before the contract expires (Law 26/2007, Art. 14, as amended). No timely notice — no increase this cycle; the contract renews on existing terms.
Can rent be increased mid-contract or twice a year?
No. Increases apply only at renewal, so with standard annual contracts that's at most once a year.
What if I think even the current rent is above market?
The slabs only cap increases, but if you're paying above the index average you have a strong negotiation case — and disputes can be filed with Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre.
Do the same rules apply in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah?
No — this mechanism is Dubai-only. Abu Dhabi applies a flat 5% annual cap; Sharjah freezes rent for the first three years of a tenancy under its 2024 law.
Where do I get the official market average for my unit?
The DLD Rental Index calculator on dubailand.gov.ae (also in the Dubai REST and DubaiNow apps) — free, no login, and it reflects your building's star rating.
Sources
- Official Rental Index calculator — Dubai Land Department
- Decree No. 43 of 2013 (rent increase slabs) and Law 26/2007 as amended (90-day notice) — dubailand.gov.ae
Slabs and notice rules re-verified on 8 August 2026 — unchanged after the Smart Rental Index updates.
Related tools
- DEWA Bill Calculator — your rent also sets the 5% housing fee on every DEWA bill.
- UAE Salary & Take-Home Calculator — sanity-check the rent against your real net income.