Dubai Rent Increase Calculator
The most your landlord can raise the rent on renewal, from your rent and the average in the DLD rental index.
Look up the average in the official DLD rental index (RERA) for your area, property type and bedrooms. This calculator doesn't fetch it for you.
How your rent cap is worked out
Gap below the average → band → most the rent can go up (Decree 43 of 2013).
- 1
How far below average
25,000 ÷ 100,000
= 25% below - 2
Find your band
25% → band 21–30%
= max 10% - 3
Cap the new rent
75,000 × 1.10
= AED 82,500 - 4
Spread over the year
82,500 ÷ 12
= AED 6,875 a month
Read more: the formula, a worked example, the band table and the 90-day notice
The formula
% below = (average rent − your rent) ÷ average rent × 100
Round it down to a whole percent, then find the band:
0–10% → no increase · 11–20% → 5% · 21–30% → 10%
31–40% → 15% · over 40% → 20%
Most the new rent can be = your rent × (1 + band % ÷ 100)
Latest notice date = lease end date − 90 days
The decree lists whole-percent bands (up to 10%, 11% to 20%, and so on), so this calculator rounds the gap down to a whole percent before it picks the band: 10.9% below counts as 10% (no increase), and 11.0% below counts as 11% (up to 5%). If your rent is at or above the average, there is no increase.
Worked example
Your rent is AED 75,000 a year and the DLD rental index shows an average of AED 100,000 for similar homes. The gap is 100,000 − 75,000 = 25,000, and 25,000 ÷ 100,000 × 100 = 25% below the average, which is in the 21% to 30% band, so the maximum increase is 10%. 10% of AED 75,000 is AED 7,500, so the most the new rent can be is 75,000 + 7,500 = AED 82,500 a year. That is AED 7,500 ÷ 12 = AED 625 more a month, or AED 82,500 ÷ 12 = AED 6,875 a month in all. Paid in 4 cheques, it is AED 82,500 ÷ 4 = AED 20,625 a cheque.
If the landlord asks for AED 85,000, that is AED 10,000 more (13.33%), which is 85,000 − 82,500 = AED 2,500 over the cap. If the lease ends on 31 March 2027, notice of the change must be given by 31 December 2026 (90 days before).
The bands (Decree No. 43 of 2013, Article 1)
| Your rent is below the average by | Most the rent can go up |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% | No increase |
| 11% to 20% | 5% of the rent |
| 21% to 30% | 10% of the rent |
| 31% to 40% | 15% of the rent |
| More than 40% | 20% of the rent |
| At or above the average | No increase |
The average is the average rental value of similar units in the RERA "Rent Index of the Emirate of Dubai" (Article 3). Article 2 says the decree applies to all landlords in Dubai, including special development zones and free zones such as DIFC.
The 90-day notice
Law No. 33 of 2008, which amends Law No. 26 of 2007, says in Article 14 that a party who wants to change the terms of the lease, such as the rent, must tell the other party no less than 90 days before the lease contract ends, unless both agree otherwise.
If you can't agree
This calculator is a guide to the cap. Rent disputes in Dubai go to the Rental Disputes Centre.
For general information only, not legal advice. Rules checked on 13 October 2026 against the Dubai Legislation Portal: Decree No. (43) of 2013 Determining Rent Increase for Real Property; Law No. (33) of 2008 Amending Law No. (26) of 2007, Article (14).
Common questions
How much can my landlord increase the rent in Dubai?
Under Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013, the most a landlord can add on renewal depends on how far your rent is below the average for similar homes in the RERA rental index: up to 10% below, no increase; 11% to 20% below, up to 5%; 21% to 30% below, up to 10%; 31% to 40% below, up to 15%; more than 40% below, up to 20%. If your rent is at or above the average, there is no increase.
Where do I find the average rent for my home?
Look it up in the official rental index from the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and RERA, by area, property type and number of bedrooms. This calculator doesn't fetch it for you: type in the average rent the index shows for a home like yours.
How much notice must my landlord give before raising the rent?
Law No. 33 of 2008, Article 14, says a party who wants to change the lease terms, such as the rent, must tell the other at least 90 days before the lease ends, unless both agree otherwise. For a lease ending on 31 March 2027, that is 31 December 2026 at the latest.
Does the rent cap apply in DIFC and other free zones?
Yes. Article 2 of Decree No. 43 of 2013 says it applies to all landlords in Dubai, including in special development zones and free zones such as DIFC.
What if my landlord asks for more than the cap?
Use the Advanced mode to see how far over the cap the figure is, and talk to your landlord with the index figure in hand. If you can't agree, rent disputes in Dubai go to the Rental Disputes Centre.
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