The RERA Rental Index is Dubai Land Department’s official guide to what similar homes in each area have actually been renting for, and it sets the legal limit on how much a landlord can raise your rent at renewal. It is not a price list for new tenancies — a landlord can ask what the market will bear on a vacant flat — but once you are a sitting tenant, any increase must fit the index and the notice rules, which makes it the most useful free tool a Dubai renter owns.
How the Index Decides Your Increase
At renewal, your current rent is compared with the average rent for similar properties in the index. The further below that average you are paying, the larger the increase the law allows, within set bands. As a guide to how the bands have typically worked: if your rent is close to the average — within roughly the first 10 percent below it — no increase is generally permitted; larger gaps below the average permit stepped increases, rising to a maximum of around 20 percent when rent is far below the average, typically more than 40 percent under it. The exact bands and figures are set by decree and shown in the official rental index calculator, so always run your own property through the Dubai Land Department or Dubai REST calculator rather than relying on a summary like this one.
- Property type, size and number of bedrooms
- Area and, in many cases, the specific community or building group
- Your current annual rent and contract dates
- The calculator result, which you can save or print as evidence
Who Pays What — and What the Index Does Not Cover
Nobody pays to use the index itself: checking the calculator is free, and neither landlord nor tenant pays a fee for the comparison. What the result changes is the rent figure in the renewed Ejari contract. A lawful increase is paid by the tenant as part of rent from the renewal date; an increase above what the index allows is not owed, and a tenant who has paid one in a signed renewal should take advice promptly, because unwinding it is harder than refusing it before signing.
The index also sits alongside separate rules it does not replace. A landlord must normally give at least 90 days’ written notice of any rent change before the contract ends, and an increase agreed without that notice is challengeable even if the amount itself fits the index. Eviction for sale, own use or major renovation follows its own notice periods through official notification — the index has nothing to say about those, and a landlord cannot use a rent discussion to shortcut them.
Using the Calculator Before Renewal Talks
- Three to four months before your contract ends, open the official rental index calculator on the Dubai Land Department channels or the Dubai REST app.
- Enter the property details and your current rent exactly as shown on your Ejari.
- Save the result showing the average rent and whether an increase is permitted, and by how much.
- When the landlord or agent proposes a renewal figure, compare it in writing and reply with the calculator result attached if they differ.
- Agree the final rent, sign the renewal contract and register the renewed Ejari with the agreed figure.
Do this before the 90-day notice deadline, not after. A tenant who arrives at the negotiation already knowing the legal ceiling changes the whole conversation, and most agents adjust an over-ambitious proposal quickly when they see the official result in the email thread.
If You and the Landlord Disagree
Start with the written exchange: proposal, calculator result, and your counter-offer, all by email so the dates are provable. If the landlord insists on an increase the index does not allow, or serves an increase without proper notice, the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre at Dubai Land Department is the official route for resolving it, and filing there is a normal, well-used step rather than an escalation to be feared. As a guide, dispute filing has typically involved a fee calculated as a percentage of annual rent with minimum and maximum limits — check the current fee on the official portal before filing. Keep your Ejari, cheques or transfer records, and all notices together; rental cases are decided on documents, not on who remembers a phone call correctly.
FAQ
Can a landlord raise rent by any amount on a new tenancy?
For a vacant property and a brand-new tenant, the asking rent is a market matter. The index limits apply to increases at renewal for a sitting tenant, which is where its protection works.
What if my landlord gave notice of an increase only 30 days before renewal?
Rent changes normally require at least 90 days’ notice before the contract expiry. A late notice generally means the increase cannot take effect for that renewal, but confirm your dates and take advice if the amount involved is large.
Does the index apply in every Dubai community?
The calculator covers the great majority of residential areas, but some buildings or property types return no direct comparison. If your property has no result, note the date you checked and seek guidance from Dubai Land Department channels on the nearest comparable.
Five minutes with the calculator before renewal is worth more than a month of arguing afterwards. Find more renting explainers on DXB Talk in our Dubai category.
