Rent Increase Laws in Dubai

Rent increases in Dubai are governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 (Regulating the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai), as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, together with Decree No. 43 of 2013, which sets the mechanism used to calculate how much a landlord is permitted to raise the rent. This piece covers the legal framework: which law applies, the notice a landlord must give, and what a tenant can do if an increase looks wrong. For the actual percentage bands and a calculator, see our dedicated guide to the RERA rent increase rules.

The law that governs the relationship

Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, is Dubai's core tenancy law. It covers the landlord-tenant relationship broadly: contract renewal, eviction grounds, maintenance responsibilities and rent increases sit within this same legal framework, not as separate, standalone rules. A landlord cannot raise the rent by whatever figure they choose; any increase has to be calculated according to the mechanism set out under this law and its supporting decree.

Decree No. 43 of 2013 is the specific instrument that sets the increase mechanism, comparing your current rent to the average market rent for a comparable property, via the RERA rental index, and applying a permitted percentage increase on a sliding scale depending on how far below that average your current rent sits. We do not repeat the actual bands here; see our RERA rules guide for the current percentages and the calculator.

The notice period

A landlord who wants to increase the rent, or make any change to the terms of an existing tenancy at renewal, must notify the tenant in writing at least 90 days before the existing contract expires. This notice period applies whether the increase is being communicated by the landlord directly, through a managing agent, or via registered mail or notary notice, and it is standard practice for it to be delivered in a way that can be evidenced later if there is any dispute, such as registered mail, a notarised notice, or through the Ejari system.

If a landlord fails to give this 90-day notice, or gives it late, the increase generally cannot be enforced for that renewal cycle; the existing rent terms should carry over to the new contract, and the increase, if the landlord still wants to apply it, would need to be reissued with proper notice ahead of the following renewal.

What a tenant can do about an increase

1. Check the notice was given correctly and on time. A late or improperly delivered notice is a basis to dispute the increase itself, separate from whether the percentage is correct. 2. Check the percentage against the RERA rental index for a comparable property. This is the actual calculation described in our RERA rules guide; do not take a landlord's stated figure at face value without checking it against the index yourself. 3. Raise it with the landlord or managing agent directly, in writing, if the figure looks wrong. Many disputes resolve at this stage without escalation. 4. File a case with the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) if it does not resolve. The RDC is Dubai's dedicated body for landlord-tenant disputes, including disputed rent increases, and cases are generally filed online. We cover how a case at the RDC works in a separate guide. 5. Keep paying under the existing terms while a dispute is live, unless the tribunal or a formal ruling says otherwise; withholding rent unilaterally over a disputed increase can expose a tenant to separate risk around non-payment, which is a different legal issue to the increase itself.

What the law does not allow a landlord to do

• Increase rent mid-contract, outside of the renewal point, without a legal basis to do so.
• Apply an increase without giving the 90-day notice required under Law No. 33 of 2008.
• Apply an increase above the ceiling set by the RERA rental index mechanism under Decree No. 43 of 2013, regardless of what the landlord believes the market has done.
• Use a disputed rent increase as grounds to refuse renewal outright without following the separate, and stricter, legal process required for eviction. Eviction for a landlord's own use, sale, or renovation carries its own 12-month notice requirement under the law, which we cover in our eviction notice rules guide; a rent dispute alone is not that ground.

How this framework fits together

How this differs from the eviction process

It is worth being clear that a rent increase and an eviction are governed by different parts of the same law and follow different processes. A landlord cannot simply relabel a rejected or disputed rent increase as an eviction to remove a tenant who will not accept the new figure. Eviction on grounds of the landlord's own use, sale of the property, or major renovation requires its own 12-month notice, delivered through a notary public or registered mail, separate and in addition to any rent increase notice, and is covered in full in our eviction notice rules guide. A tenant disputing a rent increase in good faith, through the correct channels, is exercising a right under the same law, not giving a landlord grounds to evict.

Documenting the notice correctly

Because disputes over rent increases often turn on whether proper notice was given and when, both landlords and tenants benefit from keeping a clear paper trail: the date the notice was sent, the method used, and a copy of the notice itself. Ejari's own registration record can also serve as evidence of the tenancy terms in place at a given point in time. If you are a tenant who has not received formal written notice, but a landlord verbally states an increase is coming, that verbal statement does not satisfy the legal notice requirement; ask for it in writing and keep track of when it arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 90-day notice apply to every renewal, even if the rent is not changing? The clearest legal requirement is around changes to the existing terms, including rent increases; where no change is proposed, the practical need for a formal 90-day notice is less pressing, but landlords and tenants should still communicate renewal intentions with reasonable notice as good practice.

Can a tenant refuse to renew instead of accepting an increase? Yes, a tenant is not obliged to renew a tenancy on terms they do not accept; if the tenant chooses not to renew, the tenancy ends at the natural expiry of the contract, subject to whatever notice period the original contract itself requires from the tenant's side.

Does the increase cap apply to commercial tenancies as well as residential? Commercial tenancies fall under the same broad landlord-tenant law framework in Dubai, though the practical dynamics, and the RERA rental index data available for a given commercial category, can differ from residential; confirm how the mechanism applies to a specific commercial case with RERA or a qualified advisor.

What if the landlord and tenant simply agree an increase outside the RERA cap? The law sets a ceiling on what can be enforced, not a floor on what parties might informally agree; if a tenant genuinely consents to a higher figure, that is a different situation to a disputed, unilaterally imposed increase, though a tenant should understand their rights under the cap before agreeing to anything above it.

The bottom line

Rent increases in Dubai are governed by a specific legal framework, not landlord discretion: Law No. 33 of 2008 sets the relationship and notice requirements, and Decree No. 43 of 2013 caps how much an increase can be. A tenant facing an increase should check the notice was correct and timely, then check the percentage against the RERA index before accepting it or disputing it through the Rental Dispute Centre. For the actual percentage bands and how to calculate what applies to your rent, see our RERA rent increase rules guide.

Law references and the notice period are stated as we understand the current framework. Laws and decrees are amended over time; confirm current wording with RERA or a qualified advisor before relying on it for a dispute.