OnlineCalculatorThe rule in one sentence
Under Decree No. 43 of 2013, the maximum rent increase your landlord may impose at renewal depends entirely on how far below the market average your current rent sits. The further below market you are, the more they may raise it — but never beyond the band you fall into.
| How far your rent is below the market average | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Less than 10% below | No increase permitted |
| 11% – 20% below | 5% |
| 21% – 30% below | 10% |
| 31% – 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
Two details matter enormously and are widely misunderstood.
First, the percentage is applied to your current rent, not to the market benchmark. If you pay AED 60,000 and sit 25% below the index, the RERA rent increase calculator shows your landlord may add 10% of AED 60,000 — that is AED 6,000, bringing you to AED 66,000. Not 10% of the benchmark figure.
Second, 20% is an absolute ceiling. Even if your rent is half the market rate, the maximum lawful increase at renewal is 20%.
The 90-day notice rule
Separately from the caps, Law No. 33 of 2008 requires your landlord to give you written notice of any change to the tenancy terms — including rent — at least 90 days before the contract expires. If they miss that deadline, the contract renews on the existing terms. A rent increase sprung on you two weeks before renewal is not enforceable.
Where the market average comes from
The benchmark is the RERA rental index, maintained by the Dubai Land Department and built from Ejari-registered tenancy contracts. It is broken down by area, property type and bedroom count, and was upgraded to the Smart Rental Index in January 2025. You can check your own figure through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website, or estimate it with the Dubai rental index calculator.
This is why Ejari registration matters beyond compliance: the index is only as accurate as the contracts feeding it, and your registered rent is what a future dispute would be measured against.
If your landlord exceeds the cap
You are not obliged to accept it. File a case with the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, which handles tenancy disputes in Dubai. Bring your tenancy contract, your Ejari certificate, the written notice you received, and the index figure for your unit. Cases are typically heard quickly and the caps are hard legal limits, not negotiating positions.