Dubai rent increase 2026: Decree 43 bands and Smart Index
Dubai rent increases at renewal are capped at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% under Decree 43, based on how far the current rent is below the official DLD benchmark.
The Smart Rental Index must show the property is eligible, and a term-change notice normally must be given at least 90 days before expiry unless the parties agree otherwise. This page is an explainer, not the official calculator. Reviewed 3 October 2026.
Check the official DLD / RERA index
This page explains the Decree 43 bands and the 90-day notice. It is not a live index. The legal average for your unit is on the Dubai Land Department rental index. Open it, enter your own unit, and keep a screenshot before you agree a renewal figure.
Official DLD rental index ↗ · 90-day notice date checker · Band planner (you type the average)
This page explains how to read the official benchmark and Decree 43 together. It is not a second calculator: check the DLD result for the property, then use the Dubai Rental Index Increase Planner only to reproduce the band arithmetic.
Dubai rent increase bands under Decree 43
The percentage compares the current annual rent with the official average comparable rent. The permitted percentage is a maximum at renewal, not an automatic increase.
- Up to 10% below
Maximum increase: 0% - 11% to 20% below
Maximum increase: 5% - 21% to 30% below
Maximum increase: 10% - 31% to 40% below
Maximum increase: 15% - More than 40% below
Maximum increase: 20%
Band formula: (official average comparable rent − current rent) ÷ official average comparable rent × 100. Apply the resulting band to the current annual rent, not to the official average.
Worked example: AED 80,000 versus AED 100,000
If the current annual rent is AED 80,000 and the official average comparable rent is AED 100,000, the gap is 20%. That sits in the 11%–20% band, so the maximum increase is 5% of AED 80,000: AED 4,000. The resulting annual rent ceiling is AED 84,000, subject to the official index result, notice timing, contract terms and any decision by the competent authority.
What the Smart Rental Index changes
DLD launched the Smart Rental Index in January 2025 to improve the official benchmark using building classification and other market factors. DLD says it will update the index regularly to reflect rental-market dynamics. This changes how the official comparable-rent result is produced; it does not turn an area listing average or this page into the official result. Use the exact property details requested by the DLD service and keep the result you relied on.
The 90-day notice
Article 14 requires a party seeking to change a tenancy term to notify the other party at least 90 days before expiry unless both sides agree otherwise. DLD also states that notice alone is not enough: the increase is applied only when the Smart Rental Index confirms eligibility. Use the Dubai rent notice date checker for the calendar step, then verify the property in the official index.
Why the planner number can differ from RERA
The official DLD service asks for the tenancy expiry date, property type, area, number of rooms and current annual rent, then returns the relevant market average and increase result. Our planner does not query that system; it applies the published bands to numbers you type. If your benchmark differs from the Smart Rental Index result, your estimate will differ too. Treat the planner as an arithmetic check and the current DLD result as the authoritative benchmark.
What this page does not do
We do not publish current index values or area averages as live official numbers, and we do not decide disputes. Rent disputes in Dubai are handled by the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre. This is an estimate for planning; confirm against the official source below before you agree to any renewal figure.
Official Sources & Legal References
Official source used for this page
Rules can change, so open the official source and check the page review date before you act. Estimate only.
Dubai Land Department — Rental Index service; Decree No. (43) of 2013; DLD Smart Rental Index announcement; and DLD notice-and-eligibility explanation. Source conflict noted: the DLD Smart Rental Index announcement labels the decree as No. (34) of 2013, while the exact Dubai Legislation Portal record is Decree No. (43) of 2013. The band calculation follows the exact decree; the announcement is used for Smart Index context. Sources reviewed 3 October 2026.
Common questions
Short answers for using this page responsibly.
Is this the official RERA calculator?
No. Open the DLD rental index for the legal average. This page explains the Decree 43 bands.
What are the increase bands?
Up to 10% below the official average means 0%; 11%–20% means up to 5%; 21%–30% means up to 10%; 31%–40% means up to 15%; and more than 40% means up to 20%.
What is the 90-day rule?
A tenancy-term change, including rent, normally needs notice at least 90 days before expiry unless both sides agree otherwise. The official Smart Rental Index must also confirm that the property is eligible for an increase.
Did the Smart Rental Index replace Decree 43?
No. The Smart Rental Index provides the current official benchmark and eligibility result. Decree 43 supplies the 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% maximum-increase bands.