Use this guide with the Dubai Rental Index Increase Planner. The guide explains the published rent-increase bands and the 90-day amendment-notice context. It does not decide the lawful rent for a particular property, whether a notice was validly served, or the outcome of a tenancy dispute.
Important: The live Dubai Land Department Rental Index and the registered lease remain the starting point for a real renewal. A website estimate cannot replace the official lookup, your contract wording, or a competent authority’s decision.1
What the Dubai Rental Index does
The Dubai Land Department’s Rental Index is an official lookup service used to obtain an average rental value for a comparable unit. The service asks for details such as the contract-end date, property type, a recognised lookup method—such as DEWA premises number, Ejari contract number or area—and the current annual rent. It provides different paths for residential, commercial, industrial, industrial-land and staff-accommodation property categories.1
The index result is important because Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013 bases the maximum renewal increase on how far the current rent is below the average rental value for similar units. The decree describes a ceiling, not an automatic right to increase rent. Whether an increase can be made in a real case can also depend on the lease, the property inputs used in the official lookup, the timing and any applicable law or official interpretation.2
The published rent-increase bands
The following table restates the percentage bands in Decree No. 43 of 2013. The comparison must use the official average rental value applicable to the relevant similar unit.
| Current rent compared with the official average for similar units | Maximum increase stated in the decree |
|---|---|
| Current rent is up to 10% below the average | 0% |
| Current rent is 11% to 20% below the average | 5% |
| Current rent is 21% to 30% below the average | 10% |
| Current rent is 31% to 40% below the average | 15% |
| Current rent is more than 40% below the average | 20% |
These bands are maximum percentages under the decree. They are not a prediction of what a landlord will request, a confirmation that every contract can be amended, or a ruling on the correct property category.2
How to make the comparison correctly
A useful way to think about the comparison is to start with the official average value for the comparable unit, then calculate how far the current rent sits below it.
Illustrative formula:
Percentage below average = (official average rent − current annual rent) ÷ official average rent × 100
For example, if the official average is AED 120,000 and the current annual rent is AED 90,000, the difference is AED 30,000. AED 30,000 divided by AED 120,000 equals 25%. In that hypothetical comparison, the current rent is 25% below the official average, which falls within the decree’s 21%–30% band and therefore points to a maximum 10% increase.2
The percentage should then be applied to the current rent, not the official average. In this illustration, 10% of AED 90,000 is AED 9,000, giving an indicative renewal ceiling of AED 99,000.
| Hypothetical input | Illustrative value |
|---|---|
| Current annual rent | AED 90,000 |
| Official average from a comparable DLD result | AED 120,000 |
| Amount below average | AED 30,000 |
| Percentage below average | 25% |
| Decree band used in this illustration | Maximum 10% |
| Illustrative maximum increase | AED 9,000 |
| Illustrative renewed rent | AED 99,000 |
This is a worked explanation only. It assumes that the official index result is the correct comparable value for the property and that the decree applies to the renewal facts. It does not establish the market rent, validate the source data, decide the contractual position or resolve a dispute.
The 90-day amendment-notice context
Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008, which amended Law No. 26 of 2007, states in Article 14 that—unless the parties agree otherwise—a party wishing to amend lease terms under Article 13 must notify the other party at least 90 days before the lease expires.3 DLD’s Ejari guide also describes a landlord’s rent-increase notice as due 90 days before contract expiry.4
The word “unless otherwise agreed” matters. The 90-day check should not be treated as an unconditional rule for every tenancy question. A real assessment can depend on the contract, whether a term is being amended, the actual lease-expiry date, how notice was sent and received, the property’s circumstances, and any later authority interpretation.
A safe way to use the date checker
Use the Dubai Rent Notice: 90-Day Calendar Check to count calendar days between a proposed notice date and lease expiry. Treat the result as a planning prompt, not proof of legal service or final validity. You should then compare the timing with your registered contract and the applicable DLD/RERA channel.
What to check before you rely on a renewal figure
Before negotiating or responding to a renewal proposal, gather the documents and official inputs that control the comparison.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Registered lease and its expiry date | Confirms the actual renewal period and the agreement’s notice wording. |
| Current annual rent in the lease | This is the starting amount for a percentage-based illustration. |
| Official DLD Rental Index result | The decree uses an approved average value for similar units, not an informal online estimate. |
| Property category and lookup details | A different type, area or contract input can produce a different official comparison. |
| Any written renewal/amendment notice | Helps you check the stated terms and timing against the agreement and Article 14 context. |
| Communications and payment records | May matter if the parties later need to clarify the history of the tenancy. |
Common mistakes to avoid
A frequent mistake is to use an advertised listing or a neighbour’s rent as the “average” instead of the official index result. Another is to calculate a percentage from the current rent when testing the band. The comparison for the band is about how far the current rent is below the official average for similar units.
It is also unsafe to assume that a percentage in the table is automatically payable. The decree provides a maximum band. It does not turn a generic calculator output into a final rent, prove that notice requirements were met, or settle a disagreement between landlord and tenant.2
Related Gulf Expat Tools
If you are moving into a property rather than renewing an existing lease, see the Dubai Ejari Fees & Move-In Checklist and the UAE Rental Move-In Cost Calculator. For a narrow calendar-date check, use the Dubai Rent Notice: 90-Day Calendar Check.
When to obtain case-specific help
Use the official DLD/RERA route or qualified professional advice if the official index result does not match the property facts, the contract includes different notice terms, the parties disagree about a proposed amendment, or a dispute/eviction issue is involved. The Arabic text of the legislation prevails where an official translation conflicts with it.2