The RERA Rental Index Explained: How Much Can Your Dubai Rent Go Up?

The RERA rental index is the Dubai Land Department's official benchmark of average rents. At renewal, a landlord may raise your rent only if it sits more than 10% below that average. The maximum increase is 5–20%, and the landlord must give at least 90 days' written notice.

That is the whole rule in one sentence. The rest of this guide covers how to apply it: where the numbers come from, what changed when the Smart Rental Index replaced the old area-based calculator in 2025, how to run the check yourself, and what to do if you and your landlord disagree. If you only want the number, our rent increase calculator applies the same bands.

What is the RERA rental index?

RERA (the Real Estate Regulatory Agency) is the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department (DLD), the government body that registers property and tenancies in the emirate. RERA publishes the Rent Index of the Emirate of Dubai, which people usually call the RERA rental index or rental index Dubai. It records the average annual rent for comparable homes, and Decree No. 43 of 2013 uses it as the yardstick for how much a landlord may raise the rent when a tenancy is renewed.

The index does not tell you what a flat is worth on the open market today, and it does not set rents for new lettings. It answers one narrow question: given what you pay now and what similar homes in similar buildings rent for, how much extra can your landlord ask at renewal?

How much can a landlord increase rent in Dubai?

Decree 43 of 2013 sets five bands. The only input is the gap between your current rent and the index average for comparable units. The bigger the gap, the larger the increase allowed, up to a ceiling of 20%. The decree covers all landlords in Dubai, private or public, including those in free zones and special development zones.

Two points catch people out. First, the percentages are the most a landlord can ask for. A landlord can ask for less, and many do, particularly for a tenant who pays on time and looks after the flat. Second, if you already pay at or above the index average, the law allows no increase at all, however strong the market feels.

A worked example

Say you pay AED 60,000 a year for a one-bedroom in Jumeirah Village Circle, and the index shows an average of AED 80,000 for comparable units in your building's classification. The gap is AED 20,000, which is 25% of the average. That falls in the 21–30% band, so the maximum increase is 10%, taking your rent to at most AED 66,000.

Now take a tenant paying AED 90,000 where the average is AED 95,000. The gap is about 5%, inside the first band, so the landlord cannot raise the rent at this renewal.

What changed with the 2025 Smart Rental Index?

On 2 January 2025 the Dubai Land Department launched the Smart Rental Index, replacing the older calculator that grouped properties by area. According to DLD, the new index uses artificial intelligence and a building classification system. It considers each building's structural and technical features, finish quality, location, and service levels such as maintenance, cleanliness and parking. Press coverage at launch described a star rating from one to five for every residential building.

In practice, the index average used for your renewal now reflects your building rather than a broad neighbourhood figure. A well-run tower and a tired one on the same street can produce different averages, and so different permitted increases. The rent-increase bands themselves did not change: the Smart Rental Index feeds the same Decree 43 percentages. Only the average they are measured against is more precise.

• Before 2025: averages were set by area and unit type and updated periodically, so a new and an old building in the same community were often treated alike.
• Since 2025: averages draw on registered contract values in the building, rents in the wider area and the building's classification, and DLD can update them more often.
• Unchanged: the 0/5/10/15/20% bands, the 90-day notice rule and the fact that disputes go to the Rental Disputes Center.

How do I check my rent on the RERA calculator?

The official rental index calculator, often called the RERA calculator or RERA rent calculator, is available on the Dubai Land Department website and in the Dubai REST app, DLD's official app for property and tenancy services. It is free. You will get the most accurate result if your current tenancy is registered on Ejari, because the system can then pull your unit details automatically.

1. Open the rental index service on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app.
2. Enter your tenancy details: area, building, property type, number of bedrooms and your current annual rent. If you have an Ejari number, entering it fills much of this in.
3. Note the average rent the index returns for comparable units in your building's classification.
4. Read the result. The calculator tells you whether an increase is allowed and the maximum percentage.
5. Save a screenshot or PDF with the date visible. If you negotiate or end up at the Rental Disputes Center, the dated result is your evidence.
6. Compare the result with your landlord's notice. If they are asking for more than the index allows, reply in writing and quote the figure.

What is the 90-day notice rule?

Article 14 of Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, says that if either party wants to change the terms of the tenancy at renewal, they must tell the other party at least 90 days before the contract expires. A rent increase is a change of terms, so it falls under this rule. Written notice is the safe standard: an email or letter you can produce later, rather than a phone call.

If your landlord misses the 90-day window, they generally cannot insist on an increase for that renewal, and the tenancy continues on the existing terms. Under Article 6 of Law 26 of 2007, if you stay on after expiry without objection from the landlord, the contract is treated as renewed for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter, on the same terms.

Does the rental index apply to new tenancies?

No. Decree 43 of 2013 caps increases when an existing tenancy is renewed. When a flat is let to a new tenant, the landlord can ask whatever the market will pay. That is why a unit can be re-advertised at a noticeably higher rent after the previous tenant leaves. If you are looking for a new place, browse current apartments for rent in Dubai to judge the market rate, and read our guide to renting in Dubai for what a new lease involves.

The same logic explains why landlords sometimes look for grounds to end a tenancy. The legal grounds for eviction are narrow and need 12 months' notice served through a notary public or by registered mail. Wanting a higher rent from a new tenant is not one of them. Our Rental Dispute Center guide sets out the rules in full.

What if my landlord asks for more than the index allows?

Most disagreements end in a conversation, not a court. Start by sending your landlord or their agent the dated index result and a short, polite note saying what the law allows. Many landlords simply have not checked. If they still insist, you can pay the rent you believe is correct and file a case at the Rental Disputes Center (RDC), the specialist tribunal attached to the Dubai Land Department that decides landlord–tenant cases.

Filing costs 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000, plus small service charges. For a AED 66,000 rent that is about AED 2,310 before extras. That fee is why a written, evidence-based negotiation is usually the better first step. If the case settles amicably before judgment, the RDC refunds half the basic filing fee.

Is the rental index relevant if I am buying to let?

Yes. If you are weighing up property for sale in Dubai as an investment, the index limits how quickly you can raise rent on a sitting tenant. Model your returns on modest renewal growth, not on headline asking rents. Our guide to where to invest in Dubai property covers yields by area, and Dubai service charges explained covers the running costs that come off your gross rent.

Building quality now matters too. Because the Smart Rental Index rates buildings, a well-maintained building with good facilities is likely to support a higher index average over time. That gives landlords in better-run buildings more room at renewal, and gives owners a reason to push their owners' association on maintenance.