RERA Rent Index

RERA Rental Index Calculator: Is Your Dubai Rent Increase Legal?

The RERA rental index is the Dubai Land Department's record of average rents by area, property type and room count. It is also the tool that decides the maximum rent increase a landlord can apply at renewal. If a notice lands in your inbox with a number on it, the index is how you check whether that number is allowed.

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Quick answer: No increase is legal if your rent sits within 10 percent of the area average. Beyond that, the cap rises in steps of 5 percent for every 10 percent your rent falls below the average, up to a maximum of 20 percent. Check your exact figure on the Dubai Land Department's rental index calculator before agreeing to any new rent.

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The Legal Bands

RERA Rent Increase Percentages

Under Decree No. 43 of 2013, the maximum legal increase depends entirely on how far your current rent sits below the index average for your area, property type and room count. Here is the full table.

Your Rent vs Area AverageMaximum Legal Increase
Up to 10 percent below average0 percent, no increase allowed
11 to 20 percent below average5 percent
21 to 30 percent below average10 percent
31 to 40 percent below average15 percent
More than 40 percent below average20 percent

If your rent is already at or above the average, the landlord has no legal basis for any increase at all, regardless of how the renewal notice is worded.

What the Index Covers

What the Rent Index Measures

The index is not one single number for all of Dubai. It is broken down into narrow categories, which is exactly why two tenants in the same building can see different legal increases.

Area and Community

Averages are set per designated area, so a rent that looks high in one community can sit well below average in a neighboring one with higher demand.

Property Type

Apartments, villas and townhouses are tracked separately, since construction standards, amenities and typical household size all shift the average.

Room Count

A studio, a one bedroom and a three bedroom unit in the same tower each have their own average, rather than being lumped into one building wide figure.

Step by Step

How to Use the RERA Rental Index Calculator

The calculator itself takes a few minutes once you have the right details ready. It is available through the Dubai Land Department's website, the Dubai REST app and DubaiNow.

Have Your Contract Details ReadyYou will need your tenancy contract expiry date, the property type, its exact location and the number of rooms.
Enter Your Current Annual RentThis is the figure the calculator compares against the average for units matching your details.
Read the Result CarefullyThe calculator returns the area average and the maximum legal increase in one step, so there is no separate lookup for the percentage band.
Save a Copy of the ResultA screenshot or printout of the calculation is useful evidence if the figure ever needs to be raised with your landlord or the Rental Disputes Centre.
Checking the RERA rental index calculator before a Dubai tenancy renewal
Try It Yourself

Quick Rent Increase Estimator

Enter your current annual rent and the area average for a matching unit to see which legal band applies. This mirrors the official percentage bands, but always confirm the exact figures on the Dubai Land Department's calculator before relying on them.

Worked Example

Reading the Numbers in Practice

Say a tenant currently pays AED 70,000 a year for a one bedroom apartment, and the calculator returns an area average of AED 90,000 for a matching unit. The current rent is about 22 percent below average, which places it in the 21 to 30 percent band. The landlord can legally apply a 10 percent increase, bringing the new rent to AED 77,000, not the full jump to AED 90,000 that a landlord might ask for informally.

This is the single most common misunderstanding in rent renewal disputes. The area average is a ceiling for comparison, not a number the landlord can move you to in one step.

If the Numbers Do Not Match

When a Landlord Asks for More Than the Cap

Most disputes come down to one of a few predictable issues. Working through these before escalating usually settles the matter faster.

Check the Notice Period

A rent increase notice must be served at least 90 days before the contract expires. A late notice has no legal effect, whatever figure it quotes.

Confirm the Property Category

Double check that the property type, area and room count entered into the calculator match your unit exactly, since a wrong category changes the average completely.

File With the Rental Disputes Centre

If the figures are correct and the increase is still above the legal cap, a case can be filed with Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre, with the calculator result as supporting evidence.

When the Index Points to a Move

If the Increase Makes Moving the Better Option

Sometimes even a legal increase pushes a budget past what makes sense, and relocating to a different community ends up cheaper than staying put. As a licensed moving company in Dubai, we see this pattern every renewal season, particularly among tenants comparing their current area average against nearby communities.

Dubai MarinaA popular comparison point for tenants currently in older waterfront buildings. See our Dubai Marina movers page for what a move there involves.
Downtown DubaiRents vary sharply by tower age and view here. Our Downtown Dubai movers page covers building access rules worth knowing before you commit.
Dubai Silicon OasisOften a lower average than central areas for a similar unit size. Details are on our Silicon Oasis movers page.

Whichever area the numbers point to, our home moving services cover the packing, transport and setup end to end, so the decision comes down to the rent, not the logistics of getting there.

Comparing Dubai neighborhoods after a rent increase
FAQ

RERA Rental Index: Common Questions

It is the Dubai Land Department's official record of average rents by area, property type and room count, used to work out the maximum legal rent increase when a tenancy contract renews.
Visit the Dubai Land Department's rental index service and enter your contract expiry date, property type, location, number of rooms and current annual rent. The calculator returns the area average and the maximum legal increase.
Under Decree No. 43 of 2013, no increase is allowed if your rent is up to 10 percent below the average. It rises to 5 percent for 11 to 20 percent below average, 10 percent for 21 to 30 percent, 15 percent for 31 to 40 percent, and 20 percent for more than 40 percent below average.
No. If your current rent is at or above the average rental value for your area, property type and size, the landlord cannot apply any increase at renewal.
At least 90 days' written notice before the tenancy contract expires, usually sent by registered mail or notarized notice, not a verbal request or a casual message.
Check the figure against the official calculator first, since many disputes come down to a mismatched property category. If the increase is still above the legal cap once the category is confirmed, you can file a case with Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre.
Rent Going Up, Thinking of Moving?

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If the index points toward a cheaper area, we will quote your move and handle the packing, transport and setup.

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RERA Rental Index Calculator: The Short Version

The RERA rental index sets the maximum legal rent increase for a Dubai tenancy renewal, based on how far the current rent sits below the average for that area, property type and room count. The official calculator, run through the Dubai Land Department's rental index service, the Dubai REST app or DubaiNow, gives both the area average and the exact increase band in one step. No increase applies within 10 percent of the average, and the cap rises in steps of 5 percent up to a maximum of 20 percent for rents more than 40 percent below average.

If checking your number shows the increase is fair, a renewal is often the simplest path. If it points you toward a different community instead, get in touch with E-Home Movers UAE for a quote on the move.