A Dubai tenancy renewal is rarely just a question about rent

In this note

In June, a landlord asked me whether his rent was keeping up with the market. He had already told me that his tenant had agreed to renew without an increase, with monthly payments. A day after the market comparison, he asked whether he could send a rent increase after all.

That sequence captures something I see in renewal conversations: the expiry date is only one part of the story. There is also the notice deadline, the rent the rules allow, and whatever the landlord and tenant have already agreed between themselves.

My advice was to keep the agreed rent for that renewal. The market report gave useful context, but the notice deadline had already passed. A higher number on a property portal was not going to put another two months on the calendar.

Luckily, I have more to work with than listings

I can compare completed Dubai Land Department rental transactions with active asking prices, down to the building where the data supports it. That is useful when a landlord wants to know whether a rent is sensible. An asking price is an opening line; I like to see what people actually agreed to pay.

For this landlord, the June report put the existing rent roughly 3% below the building's transaction-based benchmark, comfortably inside its estimated range. For a typical two-bedroom apartment, the report considered it broadly fair, particularly if keeping the tenant and avoiding vacancy were priorities.

There was a catch worth keeping in the answer: I did not yet have the apartment's confirmed bedroom count and size. The two-bedroom comparison looked plausible, but the answer would have been very different for a one-bedroom. I told him that the exact unit details mattered. Access to market data is useful; pretending every apartment in a building is interchangeable is less useful.

The report was prepared on 20 June 2026. The building sample was limited, and its latest benchmark transaction was from April. I would refresh the comparison before advising on a new decision.

The agreement already on the table matters

An existing conversation with a tenant deserves as much attention as the date on the contract. If you have discussed keeping the rent unchanged, moving to monthly payments or changing another term, the wording and status of that agreement matter.

In this case, I reminded the landlord of the no-increase agreement he had described. There was only about a month left before expiry. He could still ask the tenant to consider a different rent, but on the facts available he could not expect to impose a late increase if the tenant refused.

Keep the complete conversation. There is a meaningful difference between an opening suggestion, a condition still being negotiated and an agreement the parties have reached.

For renewal, amended Article 13 allows the parties to review rent and other terms. Article 14 says that a party wishing to amend terms must normally give at least 90 days’ notice before expiry, unless the parties have agreed otherwise.1

That is why I favour opening the renewal conversation around four months before expiry. It leaves room to think and discuss. Four months is my practical recommendation; the applicable legal deadline comes from the law and the agreed terms.

A higher asking rent nearby does not settle the question

It is understandable to notice what neighbouring properties are advertised for. But a listing price cannot establish the permitted increase for an existing tenancy.

Decree No. 43 of 2013 ties the maximum increase to the existing rent’s relationship with the average rental value in the RERA-approved index.2

The Dubai Land Department Rental Index is the place to check the property and contract details. Use its result for the calculation, including boundary cases, rather than rounding a percentage yourself to fit a bracket. My market comparison answers a commercial question; the official index answers the permitted-increase question.

I can arrange that official lookup when I have the required contract details. In this conversation I did not have the Ejari or DEWA premise number needed for my lookup, so I did not claim to have a calculator result. The missed notice deadline was already enough to shape my advice.

For illustration, AED 60,000 is 25% below an indexed average of AED 80,000. That corresponds to a maximum 10% increase on the existing rent: AED 6,000, bringing it to AED 66,000. These are illustrative figures. The notice requirements and any agreement already reached still matter.

Silence is where renewal conversations get uncomfortable

Another landlord asked me what happens when a tenant does not respond to a renewal notice. That question quickly became more specific: what if the tenant announces their departure shortly before the lease expires?

I understand why a landlord wants certainty. A vacant period, a new listing and a handover all need planning. But an unanswered proposal does not establish that the tenant accepted every requested change.

Article 6 addresses continued occupation: if the lease expires and the tenant remains without objection from the landlord, it renews on the same terms for the same duration or one year, whichever is shorter. The RDC confirms that rule in its FAQ.3, 4

A tenant’s departure notice needs its own assessment against the contract and the circumstances. Amended Article 14’s rule about changing terms should not be turned into an automatic penalty for every late departure notice.

Keep the different notices distinct

There is one distinction I want every landlord reading this to carry into their next renewal: changing rent, a tenant leaving and a landlord seeking eviction have different legal questions attached to them.

Article 25 contains the eviction grounds and notice requirements. For the specified expiry-related grounds, including sale or qualifying personal use, it requires at least 12 months’ notice of the reasons through a notary public or registered mail.1

WhatsApp and email exchanges can be evidence under the RDC’s guidance, but that does not make every message a substitute for a notice with specific statutory service requirements.3

The June conversation also included a question about when to arrange the renewed Ejari. It was a useful reminder that agreeing terms and completing the paperwork are separate milestones. Amended Article 4 requires tenancy contracts and amendments to be registered with RERA.1

I advised this landlord to proceed with the agreed rent, get the renewal paperwork moving and plan any future change before the next notice deadline. That was the useful answer to his situation: a market comparison, a calendar check and a decision he could act on.

Have a question about your Dubai rental? Talk to me on WhatsApp.

Based on real landlord conversations, with questions paraphrased and identifying details omitted. General information for Dubai tenancies governed by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended; individual contracts and disputes may require legal advice. Sources checked 6–7 September 2026. Arabic prevails if the official English legislation translation conflicts.

Sources

1. Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008, replacing Articles 4, 13, 14 and 25 of Law No. 26 of 2007.
2. Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013, Articles 1–3.
3. RDC frequently asked questions: amending lease terms, automatic renewal and WhatsApp communication.
4. Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, Article 6.
5. Dubai Land Department Rental Index.