Dubai’s tenancy rules are precise, published and freely available — and almost everything written about them online contains at least one error. This guide sticks to what the legislation actually says about Dubai rent increases, notice periods and disputes.
The legal framework
Four instruments, and no more:
| Instrument | What it does |
|---|---|
| Law No. 26 of 2007 | The base tenancy law, issued 26 November 2007 |
| Law No. 33 of 2008 | Amends it, superseding eleven articles including 9, 14, 25, 26 |
| Decree No. 43 of 2013 | Sets the rent increase slabs, issued 18 December 2013 |
| Decree No. 26 of 2013 | Establishes the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre |
Worth stating clearly: no new tenancy legislation was issued in 2024, 2025 or 2026. Claims that a recent year brought new rent bands are wrong. What changed is the index the slabs are measured against, not the slabs.
The myth to discard first
You will read that rent cannot be increased in the first two years of a tenancy. That rule was repealed.
The original Article 9 of Law 26/2007 did contain it. Law 33/2008 explicitly superseded Article 9, and the replacement contains no two-year restriction — it deals only with what happens when parties fail to specify rent. The confusion persists partly because the Land Department’s own tenancy guide reprints both the 2007 original and the 2008 amendment side by side.
The rent increase slabs
Decree 43 sets the maximum increase on renewal, determined by how far below the average market rate your current rent sits:
| How far current rent sits below market average | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Less than 10% below | No increase permitted |
| 11% to 20% below | 5% |
| 21% to 30% below | 10% |
| 31% to 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
The average market rate is set by the Rent Index approved by RERA, and the decree applies to all landlords, public and private, including special development areas and free zones — the DIFC expressly included.
In January 2025 the Land Department launched a Smart Rental Index, using a building classification system that scores technical and structural characteristics, finish and maintenance quality, location, and services. The Department noted that registered rental contracts exceeded 900,000 in 2024, an 8% increase. You can check your own property against the index using a DEWA premise number or Ejari contract number.
Notice: 90 days and 12 months
Two separate requirements, routinely confused.
Ninety days to change any lease term. A party wishing to amend the contract must notify the other “no less than ninety (90) days before the date on which the Lease Contract expires.” Rent is a term, so a rent increase requires this notice.
Twelve months to evict at expiry. This is the one people get wrong in the other direction. Where a landlord seeks possession on expiry, they “must notify the Tenant of the eviction reasons at least twelve (12) months before the date of eviction, and the notice must be served through a Notary Public or by registered mail.”
That twelve-month requirement attaches to all four expiry grounds, not only to personal use. And claims that demolition or renovation evictions need 24 months are simply wrong — the law says twelve for every ground.
The only four grounds to evict at expiry
Under Article 25(2), a landlord may seek possession at expiry only where: the owner wishes to demolish and reconstruct or add structures, with the required permits; the property needs restoration or comprehensive maintenance that cannot be done while occupied, verified by a Dubai Municipality technical report; the owner wants it for their own use or that of a first-degree relative, proving they own no suitable alternative property; or the owner wishes to sell.
There is a protection against abuse of the personal-use ground: after such an eviction the landlord may not re-let to a third party for two years in residential cases or three years for non-residential, failing which the former tenant may claim fair compensation.
Separately, Article 25(1) sets nine grounds to evict before expiry, including non-payment after a 30-day notice, unauthorised subletting, illegal or immoral use, and commercial premises left vacant for 30 consecutive or 90 non-consecutive days.
The Rent Disputes Settlement Centre
Established by Decree No. 26 of 2013 and headquartered within the Land Department, the RDC has exclusive jurisdiction over Dubai rent disputes including in free zones — but excluding free zones with their own tribunals, lease finance contracts, and long-term leases under Law No. 7 of 2006.
Tribunals must determine claims within 30 days of referral, extendable once. Judgments in claims under AED 100,000 are final and not subject to appeal, with six exceptions — the first being any eviction judgment. Where appeal is available the window is fifteen days.
Filing fees are published:
| Claim type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Eviction and lease cases | 3.5% of annual rent or lease value — minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000 |
| Monetary claims | 3.5% of the claimed amount — minimum AED 500, maximum AED 15,000 |
To file you need the latest Ejari lease, Emirates ID or trade licence with manager ID, a bank letter showing IBAN, and — for eviction claims — the notarised notice or registered post receipt. All documents must be in Arabic or legally translated into it, which is the step most people underestimate.
Practical advice
Register the lease: Article 4(2) requires all lease contracts and amendments to be registered with RERA, which is the statutory basis for Ejari. Check the index before accepting an increase. Keep the notarised notice if you receive one, because the RDC will ask for it.
Dubai’s approach is worth contrasting with the capital’s, where a 0% rent cap now applies outright and Tawtheeq enforces it. Two emirates, two entirely different instruments. For market context see our reports on Dubai rent movements by area and on buying versus renting.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Primary sources: Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008, the Land Department text of Decree 43 of 2013 (PDF), Decree No. 26 of 2013 establishing the RDC, the RDC fee schedule and the DLD Rental Index.
