What the RERA Rental Index Is — and Why It Has Legal Force
The RERA Rental Index is a publicly maintained database published by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency that records the registered rental benchmark for every residential property category in every Dubai community — by number of bedrooms, property type (apartment, villa, townhouse), and geographic zone. It is not advisory. It is legally binding. Under Law No. 33 of 2008, and its amendment Law No. 43 of 2013, no Dubai landlord can increase rent beyond what the Index permits regardless of what the tenancy contract states. A clause in your lease allowing a 10% annual automatic increase is unenforceable if the Index does not permit an increase for your property category. The Index overrides the contract — every time.
The Legal Increase Formula: Exactly How It Is Calculated
The permitted rent increase is determined by comparing your current rent against the RERA Index value for your specific property category. The formula works as follows, verified against Decree No. 43 of 2013:
| Your Rent vs Index Value | Maximum Permitted Increase |
|---|---|
| Within 10% of Index (e.g. you pay AED 90K, Index is AED 95K) | 0% — no increase permitted |
| 11–25% below Index (e.g. you pay AED 76K, Index is AED 95K) | Maximum 5% |
| 26–35% below Index (e.g. you pay AED 63K, Index is AED 95K) | Maximum 10% |
| 36–40% below Index (e.g. you pay AED 57K, Index is AED 95K) | Maximum 15% |
| More than 40% below Index (e.g. AED 54K or less vs AED 95K) | Maximum 20% |
How to Check the Index Right Now — Step by Step
The RERA Rental Calculator is available free at rera.gov.ae and also through the Dubai REST app (available on iOS and Android). To find your benchmark: open the calculator, select your emirate (Dubai), select your zone or community name from the dropdown list, select your property type (apartment, villa, townhouse), select your bedroom count, and submit. The calculator returns the current RERA-registered annual rent benchmark for your exact property category. Compare this figure against your current annual rent to determine which band of the increase formula applies to your renewal.
0% Max increase if within 10% of Index
90 days Notice landlord must give before any increase
AED 500 Rental Dispute Centre filing fee
What to Do If Your Landlord Is Demanding Above the Legal Cap
If your landlord’s renewal notice demands an increase that exceeds the RERA-permitted amount, take these steps in order. First: respond in writing — email or WhatsApp — acknowledging receipt of the renewal notice and stating clearly that you are challenging the proposed increase as exceeding the RERA Rental Index cap. Keep a copy. Second: calculate the exact permitted increase using the formula above and counter-propose the legally correct renewal rent in writing. Third: if the landlord insists on the illegal increase, file a case with the Dubai Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC) — located at the Dubai Courts complex — with a AED 500 filing fee. The RDSC issues a legally binding judgment, typically within 30–60 days, which forces the landlord to accept the Index-compliant rent. The landlord cannot evict you for challenging an illegal increase while a case is pending.
Real Example: A JVC Two-Bedroom Renewal in Q2 2026
A tenant in a JVC two-bedroom apartment currently paying AED 78,000 annually receives a renewal notice demanding AED 97,500 — a 25% increase. Checking the RERA Rental Calculator for a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Village Circle returns an Index benchmark of AED 92,000. The tenant’s current rent of AED 78,000 is 15.2% below the Index — placing them in the “11–25% below” band. The maximum legal increase is therefore 5%, bringing the permitted renewal rent to AED 81,900. The landlord’s demand of AED 97,500 exceeds the legal cap by AED 15,600. The tenant has full legal recourse to refuse and if necessary file with the RDSC — and will win.