For landlords
Two rules decide most of what a landlord can and cannot do in Dubai: how much the rent may rise at renewal, and how much notice you owe before anything changes. Get either wrong and the contract renews on the tenant's terms. Below is what the law actually says — then we can take the whole tenancy off your hands.
The rent cap
Decree No. 43 of 2013 sets the maximum increase at renewal, measured against the average rent for similar units in the RERA Rent Index. The further below the market your current rent sits, the more you may add — and if you are within 10% of the average, you may not raise it at all. The cap applies in the free zones and the DIFC as well.
| Where your rent sits | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below the market average | No increase |
| 11% to 20% below | 5% |
| 21% to 30% below | 10% |
| 31% to 40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
Decree No. (43) of 2013, Article 1, published by the Supreme Legislation Committee of Dubai. The market average comes from the DLD Rental Index, which returns your permitted increase immediately in the Dubai REST and DubaiNow apps.
The two deadlines
90 days
Article 14 requires notice at least ninety days before the contract expires, unless the parties agreed otherwise in writing. Miss it and the contract renews on the existing terms.
12 months
Article 25(2) allows eviction at expiry on four grounds only: demolition or reconstruction, major works impossible with the tenant in place, the owner or a first-degree relative moving in, or the owner selling the property. Notice must be served through a notary public or by registered mail at least twelve months before the eviction date.
Law No. (26) of 2007 as amended by Law No. (33) of 2008, Articles 14 and 25. Notice must be served through a notary public or by registered mail.
What we handle
Photography, the Trakheesi-permitted listing across the portals, viewings handled for you, and applicants checked before you commit to a year with them. You approve the tenant; we handle everything up to the cheque.
The Unified Tenancy Contract and its Ejari registration, which the law requires for every lease. Registration through Dubai REST costs AED 177.75 in government and partner fees, or AED 220 at a trustee centre.
Rent collection and cheque handling, maintenance coordination, DEWA and service-charge administration, and the renewal negotiation — including whether a rent increase is lawful this year and by how much.
Short-term letting in Dubai needs a holiday-home permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism, with its own registration, tourism fees and standards. We advise when the higher gross yield actually survives the added cost, and run the unit when it does.
Serving notices correctly and on time, handling non-payment, and representing you at the Rental Dispute Centre when it gets that far. Most disputes are lost on a notice served late or by the wrong method, not on the merits.
When holding stops making sense, the same team lists the unit. A sale is one of the four lawful grounds to end a tenancy at expiry — but it needs that twelve-month notice, so the decision to sell is best made a year before you want the money.
Questions landlords ask
Decree No. 43 of 2013 caps it against the RERA Rent Index. If your rent is within 10% of the market average for similar units you cannot raise it at all; from 11 to 20% below you may add 5%, from 21 to 30% below 10%, from 31 to 40% below 15%, and more than 40% below 20%. The cap applies in the free zones and the DIFC too.
A rent assessment against the RERA index, what a lawful increase looks like at your next renewal, and what management would involve. No obligation.
Request a Rent AssessmentThinking of selling instead? See what selling involves — note that ending a tenancy to sell needs twelve months' notice.