RERA rental index calculator UAE 2026: how to use it and what it means
If you rent in Dubai, the RERA rental index calculator tells you exactly how much your landlord can legally raise your rent at renewal. The rules — set out in Decree 43 of 2013 — are surprisingly mechanical: depending on how far your current rent sits below the index average for your community, the legal maximum increase ranges from 0% to 20%. No interpretation, no negotiation if both parties stick to the rules.
For renters considering whether to buy, the rental index is also the single most important input most people skip. Modelling rent vs buy using today's rent assumes today's rent will continue. If your unit is priced 25% below the index average, your landlord can raise it 10% at next renewal, then potentially again the year after. The financial gap between continuing to rent and committing to a mortgage at today's 3.69% EIBOR environment shrinks fast once you factor real rental escalation in.
This guide walks through what the rental index is, exactly how the legal rent increase rules work, how to use the calculator on dubailand.gov.ae and the Dubai REST app, what to do if your landlord ignores the limit, and how the index changes the buy decision. Written for both tenants protecting themselves and renters running the buy-vs-rent maths.
What the RERA rental index actually is
The RERA rental index is a regularly updated database of average market rents for Dubai properties, broken down by community, property type, bedroom count and built-up area. It's maintained by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency — a regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department — and powered by the actual transaction data flowing through Ejari registrations and DLD records.
The index has two practical functions:
- Setting legal rent increases. Decree 43 of 2013 sets a sliding scale based on how far an existing tenancy's rent is below the index average. The index is the reference point.
- Market intelligence. Anyone — tenants, landlords, buyers, agents, mortgage brokers — can use the calculator to see the average rent range for any community as a sanity check on what they're paying or quoting.
The Decree 43 rent increase rules — the exact percentages
This is the mechanical part. The legal maximum rent increase a Dubai landlord can impose at contract renewal is determined entirely by where the current rent sits relative to the RERA rental index average for the unit:
| Current rent vs RERA average | Maximum legal increase |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below average | 0% — no increase permitted |
| 11% to 20% below average | 5% increase |
| 21% to 30% below average | 10% increase |
| 31% to 40% below average | 15% increase |
| More than 40% below average | 20% increase |
| At or above the average | 0% — no increase permitted |
Two further procedural rules:
- 90 days written notice. The landlord must serve written notice of any rent increase at least 90 days before contract renewal. No notice = no legal increase.
- One increase per renewal cycle. Even if the gap to the index average widens during the year, the landlord can only adjust at renewal — they can't raise mid-tenancy.
Worked example. Your current rent is AED 80,000 and the RERA index average for your unit is AED 110,000. Your rent is 27% below the average. Your landlord can legally increase rent by up to 10% at renewal — taking you to AED 88,000. They cannot move you straight to the AED 110,000 average in one jump, even with notice.
How to use the RERA rental index calculator
The official calculator is free and accessible two ways:
- Web: dubailand.gov.ae → Services → Rental Index Calculator
- Mobile: Dubai REST app (iOS / Android) → Real Estate Services → Rental Index Calculator
The inputs you'll need:
- Property type: Apartment, villa, townhouse, hotel apartment.
- Community: The DLD-defined community name (e.g. Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay, Mirdif). The dropdown is alphabetical and follows official DLD naming.
- Number of bedrooms: Studio through 6+ bedrooms.
- Built-up area: In square feet. This is the unit's BUA, not plot area. Look on your tenancy contract or title deed.
The output is a low-high range of the index-indicated annual rent for your unit. The midpoint is what's used as the "average" for the legal increase calculation. Take a screenshot — it's evidence if you ever need to challenge a landlord.
What to do if your landlord exceeds the legal RERA limit
This happens often, particularly in rising markets. The protection mechanism:
- Refuse the illegal increase in writing. Email or WhatsApp the landlord stating the legal limit (per the RERA index) and that you're prepared to renew at the legally permitted figure.
- Continue paying the original rent on time via bank transfer (so there's a record). Do not pay the higher amount under protest — paying it can later be argued as acceptance.
- If the landlord serves an eviction notice or refuses to renew, file a complaint at the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC). You'll need: registered Ejari (see our Ejari guide), tenancy contract, communications with landlord, screenshot of the RERA index calculator output for your unit, payment records.
- RDC hearings are typically scheduled within 2 to 4 weeks. The RDC enforces Decree 43 and consistently rules in favour of tenants where the landlord has exceeded the legal limit.
Critical point: the eviction grounds permitted under UAE rental law (sale of property to non-rental buyer, owner moving in, major demolition or rebuild, certain breach scenarios) require a 12-month notarised eviction notice. Refusing an above-limit rent increase is not legal grounds for eviction. Don't be intimidated.
The rental index and the rent vs buy decision
This is where the rental index becomes essential reading for anyone deciding whether to keep renting or buy with a mortgage.
Most rent vs buy comparisons take today's rent, project it forward at a flat 3-5% inflation assumption, and compare the cumulative rental cost against mortgage payments + property maintenance + opportunity cost of the deposit. The flaw: that flat assumption ignores the structural reality of Dubai rentals. If your current rent is well below the RERA index average — common for tenants who've been in the same unit for 3+ years — you're sitting on a renewal cliff. The next 12-24 months could see two cumulative rent increases of 10-20% each before you reach the index average and stabilise.
Practical example. AED 80,000 rent today, RERA index average AED 110,000:
| Year | Rent | Cumulative paid |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (current) | AED 80,000 | AED 80,000 |
| Year 2 (10% increase) | AED 88,000 | AED 168,000 |
| Year 3 (10% increase) | AED 96,800 | AED 264,800 |
| Year 4 (5% increase) | AED 101,640 | AED 366,440 |
| Year 5 (0% — at index) | AED 101,640 | AED 468,080 |
Versus buying that same unit at AED 1.7M (typical for an AED 110k/year rent), 80% LTV, 25-year mortgage at 3.70% (current best conventional rate from our rate data): monthly payment of around AED 6,950, or AED 83,400/year. Add AED 12,000/year service charges, AED 6,000/year insurance, the upfront cost of the AED 340k deposit and AED 130k closing costs (DLD fee, agent, etc.). The 5-year cash outflow on the mortgage path is roughly AED 506,000 — versus AED 468,080 in rent.
Pure cash, the mortgage is slightly more expensive over 5 years. But the mortgage builds equity (around AED 200,000 of principal repaid by Year 5 at this rate) and you own a fully-paid asset at end of term. The rent buys you nothing.
The point isn't that everyone should buy. The point is that the rental index turns the rent column into a moving target. Use the mortgage calculator with realistic rent escalation pulled from the actual RERA index, not flat assumptions. For a fuller treatment of the buy decision, see our UAE mortgage down payment guide covering the full upfront cash stack.
Common questions tenants ask about the rental index
Does the calculator update in real time?
Updates are periodic — typically quarterly — but the underlying database reflects ongoing Ejari and DLD transaction data. Communities with rapidly rising rents may show a temporary lag where the index is below current asking rents. Landlords occasionally cite asking-rent listings as the "real average" — for legal purposes only the official RERA index figure counts.
What if my building isn't a separate community in the dropdown?
The DLD groups some buildings into broader community categories. Use the closest match. If you're in a tower in JLT, select Jumeirah Lake Towers. If unsure, the Dubai REST app sometimes lists specific buildings inside larger communities.
Can I challenge the index figure if it's clearly wrong for my unit?
The RDC can be presented with evidence (recent rents on similar units in the same building, for example) but the index is the starting reference. Challenging it is uncommon and usually loses unless there's a substantive data issue.
Common pitfalls
Wrong built-up area. Tenants often estimate their BUA. The number on your tenancy contract or title deed is what to use. Even small differences shift the calculator output.
Verbal rent increase. A landlord verbally telling you "rent is going up to AED X" doesn't trigger anything legal. The 90-day written notice requirement protects tenants — if you didn't get written notice 90 days before renewal, no increase is legally enforceable at this renewal.
Paying the higher amount and then disputing. Once you've paid one cycle at the higher rent, the legal position weakens — the RDC may treat the payment as acceptance. Refuse first, then dispute.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RERA rental index?
Dubai's official database of average rents by community, used to set legal rent increase limits under Decree 43 of 2013.
How much can my landlord raise rent?
Between 0% and 20% depending on how far below the RERA index average your current rent sits. See the table above.
Where do I access the rental index calculator?
dubailand.gov.ae or the Dubai REST mobile app. Free and instant.
What if my landlord ignores the limit?
Refuse the increase in writing, keep paying original rent, file at the Rental Dispute Centre. RDC enforces Decree 43.
How does the index affect rent vs buy?
It tells you how much your real rent will rise over the next 1-3 years. Tenants paying well below the index average face large compulsory increases at renewal — which closes the gap with mortgage payments faster than flat-rent assumptions suggest.
Does the index apply outside Dubai?
No — RERA is Dubai-specific. Abu Dhabi has a 5% annual cap under DMT. Other emirates have their own frameworks.
The bottom line
The RERA rental index does two things at once: it caps what a Dubai landlord can charge you at renewal, and it tells you what staying-put-and-renting actually costs over the next few years. Most tenants use it for the first purpose and never think about the second. If you're considering a mortgage, run the calculator on your current unit and project your real 3-year rental cost — then compare to the cost of a mortgage on a comparable property using our calculator and the live rate data.
Run the rent vs buy maths properly
RERA-licensed Dubai mortgage brokerage. Free 20-minute call: we'll model the realistic 3-year cost of staying-and-renting against the cost of buying with a mortgage on the property you're considering.