Yes. However, two conditions need to be met to increase apartment rent in Dubai.

The first is that he should give you 90 days’ notice as per Dubai Tenancy Law (Law 26 of 2007). If this notice window is missed, then no increase can be made.

If the 90-day notice is respected, then the second condition is that the rent increase should be within the permissible amount as indicated by the RERA rent calculator. Only if this is adhered to, can the landlord notify you of it, in writing

There’s also a maximum percentage of rent increase that should be considered, as per a new decree issued on December 18, 2013.

  1. If the existing rent is less than 10% below the market rental rate, no increase is permitted.
  2. Between 11% and 20% below the market rental rate, an increase of up to 5% is permitted.
  3. Between 21% and 30% below the average market rental rate, a hike of up to 10% is permitted.
  4. Between 31% and 40% below the market rental rate, an increase of up to 15% is permitted.
  5. If the current rent is more than 40% below the market rental rate, a hike of up to 20% is permitted.

If you disagree with your landlord on the rent increase, then the dispute should be referred to the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre established under Decree No. 26 of 2013. The filing fee for a claim is 3.5% of the rental and cannot be less than AED 500 or more than AED 20,000.

Here’s more info on filing a case with the Rent Committee.

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