Q: My landlord sent me an email to renew the current office contract with a 19% rent increase. Our office is in Business Bay and he mentioned in the email that the price is still reasonable knowing that the offices in the same building with the same area size are more expensive. My question: Is that legal to increase the rent by more than 10%?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Would you clarify whether the Rent Valuation Certificate supersedes RERA's Index for the rent renewal contract process? My tenancy contract is dated 05.10.2023 for renewal. I agreed to increase the rent according to RERA's Index and sent him the RERA index calculation certificate, which shows a 5% increase. However, he replied that, according to Law 43 of the year 2013, the rental index is not the sole reference for the benchmark rent that you have shared. According to the law, he can request a rent evaluation certificate for this apartment, which is currently 20% higher than my rent. Therefore, the rent will now have to be according to the Rent Valuation Certificate. I proposed to him to increase the rent by 7.5% instead of the 5% calculated by the RERA calculator. However, he insists on a 20% increase.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I sent my tenant in Dubai a rent increase notice before the 90-day period required by RERA. The RERA rent calculator does not allow any rent increase in this case, but I requested a Rental Valuation Certificate from the Dubai Land Department, which showed a rent increase. According to the law, which one will the Rent and Dispute Center follow?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I reside in a Dubai community, and my tenancy renewal is approximately 95 days away. The landlord is proposing a 15% rent increase, primarily based on rents listed on propertyfinder.ae, claiming that my current rent is 25% below market rates. However, the RERA Rental Index indicates "no increase in the rental value" as my rent is at the top of the quoted range, prompting me to reject the proposed increase. The real estate broker he hired at the time of my move-in recently contacted me, serving as an intermediary, mentioning that he would conduct a DLD valuation, likely resulting in a higher value. However, he is attempting to negotiate first, considering the cost of around 2500 AED. If we were to dispute, is the RERA Index Calculator the sole authoritative source for determining rent increases? Additionally, if the DLD valuation is accepted, what is the potential maximum increase?

Q: Dear Madam/Sir, We live in Dubai. My landlord is trying to increase my rent outside the RERA index, based on a DLD valuation, which he still hasn't received (for 2 months). 1. 90 days before the renewal of my lease, the landlord offered me a new lease with a 20% increase in my current rent, with these words: "Please be advised of a rent increase of 20% based on rental evaluation report which is under process and in line with RERA rules and regulation." 2. I contested this offer by communicating the result of the RERA rent index, indicating that the maximum percentage increase is 5%. 3. The landlord insisted, saying that the 20% increase would indeed be effective and that he would communicate the rental evaluation to us shortly. 4. Now, we still don't have the evaluation report, 2 months after his e-mail requesting a 20% rent increase. Can the landlord legally increase our rent without even waiting for the evaluation report and without respecting the RERA rules? Thank you!

Q: Hi, My landlord sent an email mentioning that the rent will be increased for next year; however, the new rent amount was not specified in the email. The email was sent in accordance with the 90-day notice requirement. When I called the landlord's office, I learned the rent amount, which was more than a 15% increase and not in line with RERA regulations. According to RERA, the rent can only be increased by a maximum of 10%. My tenancy contract will expire on February 4, 2025. My questions are: 1. If my landlord is not responding to my emails and calls, how can I renew the contract? 2. When can I renew my contract if it’s expiring on February 4, 2025? 3. How many days or months in advance can I renew it? Kindly advise!

Q: Hello, I am purchasing a commercial office in the UAE. The current rent for the office is 50K per year. The Ejari contract started on 01-06-2019, is valid for 10 years, and will expire on 31-05-2029. According to the RERA rental index, the fair rent is 150K per year. If I buy the property, how can I increase the rent if the tenant disagrees, given that the contract is valid until 31-05-2029?

Q: I am residing in Al Nahda 2 area, and the real estate company is asking me for a 10% rent increase from last year. However, checking RERA, there is no increase in the rates in my area as checked today. Once I told my real estate the same, they said it had to be checked 3 months ago from now. Also, the area they have shown in their RERA is Al Nahda 1, while I reside in Al Nahda 2.

An interview-format article covering the topic of residential retail properties pertaining to the liability for property maintenance and the repercussions of defaulting on rent payments in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

This Decree determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.

The provisions of this Law apply to real property leased out in the Emirate of Dubai, including vacant and agricultural lands, but excluding hotel establishments and real property provided by natural or legal persons as accommodation to their employees at no charge.

Provisions of this Law supersede articles (2), (3), (4), (9), (13), (14), (15), (25), (26), (29), and (36) of Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai.