Dubai Rent Renewal Due Diligence 2026: Smart Rental Index, Ejari Checks & What Tenants, Landlords, and Investors Must Verify

Arabic (AR)

• Use official RERA/DLD Arabic terminology: الرقم الإيجاري (Ejari), مؤشر الإيجار الذكي (Smart Rental Index), دائرة الأراضي والأملاك (DLD).
• RTL flowcharts and data tables.
• Emphasise tenant rights protections in the Arabic version — this resonates strongly with local readers.
• Reference Arabic-language RERA portal for dispute filing.

Russian (RU)

• Add AED/RUB rent comparisons for typical unit types in popular areas.
• Lead with investor yield-audit workflow — Russian property owners are often landlords.
• Emphasise landlord compliance requirements (Ejari, index bands) since Russian investors may not be familiar with RERA regulations.
• Include RDSC dispute process overview for Russian-speaking landlords.

Chinese (ZH)

• Emphasise investor due-diligence workflow — Chinese buyers are primarily investors.
• Add rental yield sustainability analysis with AED/CNY context.
• Cross-link to Chinese Golden Visa content for investment pathway.
• Highlight Ejari registration as a due-diligence checkpoint when evaluating properties for purchase.

---

content_markdown

Rent renewal season in Dubai is a high-stakes moment for three very different audiences. Tenants need to know if their landlord's increase is legal. Landlords need to verify they are compliant before they collect. And investors need to audit whether the rental income they are counting on is sustainable.

All three workflows run through the same two systems: DLD's Smart Rental Index and RERA's Ejari registration platform. Here is how each audience should use them.

The Smart Rental Index: Your Starting Point

DLD's Smart Rental Index is the official benchmark that determines whether a proposed rent increase is legally permissible. It rates individual buildings on a scale and assigns a rent range for each unit type.

The 2026 changes to the index expanded building-level coverage and updated rating bands to reflect market movement. The key principle remains the same: if your current rent falls within the index range for your building and unit type, your landlord cannot increase it.

Before any renewal conversation, both parties should check the index. It takes under two minutes on the DLD website or the Dubai REST app.

Tenant Due Diligence: Verify Before You Sign

If you are a tenant facing renewal, follow this sequence:

Step 1: Check the Smart Rental Index for your building. Enter your building name or plot number on the DLD portal. Note the index rating and the permissible rent range for your unit type (studio, 1-bed, etc.).

Step 2: Compare your current rent to the index range. If your rent is within the range, no increase is permitted. If it is below the range, use the RERA rental increase calculator to determine the maximum legal increase:

• 0-10% below index: no increase permitted
• 11-20% below: maximum 5% increase
• 21-30% below: maximum 10% increase
• 31-40% below: maximum 15% increase
• More than 40% below: maximum 20% increase

Step 3: Verify your Ejari registration. Confirm your current lease is registered, the registered rent matches what you pay, and the certificate is active. An unregistered lease weakens your position if you need to file a dispute.

Step 4: If the increase exceeds RERA bands, file a dispute. The Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC) will adjudicate based on the index. Filing costs AED 3.5% of the annual rent (minimum AED 500) and typically resolves within 30 days.

For a full breakdown of your protections, see the tenant rights guide for 2026 and the broader landlord-tenant rights under RERA.

Quick check: Ask Sophia to check the Smart Rental Index for your building and compare your renewal offer against the permissible range. It pulls directly from DLD data and flags any increase that exceeds RERA bands.

Landlord Due Diligence: Compliance Before Collection

Landlords have a different set of obligations. The index protects you too — but only if you follow it.

Step 1: Check the index before proposing an increase. Proposing an increase above RERA bands is not just unenforceable — it invites a dispute that will cost you time and filing fees.

Step 2: Ensure Ejari is current for the existing tenancy. If the tenant's lease is not registered in Ejari, you cannot legally enforce any terms, including non-payment. Registration costs approximately AED 195 and takes minutes online.

Step 3: Issue the renewal notice correctly. Under RERA rules, you must give at least 90 days' written notice before lease expiry if you intend to change the rent or terms. Late notice means the existing terms roll over automatically.

Step 4: Document everything. If a dispute arises, the RDSC will look at Ejari records, the index rating, and the notice timeline. Gaps in any of these weaken your position.

Step 5: Verify no unauthorised sub-letting. Check Ejari for any registrations that do not match your direct tenant. Sub-letting without landlord consent is a breach that can justify eviction.

Investor Due Diligence: Auditing Rental Income Sustainability

If you are evaluating a property for purchase, rental income projections are only as reliable as the data behind them. Here is how to audit them properly.

Step 1: Pull the Smart Rental Index for the building. This tells you the maximum legally achievable rent. If the seller or agent quotes a rent above the index range, that figure is not enforceable and should not be used in yield calculations.

Step 2: Cross-reference with actual market rents. The index sets the legal ceiling, but market rents may be lower. Check rental yields by area and compare listing prices to index ranges for the target community.

Step 3: Verify Ejari registration for current tenants. If the property is tenanted, confirm the lease is registered and the registered rent matches the quoted income. Unregistered leases are a red flag — they may indicate informal arrangements that do not survive scrutiny.

Step 4: Calculate net yield, not gross. Deduct service charges (check via RERA's Mollak system), maintenance reserves, and management fees from the index-permissible rent. Many properties that look attractive at gross yield become marginal once these costs are factored in.

Step 5: Model index-driven rent growth, not market-driven. The index caps annual increases. If you are projecting 10% annual rent growth in a building where the index permits 5%, your yield model is wrong. Use the index band as your ceiling assumption.

Common Mistakes That Cost Money

• Tenants accepting increases without checking the index. Many tenants assume the landlord's figure is correct. It often is not. A two-minute index check can save thousands of dirhams per year.
• Landlords skipping the 90-day notice. If you miss the window, the lease renews on existing terms regardless of what the index permits. Set calendar reminders 120 days before expiry.
• Investors using aspirational rents in yield models. If the current tenant pays below index, you can increase at renewal — but only within RERA bands, not to the full index amount in one step.
• Both parties ignoring Ejari. An unregistered lease is legally fragile. If you cannot prove the terms at the RDSC, you cannot enforce them.

The Bottom Line

Rent renewal due diligence in Dubai is not optional — it is the difference between a fair deal and an expensive mistake. The tools are free, the data is public, and the process is straightforward. The only cost is the few minutes it takes to check.

Whether you are a tenant, landlord, or investor, the workflow is the same: check the index, verify Ejari, calculate within RERA bands, and document everything. If any step gives you pause, the RDSC is there to adjudicate — but prevention is always cheaper than dispute.