The Dubai tenant has more legal protection than most landlords realise, and the gap between what a tenant can demand and what most tenants actually demand is where savvy renters find real value.
A tenant is a person or entity occupying a property under a registered tenancy contract. Under UAE law, tenants have protections that include capped rent increases according to the RERA rent calculator, a 12-month eviction notice served through notary public, the right to a registered Ejari, and recourse to the Rental Dispute Center for any landlord breach of contract. Tenants with a valid Ejari also have rights at renewal time that many do not exercise.
A client of mine renting a Downtown two-bedroom in 2024 was served a 25% rent-increase notice at renewal. The RERA calculator permitted 5%. She pushed back, politely, with the calculator reference. The landlord accepted 5%, saving her AED 36,000 across the next year.
Know your rights before renewal time. The RERA rent calculator is free and public. Any increase above what it permits is negotiable at minimum, illegal at maximum, and the tenant holds the leverage.
Related: Landlord, Tenancy Contract, Ejari, RERA.
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