Tenant’s Rights: Can A Landlord Increase Your Rent In Dubai

Dubai’s rental market is evolving and most people worldwide are interested in staying in Dubai on rent because renting a house is the most favorable, appropriate, and inexpensive opportunity in the current scenario. If you are going to live in Dubai, it is important to know the legal rights declared by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency. 

There are proper laws, rules, and rights for both landlords and tenants and it is obliged for both parties to follow the law otherwise they have to face legal action.  

Rental amount calculation is also a matter to discuss in the rental contract. The rental amount depends on many factors including the location and size of the property, type and quality of housing, and availability of the property. To know about the exact amount and calculations, the calculator by the Dubai Land Department will be a convenient companion for you to resolve your ambiguities related to rental amount calculation.

In this post, we will discuss tenant’s rights in rental contracts between landlords and tenants. 

Tenants’ Rights In Dubai

Over the past few years, the population in Dubai has been increasing. People from all over the world settle in Dubai and look for houses, apartments, flats, villas, or any other type of property that suits them according to their preferences on rent. Undoubtedly, Dubai as a real estate hub provides multiple opportunities to find their desired home on rent. 

With the increasing number of tenants in Dubai, disputes related to tenants’ and landlords’ relationships also increase. To settle these disputes and regulate the laws, rules, and regulations regarding tenants’ rights, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency with the Dubai Land Department regulates the rental laws in Dubai and this department is the best source of information about property, rental contracts, rental amount, rental laws, tenants’ and landlords’ relationship and their rights, or any other query related to the tenant’s law. 

In rental contracts, the query, “Can a landlord increase your rent” is common enough. In this section, we will discuss the laws in Dubai regarding this general query. What are the terms and conditions to increase the rental amount? How much rent can increase in a specific time duration? are also included in this discussion. 

Can A Landlord Increase Your Rent In Dubai? 

According to the Real Estate Regulatory Agency – RERA, a landlord can increase your rent but there are rules and regulations to follow. As per law, a landlord has to provide 90 days’ notification before any changes in the rental contract, breaking the contract, or increasing the amount. A landlord can increase your rent but he has to inform or notify you 90 days before the completion of the tenure period or renewal of the contract. Tenants must securitize the contract in writing as proof. 

If the landlord does not inform you before 90 days, then as a tenant you have legal rights to refuse an increment in rental amount and new tenure will start on the same previous amount. You can even register a case with the Rent Disputes Settlement Case at the Dubai Land Department if the landlord does not follow the rules and forces you to increase the rental amount without any written notification. 

If the landlord properly follows the rules and notifies the tenants before 90 days then the tenant is legally obliged to sign the renewal agreement, before signing the renewal contract make sure all the conditions in the agreement are legally acceptable.

How Much Rent Landlords Can Increase In Dubai? 

To reduce the arguments between landlords and tenants about rental amount increment and to solve the query of how much rent landlords can increase, the Dubai Land Department released Decree 43 in December 2013. 

According to the Land Department Decree 43, a landlord is obliged to follow these rules:

• 0% rent permitted, if the rental is below 10% of the average rental rate in the market.

• 5% rent permitted, if the rental is below 11% to 20% of the average rental rate in the market.

• 10% rent permitted, if the rent is below 21% to 30% of the average rental rate in the market.

 

• 15% rent permitted, if the rent is below 30% to 40% of the average rental rate in the market.

• 20% rent permitted, if the rent is below 41% of the average rental rate in the market 

RERA Rent Calculator 

To predict the possibility of increasing rent, it is important to be aware of the real estate market conditions in Dubai. Dubai Land Department introduced the rental increase calculator, this calculator is an amazing source for calculating the increasing rental amount. Based on the same properties in the same area, the landlord can increase your rent and it is legally justified, so as a tenant, it is wise to be well aware of the properties and their market values and use the RERA rent calculator for the confirmation of increasing amount. 

Variables That Affect The Amount Of Rent Increase In Dubai

The following are the variables that affect the amount of rent increase in Dubai:

• Property type, whether residential, commercial, industrial, or staff accommodation. 
• Property location, in which area or community the desired property is located, moreover it is freehold property or lease property. 

• Type of property, villa, apartment, penthouse, flat, or townhouse

• Size of the property, number of bedrooms 

• Tenancy contract expiry date 

• Current annual rental amount 

• Real estate market condition in the region 

Source = https://erehomes.ae/

Frequently Asked Questions

As A Tenant What Should I Do If The Landlord Asks To Evacuate The Property Before The Tenancy Contract’s Expiration? 

According to Dubai Tenancy Law, the landlord can ask to evacuate the property before the tenancy contract’s expiration in the following cases: 

• Rent has not been paid for more than 30 days after the tenant was notified.

• The tenant gives the property to a third party without written consent or permission from the landlord.

• The renter uses the property for different illegal activities.

• When a tenant makes unnecessary changes to the property, restoring it to its original state is difficult.

• If urgent maintenance is required on the property.

In all the above cases, the landlord should notify the tenant, 90 days before the contract ends. If the landlord does not inform the tenant before 90 days, the tenant can register a case with Rent Disputes Settlement Case at the Dubai Land Department.

Is The Landlord Allowed To Enter The Property In The Tenant’s Absence?

According to tenants’ rights in Dubai, the landlord is not allowed to enter the property in the tenant’s absence or without his permission.