Are Dubai rents falling in 2026?
Yes, over the past year. Rents are 5.9% lower than a year ago and have been broadly flat over the last three months (+0.7%). On 4 October 2026 a new tenancy cost AED 84 per square foot per year: +0.8% in a month, -5.9% in twelve months, -9.5% from the peak of AED 93 on 28 February 2026. Source: Ux Dubai Rent Index, built from new Ejari contracts registered in Dubai; the last three weeks are provisional.
Answer rewritten every night from the Dubai Land Department registry. Latest data: 4 October 2026. More questions.
Are apartment and villa rents falling?
Apartment rents: AED 86 per square foot per year, down 6.0% in twelve months and 9.9% below the peak of AED 95 on 28 February 2026. Villa rents: AED 69 per square foot per year, down 5.5% in twelve months and 7.8% below the peak of AED 75 on 10 March 2026.
| Series | AED/sq ft/yr | 1 month | 12 months | From peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All residential rents | AED 84 | +0.8% | -5.9% | -9.5% |
| Apartment rents | AED 86 | +1.0% | -6.0% | -9.9% |
| Villa rents | AED 69 | -0.5% | -5.5% | -7.8% |
In which areas are rents falling most?
Over twelve months, new rents fell most in Dubai Marina, Dubai Harbour & JBR, -13.6%; Mohammed Bin Rashid City (Meydan, Sobha Hartland), -13.3%; Dubai Hills Estate, -13.3%; Dubai Creek Harbour, -12.8%; Downtown Dubai, -12.4%. They held up best in Dubai Maritime City, +4.4%; Dubai Investment Park 2, +2.9%; International City, +1.7%.
Are rents falling faster than sale prices?
Over twelve months, new rents fell 5.9% and sale prices rose 1.5%. Rents are 9.5% below their peak of AED 93 on 28 February 2026; sale prices are 3.6% below their peak of AED 1,771 on 12 April 2026.
Why are lease renewals left out?
Renewals are capped by the RERA rental index, so they show what the rules allow, not what the market pays. The rent index uses new Ejari tenancy contracts for a single unit only. Contracts reach the register days or weeks after they start, so the last three weeks of the series are provisional.
Full rent series · Methodology
Related questions
- Are Dubai property prices falling in 2026?
- What is the average price per square foot in Dubai?
- How much have Dubai property prices risen since 2021?
- Is it a good time to buy property in Dubai?
- What is the price per square foot in JVC?
- What is the price per square foot in Dubai Marina?
- What is the price per square foot in Business Bay?
Get the weekly update
Where Dubai sale prices and rents are heading, area by area, straight from the Land Department registry. Free, one email a week.
Confirmation by email (double opt-in). No listings for sale, no commissions, no agents calling. Unsubscribe any time.