Dubai property portals show asking rents. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) publishes something better: every tenancy contract registered through Ejari, with the annual rent the tenant and landlord actually signed, the size, the area and whether the lease is new or a renewal. It is open data, but it comes as a search form with no API.
I pulled every rent contract DLD registered from 1 to 31 October 2026: 112,048 rows, which are 95,572 contracts once multi-unit contracts are counted once. Then I grouped them by property type, area, size and new vs renewed. Data read on 9 November 2026.
The short answer
- The median registered flat rent in Dubai was AED 65,000 a year (about USD 17,700). The middle half of 66,525 single-unit flat contracts was AED 47,000-94,000; 10% were below AED 38,000 and 10% above AED 140,000.
- Per square metre, the median flat rents for AED 885 per year, about AED 82 per square foot. The median flat is 78 sqm.
- New leases cost more than renewals, but less than the headline gap suggests. Citywide, new flat leases registered at AED 1,023 per sqm against AED 766 for renewals, +34%. Inside the same area the median gap is +10% (61 of 71 areas with at least 50 of each had new above renewed). The rest of the citywide gap is mix: new leases cluster in Dubai Creek Harbour, Downtown, Business Bay and JVC, renewals in Deira, Al Nahda and International City.
- Half of October's contracts were renewals (51%), 79% residential, 20% commercial. Flats are 70% of all contracts.
- Villas: median AED 177,300 a year (6,406 single-unit villa contracts), from AED 95,000 in Damac Hills 2 to AED 260,000 in Dubai Hills.
- Offices need a caveat. A third of the 11,372 office contracts are Virtual Units (registered desks or ejari-only addresses with a nominal 10-20 sqm). In Business Bay they are 66% of office contracts. Physical offices in Business Bay had a median rent of AED 117,600 (AED 1,584 per sqm) and in JLT AED 130,000 (AED 1,250 per sqm).
- Do not sum the rows. 1,891 contracts cover more than one unit (a whole building, a labour camp) and DLD repeats the contract rent on each of their 17,928 unit rows. Summing rows gives AED 53.8 billion of annual rent for October; counting each contract once gives AED 10.9 billion.
Flats by size
DLD fills the rooms field on almost no rent rows (3.9% overall, none of the flats), so size is the usable proxy for bedrooms. Single-unit flats with a size of at least 15 sqm, October 2026, medians:
| Size | Contracts | Median annual rent (AED) | Middle half | Median AED per sqm | New leases | New median | Renewed median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-45 sqm (studios) | 10,777 | 41,000 | 34,000-48,400 | 1,121 | 55% | 44,000 | 37,000 |
| 45-75 sqm (most one-beds) | 19,573 | 57,500 | 45,000-75,000 | 931 | 53% | 63,000 | 51,999 |
| 75-115 sqm (large one-beds, two-beds) | 20,586 | 72,000 | 57,000-98,000 | 787 | 44% | 84,765 | 64,000 |
| 115-170 sqm (two- and three-beds) | 10,797 | 100,000 | 77,000-145,000 | 752 | 39% | 125,000 | 89,000 |
| 170 sqm and more | 3,644 | 140,000 | 84,964-220,000 | 658 | 40% | 180,000 | 115,500 |
Two patterns: small units rent for more per square metre (AED 1,121 for a studio-sized unit against AED 658 for 170 sqm and up), and the share of new leases falls with size. Studios turn over, family flats renew. DLD also has a separate Studio sub-type (843 contracts, median AED 35,000, median 40 sqm); it is not in the Flat figures above.
Flats by area
The 20 areas with the most single-unit flat contracts. DLD uses official area names; the community name is in brackets. "New vs renewed per sqm" compares the median rent per sqm of new leases with renewals in the same area.
| Area (DLD name) | Flat contracts | Median annual rent (AED) | Middle half | Median AED per sqm | Median size | New leases | New vs renewed per sqm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Barsha South Fourth (JVC) | 3,959 | 62,000 | 50,000-78,000 | 979 | 69 sqm | 64% | +10% |
| Al Khairan First (Dubai Creek Harbour) | 3,438 | 110,000 | 91,000-147,000 | 1,328 | 93 sqm | 71% | -8% |
| Business Bay | 3,180 | 88,403 | 69,318-120,000 | 1,198 | 76 sqm | 66% | +19% |
| Burj Khalifa (Downtown Dubai) | 3,054 | 167,000 | 120,000-230,000 | 1,681 | 105 sqm | 64% | -1% |
| Jabal Ali First (Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan) | 2,653 | 60,000 | 44,999-75,762 | 833 | 77 sqm | 39% | +16% |
| Marsa Dubai (Dubai Marina, JBR) | 2,524 | 115,500 | 85,000-160,000 | 1,137 | 103 sqm | 60% | +7% |
| Al Warsan First (International City) | 2,353 | 38,000 | 30,500-44,000 | 627 | 64 sqm | 38% | +9% |
| Nadd Hessa (Silicon Oasis) | 1,756 | 54,000 | 45,000-65,000 | 761 | 74 sqm | 35% | +12% |
| Me'Aisem First (Dubai Production City) | 1,670 | 64,140 | 47,000-76,000 | 990 | 63 sqm | 65% | +7% |
| Al Merkadh (Sobha Hartland, MBR City) | 1,628 | 72,000 | 50,000-95,000 | 1,371 | 50 sqm | 74% | -3% |
| Al Barshaa South Third (Arjan) | 1,608 | 60,000 | 47,000-75,000 | 916 | 70 sqm | 52% | +24% |
| Al Nahda Second | 1,466 | 53,000 | 45,000-60,000 | 590 | 90 sqm | 22% | +12% |
| Al Barsha First | 1,308 | 75,000 | 60,000-90,000 | 853 | 89 sqm | 31% | +9% |
| Al Mararr (Deira) | 1,283 | 40,000 | 35,400-45,000 | 643 | 70 sqm | 78% | -34% |
| Al Nahda First | 1,133 | 58,800 | 49,340-70,000 | 581 | 104 sqm | 28% | +13% |
| Al Murqabat (Deira) | 1,126 | 70,705 | 54,000-95,000 | 760 | 86 sqm | 32% | +5% |
| Al Karama | 1,102 | 64,025 | 52,800-80,000 | 718 | 89 sqm | 25% | +38% |
| Al Hebiah Fourth (Dubai Sports City) | 1,088 | 50,000 | 40,000-65,000 | 815 | 69 sqm | 56% | +14% |
| Al Jadaf | 1,085 | 73,000 | 60,000-90,000 | 940 | 82 sqm | 52% | +18% |
| Al Qusais | 1,075 | 47,297 | 38,000-60,000 | 634 | 75 sqm | 19% | +8% |
What the table shows:
- The new-build districts are where leases are signed. JVC, Dubai Creek Harbour, Business Bay and Downtown each registered over 3,000 flat contracts, 64-71% of them new leases. In the older districts (Al Nahda, Al Qusais, Al Karama, Al Barsha First) only 19-31% of contracts were new; the rest are tenants renewing.
- The spread is six to one. Among areas with at least 100 flat contracts, the cheapest medians were Al Baraha (AED 26,500), Eyal Nasser (34,250), Hor Al Anz (36,000) and Naif (37,000), all in Deira, and International City (38,000). The dearest were Palm Jumeirah (185,000), Al Wasl (183,000), Downtown (167,000), Zaabeel Second (150,000) and Umm Suqeim Third (135,000).
- Where new leases are not dearer. In Dubai Creek Harbour, Downtown, Sobha Hartland and Dubai Hills, new leases registered at or slightly below renewals per sqm (-8% to -1%). These are areas where many renewals are first renewals of recently handed-over units, so the renewal base is already at market. Al Mararr's -34% is a stock effect: its new leases were mostly 70 sqm flats (median AED 45,000) while its renewals were small 30 sqm units (AED 31,000), which rent for more per sqm.
- Where the gap is widest. Trade Centre First (+47%), Jumeirah First (+45%), Al Karama (+38%), Muhaisanah Fourth (+34%) and Warsan Fourth (+30%): older stock where sitting tenants are protected by the RERA rent index and a new tenant pays the current market.
Villas
6,406 single-unit villa contracts, median AED 177,300 a year, middle half AED 130,000-250,000, median size 256 sqm, 47% new leases.
| Area (DLD name) | Villa contracts | Median annual rent (AED) | Middle half | New leases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirdif | 539 | 121,275 | 100,000-143,000 | 29% |
| Madinat Hind 4 (Damac Hills 2) | 491 | 95,000 | 80,000-110,000 | 63% |
| Wadi Al Safa 5 (Arabian Ranches III, Villanova) | 435 | 165,000 | 150,000-205,000 | 61% |
| Wadi Al Safa 7 (Rukan, The Sustainable City) | 270 | 147,047 | 91,062-227,456 | 44% |
| Jabal Ali First (Al Furjan) | 268 | 210,000 | 185,000-260,000 | 66% |
| Al Thanayah Fourth (The Springs) | 259 | 216,000 | 160,000-310,000 | 46% |
| Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (Dubai Hills) | 251 | 260,000 | 190,000-382,500 | 63% |
| Al Yelayiss 2 (Town Square) | 212 | 150,000 | 140,000-160,000 | 35% |
| Madinat Al Mataar (Dubai South) | 194 | 125,000 | 105,000-153,750 | 53% |
| Al Hebiah Fifth (Damac Lagoons) | 183 | 145,000 | 136,188-175,000 | 98% |
Damac Lagoons is a handover story: 98% of its October villa contracts were new leases. Mirdif is the opposite, 71% renewals.
Offices, shops and warehouses
-
Offices: 11,372 single-unit contracts, 70% new leases. 3,796 of them (33%) are
propertyType = Virtual Unit: a registered office address or desk with a nominal size (median 20 sqm, median rent AED 20,000). They sit mostly in Business Bay (1,338), Dubai Investment Park (1,489) and Wadi Al Safa 2 (260). Exclude them before computing office rents per sqm, or every Business Bay office benchmark will be wrong. - Physical offices (7,363 with size and rent): median AED 45,000 a year, median AED 870 per sqm, median size 49 sqm. Business Bay: 675 physical office contracts, median AED 117,600 (middle half 72,000-187,713), AED 1,584 per sqm, median 89 sqm. JLT (Al Thanyah Fifth): 331, median AED 130,000, AED 1,250 per sqm, median 105 sqm. Deira's small offices (Hor Al Anz, Al Khabeesi, Al Muteena, Naif) register at AED 15,000-20,000 for 20-30 sqm, AED 667-714 per sqm.
- Shops: 4,981 single-unit contracts, median AED 81,000 a year, AED 1,908 per sqm (the highest of any type), 30% new.
- Warehouses: 789 contracts, median AED 145,692 a year, AED 457 per sqm, 29% new.
- Labour camps: 1,259 contracts, 763 of them multi-unit (the largest covered 549 units).
What a month of Ejari data looks like
- Volume. 112,048 rows in 31 days: 22 working days with a median of 4,677 rows (3,307 to 5,688), Saturdays 1,508-2,091, Sundays 683-988. 89% of rows carry a Monday-to-Friday date.
- Lease terms. 92% of flat leases run 12 months; 1.8% are under six months and 1.2% over 400 days.
- Registration timing. The median flat contract was registered one day before its start date; 52% were registered before the lease started, 11.5% more than 30 days after, and 6.8% 60 or more days after. A feed keyed on lease start dates will keep receiving October leases into December.
- Duplicates. 439 of the 94,120 single-unit rows were exact duplicates of another row (same registration second, dates, amounts, size, area) and were dropped. Multi-unit contracts legitimately repeat: 17,928 rows (16%) belong to 1,891 contracts.
- Field coverage. Size 100%, area 100%, sub-type 99.7%, usage 99.8%, nearest metro 84%, project 33%, rooms 3.9%, parking 1.9%, master project 0%. Rent per sqm is defined for 84% of rows (single-unit contracts, and multi-unit contracts whose units were all returned).
How the numbers were measured
-
Source: DLD's open-data rent contracts service (the register behind Ejari), read with the Dubai Rent Contracts API Actor on Apify, build 0.1.4, input
fromDate 2026-10-01,toDate 2026-10-31, all areas, all usages, on 9 November 2026. The full month was pulled with the Actor's code; a platform run of the same Actor for 20-26 October (23,389 rows) matched the month pull row for row. -
Contracts, not rows. DLD lists a contract that covers several units once per unit, repeating the contract's amounts. Rows were grouped into contracts on the Actor's key (registration second, start and end date, contract and annual amount, unit count, version, area, freehold), never more rows than the contract's
unitsInContract. -
Per-unit figures (medians by area, size band, per sqm) use single-unit contracts only (
unitsInContract = 1), theFlatsub-type for flats, a positive annual rent, and a size of at least 15 sqm for anything per sqm. Virtual Units are excluded from office rents per sqm. - Medians, with the middle half (25th to 75th percentile), not averages: one AED 21 million labour-camp contract or a whole-floor Downtown lease moves an average by thousands of dirhams.
-
New vs renewed is DLD's own
versionfield. Renewal increases are capped by the RERA rent index, so renewals lag the market by design. - Not measured: furnished vs unfurnished, cheques, bedroom counts (DLD does not publish them for flats), and anything about the parties: the register has no names or contract numbers.
Get Ejari rent contracts as JSON
DLD publishes the register on its open-data pages as a search form; there is no documented REST API or key. The Dubai Rent Contracts API Actor reads that service and returns one row per registered contract unit: ISO dates, numeric AED amounts, sizeSqm, annualRentPerSqmAed, unitsInContract, version, usage, freehold, nearest metro and mall. It needs no login, API key or proxy and costs $1 per 1,000 rows (less on higher Apify plans). The 112,048 rows behind this article cost about $112 at list price, or about $96 with One row per contract on; a week of one area's flats costs under a dollar (Business Bay had 663 flat rows in the week to 9 November).
Business Bay flats, last 7 days, one row per contract:
from apify_client import ApifyClient
import pandas as pd
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("data_daemon/dubai-rent-contracts").call(
run_input={"daysBack": 7, "areas": ["Business Bay"], "propertySubTypes": ["Flat"],
"oneRowPerContract": True, "maxItems": 20}, # 0 = everything in range
timeout_secs=600,
)
df = pd.DataFrame(client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items())
flats = df[df["unitsInContract"] == 1] # per-unit rents only
print(len(df), "contracts,", len(flats), "single-unit")
print(flats.groupby("version")["annualAmountAed"].agg(["size", "median"]))
print("median AED per sqm per year:", flats["annualRentPerSqmAed"].median())
Output of that exact call on 9 November 2026 (the first 20 contracts registered since 2 November; 1,249 Business Bay rows were available):
20 contracts, 20 single-unit
size median
version
New 17 72000.0
Renewed 3 159000.0
median AED per sqm per year: 1434.72
The same thing as one HTTP call, for a daily feed or a spreadsheet:
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/data_daemon~dubai-rent-contracts/run-sync-get-dataset-items?timeout=300&format=csv" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"daysBack": 1, "contractVersion": "new", "propertySubTypes": ["Flat"], "maxItems": 0}'
For a daily feed, schedule the Actor with daysBack: 2 and onlyNew: true: each contract is delivered and charged once, and late registrations are still caught. Ready-made inputs:
From an AI assistant, add the MCP connector https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=data_daemon/dubai-rent-contracts in Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor and ask "what did one-bedroom-sized flats in JVC rent for last week?".
FAQ
What is the average rent in Dubai in 2026?
For flats, the median registered rent in October 2026 was AED 65,000 a year across 66,525 single-unit Ejari contracts; the middle half was AED 47,000-94,000. Villas had a median of AED 177,300. Quote the area and size: the median International City flat (64 sqm) registered at AED 38,000 and the median Downtown flat (105 sqm) at AED 167,000.
How much is rent per square foot in Dubai?
The median flat registered at AED 885 per sqm per year, about AED 82 per square foot. Downtown (AED 1,681 per sqm), Sobha Hartland (1,371) and Dubai Creek Harbour (1,328) were the dearest busy areas; Muhaisanah Fourth (488), Al Nahda (580-590) and International City (627) the cheapest.
How much more do new tenants pay than renewing tenants?
About 10% per square metre in the same area (median of 71 areas with at least 50 of each; 61 had new above renewed). Citywide the gap is 34% because new leases are concentrated in newer, dearer districts.
Is Ejari data public? Is there an Ejari API?
The Dubai Land Department publishes registered rent contracts as open data on its website, without tenant or landlord names. There is no documented public API; the Dubai Rent Contracts API on Apify returns that register as JSON, CSV or Excel for any date range, and can run on a schedule or be called from code, n8n, Make or an AI assistant.
Why does one contract appear many times in the DLD data?
A contract for a whole building or labour camp is listed once per unit with the full contract rent on each row. In October 2026, 1,891 such contracts produced 17,928 rows. Use unitsInContract to spot them, or the Actor's One row per contract option to merge them.
Does the data say how many bedrooms a flat has?
Almost never for rent contracts (the rooms field is filled on 3.9% of rows and none of the flats). Use sizeSqm: in October 2026, 15-45 sqm units registered at a median of AED 41,000, 45-75 sqm at 57,500, 75-115 sqm at 72,000 and 115-170 sqm at 100,000.
Numbers are from the DLD register as read on 9 November 2026 and will shift slightly as late registrations are added. Nothing here is investment or legal advice. Data: Dubai Land Department open data (Ejari rent contracts).
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