For a Dubai tenancy ending on 31 December 2026, the default 90-day deadline to notify the other party of a proposed contract change is 2 October 2026. That deadline comes from Article 14 of Law No. 33 of 2008; the rental-index result is a separate check, and the official DLD calculator asks for the contract end date rather than the notice date.

The dates answer different questions

The notice date answers whether an intended contract change was communicated in time. The contract expiry date is the point from which the default 90-day period is counted, and it is also an input in the official Rental Index service. The date a calculator result is generated tells you when that piece of evidence was captured.

The official sources do not turn those five dates into one master date. In particular, the material reviewed does not state a general 2026 rule that the first calculator screenshot freezes the index result through renewal. That is why a clean file keeps both the notice evidence and the index evidence instead of using one as a substitute for the other.

Count the 90 days from contract expiry

Article 14 sets the default rule: unless the parties agreed otherwise, a party seeking to amend a lease term must notify the other party no less than 90 days before the contract expires. A proposed rent change is one contract amendment, so the starting document is the tenancy contract and its expiry date, not the day someone first opens the calculator.

For an expiry on 31 December 2026, the 90-day point is 2 October 2026. A notice delivered on 1 October is 91 days before expiry. A notice delivered on 3 October is 89 days before expiry. Those counts establish timing only; they do not establish what percentage the index supports.

The same law defines notice as written notification sent through a notary public, registered mail, hand delivery, or another technological means approved by law. The practical evidence is therefore the notice itself plus a record showing when and how it was delivered. DLD's rental FAQ gives the same rule in shorter form: an owner may increase rent based on the Rental Index with three months' prior notice, as checked on 21 September 2026.

For the wider renewal sequence, the Ejari renewal notice calendar shows how the contract, notices and registration records fit together.

The index is a separate eligibility and cap check

The official calculator tests the rent against the Rental Index for the tenancy being renewed. DLD's service procedure asks for the contract expiry date, property type, area, room count and current annual rent; the live interface also supports searches using a Municipality Number, Ejari Contract Number or area details.

Decree No. 43 of 2013 then sets the maximum increase according to how far the current rent sits below the average rental value of similar units. Article 3 ties that average to the RERA-approved Rent Index.

Source: Decree No. 43 of 2013, Articles 1 and 3, checked 21 September 2026.

This is the distinction at the centre of the process. The notice says a party intends to change a term. The index result supplies evidence about eligibility and the applicable maximum band. The full Dubai rent increase rules guide explains the band mechanics; this companion focuses on which date proves what.

A worked calendar keeps the two tests separate

Suppose an existing tenancy expires on 31 December 2026 and the current annual rent is AED 100,000. The landlord sends a written notice on 1 October proposing AED 110,000 at renewal. The notice arrives 91 days before expiry, and the AED 10,000 difference is a 10% proposed increase.

The figures below are hypothetical so that the mechanism stays visible.

The notice-timing finding does not change merely because the later index output differs: 1 October remains 91 days before 31 December. The supported amount is a separate issue. The official material reviewed does not publish a general rule saying that the 1 October screenshot must always control, or that every later screenshot automatically replaces it.

For that reason, this example stops at the evidence rather than declaring an outcome. If two official results for the same renewal point to different bands, the parties can compare the identical inputs, seek clarification from DLD or RERA, and use the Rental Disputes Center process if the question remains unresolved. The article is reporting the mechanism, not deciding a case.

Preserve one dated evidence file

A useful renewal record shows both the calendar and the calculator inputs. That makes any later discussion about dates reproducible rather than dependent on memory.

1. 1

   Save the registered contract

   Keep the Ejari-registered tenancy contract showing the annual rent, property details and exact expiry date. Ejari is DLD's tenancy-registration system.

2. 2

   Keep the notice and delivery record

   Retain the complete written notice, the delivery method and the timestamp or receipt. Article 14 measures the interval to expiry, so delivery evidence matters.

3. 3

   Capture the calculator inputs

   Record the contract end date, search method, property type, area or contract identifier, room count and current annual rent entered into the official DLD Rental Index.

4. 4

   Save the dated result

   Keep the full output with its run date. A cropped percentage without the inputs is harder to match to the tenancy later.

5. 5

   Rerun with the same inputs near renewal

   A second dated result shows whether the official service is returning the same band for the same contract end date. A difference can then be documented precisely.

The RDC's published FAQ lists the last Ejari contract and identity documents among the material used for an initial claim, with additional documents depending on the request. The exact filing requirements belong to the case type, so the current RDC checklist is the appropriate source if a matter reaches that stage.

The 2025 transition rule was specific

DLD did publish a renewal-date rule for one defined transition. In its 16 February 2025 Smart Rent Index update, DLD said that where a landlord had given the required notice and the previous index supported an increase but the new index did not, the previous index applied to a contract renewed before 2025 and the new index applied to a contract renewed during 2025.

That statement resolved the change from the previous index to the new Smart Rent Index. It also confirms the broader structure: timely notice and index eligibility are separate conditions. It does not, by itself, create a universal rule for every later update or say that a calculator result from the notice date is permanently fixed.

The same DLD update says that where the Smart Rent Index shows a property qualifies but the landlord did not give at least 90 days' notice, the increase is not applied. As of 21 September 2026, that remains the clearest official illustration of why the notice question and the index question must both be answered.

Dubai rent increase date FAQs, checked 21 September 2026

Which date starts the 90-day period for a Dubai rent increase notice?+

The period is counted backward from the tenancy contract's expiry date, unless the parties agreed otherwise. Article 14 of Law No. 33 of 2008 requires notice no less than 90 days before that expiry date.

Does a RERA calculator result taken on the notice date stay fixed until renewal?+

The official sources reviewed on 21 September 2026 do not publish a general rule that freezes every result on the notice date. DLD's calculator asks for the contract end date; retaining the dated output and a later run with the same inputs creates a clear evidence trail.

Can an increase apply if the index allows it but the notice was late?+

DLD's 16 February 2025 Smart Rent Index explanation says an increase is not applied where the new index shows eligibility but the landlord did not notify the tenant at least 90 days before the contract expired.

What are the Dubai rent-increase bands?+

As of 21 September 2026, Decree No. 43 of 2013 provides maximum bands of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, according to how far the current rent sits below the RERA index average for similar units.