The rental market in Dubai is on track to set a new record; however, this record pertains to the number of rental contracts, not rental prices.

In the first seven months of 2026, a total of 214,445 rental contracts have been registered in Dubai, representing a 1.9% increase compared to the same period last year. The current record is from 2025, which ended with 377,660 contracts registered.

In July alone, 38,197 contracts were registered, of which 18,431 were new contracts and 19,766 were renewals; meaning the number of renewals was slightly higher than new contracts.

One-bedroom units have continued to have the highest demand, accounting for 88,327 contracts, which is 41% of the total contracts registered this year.

In terms of areas, Al Warsan First leads with 20,830 contracts, followed by Jebel Ali First, Al Barsha South 4, Business Bay, and Nad Al Hessa with the highest number of rental contracts.

The CEO of fäm Properties, which published this report, considers the high volume of contract renewals as a sign of market resilience and stated that despite the uncertain regional conditions in recent months, people still regard Dubai as one of the best cities in the world for living and working.
At the same time, some of these areas have also seen significant activity in off-plan transactions and resales in the buying and selling market, the details of which can be seen in the slides.
Overall, the data indicate that the rental market in Dubai remains active in 2026 and is on track to surpass last year's record in terms of the number of registered contracts.

Source: Gulf Times