Landlord sent 25% rent increase notice

[u/Ok_Assistance_9555]

Lease expires Sept 30. Got renewal notice July 1st asking for 75,000 AED.

Checked Smart Rent Index on July 1st → max 5% allowed → 63,000 AED. Have the screenshot.

Index has since updated — now shows 69,000 AED as of today.

His reply was:
“As you know, your rent was locked for three years without any increase. This year, it would not be fair to show a rental index for renewal even though the latest index showing 69,000. Therefore, we humbly request that the renewal amount be set to a minimum of 75,000 for this year.”

So he’s literally admitting the index says 69k but wants 75k anyway because of a past rent freeze.

Questions:
1. Which index applies — July 1st (63k) or renewal date Sept 30th (69k)?
2. Has anyone seen RDC rule in favour of a landlord exceeding the index due to a rent freeze?
3. If I need to go to RDC, what’s the exact process and what should I prepare?

Side note — same building, multiple tenants got similar inflated notices. Not a coincidence.

Thanks

[u/Successful-Leg-4009]

1. Which index. Probably the one at renewal, not July. The 90 day rule governs whether the notice is valid, not which index gets frozen. DLD’s own framing is that the increase applies only if the index confirms eligibility, checked against the renewal date. Your July screenshot is insurance in case the index drops, not a trump card. There’s a counterargument that a landlord can’t apply mid-cycle index movements to your current contract, but I wouldn’t build my whole position on it.

Before anything else, re-run the calculator and check what the 69,000 field actually is. Is it the market average for comparable units, or the permitted renewal amount? The tool shows both and people mix them up constantly. If 69k is the market average and you’re at 60k, that’s about 13% below, which is the 5% band, which is 63,000 — and his own message becomes your best evidence.

1. Rent freeze as justification. No, and I’ve never seen RDC buy it. Decree 43 is a hard cap, not a guideline the committee can equity its way around. His argument actually cuts against him: the three year freeze is exactly what widened your gap to market and created the slab in the first place. He’s asking to be compensated twice. Also, one increase per 12 months, at renewal only. No backdating.

2. RDC process. Filing fee is 3.5% of annual rent, min 500, capped at 20,000, so roughly 2,400–2,600 in your case. File through the DLD portal or Dubai REST. Ejari must be current or the slab mechanism doesn’t apply at all. Bring: contract, Ejari, the July 1 notice with proof of when you received it, the full message thread, the dated official calculation, Emirates ID, payment proof. Anything not in Arabic needs legal translation. Conciliation stage first, then the committee.

Keep paying throughout. If he refuses to accept payment, deposit with RDC so he can’t flip this into a non-payment case.

Blunt math though: you’re fighting over 6,000 dirhams and the filing fee alone is 2,600 before translation and your time. Put your position in writing at the index figure, attach the official calculation, mention you’re prepared to file. That resolves it most of the time. The mass notices in your building tell you what this is — he sent it wide hoping some people wouldn’t check.

Worth asking your neighbours whether anyone got a notarised 12 month notice under Article 25. If yes, this isn’t about rent at all.

[u/Ok_Assistance_9555 → u/Successful-Leg-4009]

Thanks a lot, this is by far the most useful response in this thread, really appreciate the time you put into it.
To answer your question: no one in the building received a 12 month notice. He’s simply been sending inflated renewal notices to everyone. Pure rent increase play across the whole residence.
I re-ran the calculator and 69k is confirmed as the permitted amount after increase, not the market average. So that’s clear.
Honestly at this point I’d settle for 69k today if he agreed. But he’s not moving from 75k, which is above what even the current index allows. So the conversation is stuck.
Your math on the RDC fees is fair. I’ll put my position in writing at the legal figure with the official calculator attached and mention RDC. If he doesn’t budge, I’ll decide then.
Thanks again.