Dubai rents fall up to 14% in some communities as more homes enter the market: Betterhomes

Detailed summary

Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina record rental declines, while 55% of surveyed tenants plan to buy a property within the next three years.

Residential rents in parts of Dubai have fallen by as much as 14 per cent over the past year, giving tenants greater room to negotiate as more homes become available, according to property consultancy Betterhomes.

Speaking during a webinar on Dubai's property market and the company's Future Living Report 2026, Betterhomes representatives said rental prices had eased by around 3 per cent overall, although performance varied significantly between communities.

Downtown Dubai recorded an annual rental decline of around 14 per cent, while rents in Dubai Marina fell 12 per cent. In contrast, Jumeirah Islands saw rents rise 29 per cent, reflecting continued demand for more exclusive residential communities.

The shift is also changing tenant behaviour, with more residents exploring alternative homes rather than automatically renewing their existing leases.

According to Betterhomes, new leases increased 19 per cent in October, while renewals declined 25 per cent, suggesting tenants are increasingly taking advantage of additional housing options.

Dubai's residential sales market has also recorded lower transaction volumes compared with last year.

Betterhomes said off-plan property transactions reached just under 6,400 in October, down around 50 per cent year-on-year, although the segment continued to account for approximately 62 per cent of sales.

The slowdown followed a sharp reduction in new project launches, with developers adopting a more cautious approach amid market uncertainty.

In the secondary market, transactions rose from around 3,500 in September to more than 3,800 in October, although overall volumes remained around 40 per cent below last year's levels.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Khaleej Times Business. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.