Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report 13 January 2026
Dubai Real Estate Rental Market Report
13 January 2026
Market Overview
Dubai’s rental market recorded 4,993 lease contracts on 13 January 2026, with a total contracted value of AED 913.0 million. While headline volume was elevated, the data reflects a segmented rental market, driven by a combination of institutional workforce leasing and steady retail residential demand.
Renewed contracts accounted for a clear majority of activity, indicating tenant retention and operational continuity rather than turnover-driven growth. The distribution of value across property types and localities confirms the presence of bulk leasing in industrial zones alongside widespread residential leasing across established urban communities.
Wedyan The Canal | Luxury Residences in Business Bay
Source: Building Arabia.
Dual-Market Structure Overview
Institutional & Workforce Leasing
This segment is characterized by:
- High-volume, repeat-value contracts
- Concentration in industrial and mixed-use zones
- Dominance of labor camps, warehouses, offices, and shops
A single locality, Jabal Ali Industrial First, accounted for more than 30% of total rental value, driven primarily by labor accommodation and industrial-use leases.
Retail Residential & Commercial Leasing
This segment reflects the consumer-facing rental market, including apartments, villas, and small retail units, with:
- Broad geographic distribution
- Smaller average ticket sizes
- Higher churn and renewal activity
Residential apartments and villas continued to form the backbone of leasing volume across the city.
Rentals by Contract Status
| Contract Status | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | 2,051 | 493,252,951 | 134,310,000 |
| Renewed | 2,942 | 419,777,275 | 114,310,000 |
| Grand Total | 4,993 | 913,030,226 | 248,620,000 |
Rentals by Property Ownership Type
| Ownership Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,645 | 569,745,712 | 155,140,000 |
| Non-Freehold | 2,348 | 343,284,513 | 93,480,000 |
| Grand Total | 4,993 | 913,030,226 | 248,620,000 |
Rentals by Property Usage
| Property Usage | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 3,351 | 628,450,658 | 171,130,000 |
| Commercial | 1,602 | 274,217,679 | 74,670,000 |
| Industrial | 6 | 794,684 | 216,000 |
| Storage | 2 | 128,800 | 35,000 |
| Other | 32 | 9,438,405 | 2,570,000 |
| Grand Total | 4,993 | 913,030,226 | 248,620,000 |
Property Type Breakdown
| Property Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | |||
| Hotel (Building) | 1 | 6,600,000 | 1,797,000 |
| Land | |||
| Other (Land) | 26 | 2,629,093 | 716,000 |
| Unit | |||
| Flat (Unit) | 2,819 | 273,450,828 | 74,460,000 |
| Gym | 1 | 65,000 | 17,700 |
| Hospital | 1 | 666,667 | 181,000 |
| Hotel (Unit) | 264 | 2,623,575 | 714,000 |
| Kiosk | 2 | 105,000 | 28,600 |
| Lab | 1 | 20,000 | 5,400 |
| Labor Camps | 235 | 282,874,476 | 77,000,000 |
| Office | 489 | 87,165,192 | 23,740,000 |
| Parking | 1 | 110,000 | 29,900 |
| Penthouse | 1 | 92,000 | 25,000 |
| Portacabin | 1 | 110,000 | 29,900 |
| Shop | 515 | 119,426,173 | 32,510,000 |
| Showroom | 16 | 10,103,569 | 2,750,000 |
| Store | 4 | 313,775 | 85,000 |
| Studio | 24 | 818,549 | 223,000 |
| Villa (Unit) | 1 | 3,000,000 | 816,000 |
| Warehouse | 50 | 8,509,233 | 2,320,000 |
| Warehouse Complex | 7 | 1,016,360 | 277,000 |
| Workshop | 1 | 37,288 | 10,100 |
| Villa | |||
| Complex Villas | 18 | 3,174,263 | 864,000 |
| Medical Center | 1 | 720,000 | 196,000 |
| Shop (Villa) | 1 | 24,000 | 6,500 |
| Villa | 266 | 66,422,467 | 18,090,000 |
| Virtual Unit | |||
| Office (Virtual) | 239 | 6,193,119 | 1,690,000 |
| Shop (Virtual) | 8 | 36,759,600 | 10,000,000 |
| Grand Total | 4,993 | 913,030,226 | 248,620,000 |
Top 10 Localities by Rental Value
| Rank | Locality | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 192 | 275,450,585 | 75,010,000 |
| 2 | Burj Khalifa | 122 | 57,349,218 | 15,620,000 |
| 3 | Hor Al Anz | 102 | 47,402,376 | 12,910,000 |
| 4 | Business Bay | 302 | 28,736,173 | 7,825,000 |
| 5 | Al Thanyah Fifth | 64 | 28,193,813 | 7,676,000 |
| 6 | Naif | 192 | 18,390,295 | 5,008,000 |
| 7 | Al Murqabat | 81 | 17,747,097 | 4,833,000 |
| 8 | Marsa Dubai | 64 | 17,275,325 | 4,704,000 |
| 9 | Al Warsan First | 203 | 13,032,984 | 3,548,000 |
| 10 | Mirdif | 61 | 12,823,122 | 3,492,000 |
Other Notable Localities
Outside the top 10, rental activity was widely distributed across Dubai, with meaningful volumes recorded in Al Thanyah First, Jabal Ali First, Al Barsha South Fourth, Palm Jumeirah, Al Khairan First, Al Merkadh, Al Barsha First, Al Satwa, Port Saeed, Al Karama, Mankhool, Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, Al Nahda First and Second, Dubai Investment Park (First and Second), Al Qusais districts, Al Goze industrial areas, Ras Al Khor industrial zones, and multiple established residential neighborhoods across Deira and Bur Dubai.
Wedyan The Canal: An Architectural Masterpiece on Dubai Water Canal
Source: Building Arabia.
Disclaimer:
This report is based on publicly available data and Dubai Land Department (DLD) transaction summaries as of the date mentioned in the title of this post.
Final and detailed figures from the DLD may vary upon official release.
1 US Dollar = 3.6725 UAE Dirhams
This report is merely informative, and all investments come with risk. You are responsible for your decisions.