Article 13 of Dubai Tenancy Law: Revisiting Terms and Rent at Renewal
When a tenancy in Dubai comes up for renewal, the contract does not have to carry on exactly as it was. Article 13 of the tenancy law gives both the landlord and the tenant the right to revisit the deal at that moment — to agree to amend any term, or to reconsider the rent by asking to raise it or to lower it. What Article 13 does not do is let one side impose the change on the other: it works by agreement, and the timing of any proposal is set by the separate 90-day notice in Article 14. This page explains, for landlords and tenants alike, exactly what Article 13 permits, how far it reaches, how it connects to the rent ceiling and the 90-day notice, and what happens when the two sides cannot agree.
- The right to revisit any term of the tenancy at renewal — by agreement
- Either party may reconsider the rent — asking to raise it or to lower it
- It opens only at renewal, and neither side can dictate the change
- Any rent rise stays within the Decree 43/2013 ceiling; disputes go to the RDC
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What Article 13 actually means
Article 13 of Dubai's tenancy law means that, when a lease renews, the landlord and the tenant may agree to amend any of its terms, and either of them may reconsider the rent — asking to increase it or to reduce it — but only by agreement, not by one side's decision alone.
The relationship between landlords and tenants in Dubai is governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Under that law a tenancy that is not disturbed usually renews on the same terms: the tenant stays, keeps paying, and the contract simply rolls into a new period. Article 13 is the provision that opens a door in that otherwise settled arrangement. It says that at renewal the parties may agree to change the terms, and that either of them may reconsider the rent — upward or downward. It is, in short, the law's permission to renegotiate.
Two things follow at once. First, this power belongs to renewal, not to the middle of a running contract: a live tenancy keeps its agreed terms until it expires, and Article 13 reaches only into the term that is about to begin. Second, it belongs to both sides equally. A landlord may use it to propose a higher rent within the legal ceiling; a tenant may use it just as validly to ask for a reduction, or to change a clause that no longer suits them. Because it is the substantive right to revisit terms, Article 13 is read together with Article 14, which fixes the timing — the 90-day notice a party must give the other before the change can take effect.
The word that governs Article 13 is "agree". It does not hand either party a right to dictate a new rent or a new clause; it hands them a right to propose one and to negotiate it at the correct moment. If they reach agreement, the renewed contract reflects the new terms and is registered on Ejari. If they do not — most commonly over the rent — the matter is decided not by whoever shouts loudest but by the Rental Disputes Centre, applying the criteria in the law and the ceiling in Decree 43/2013.
What Article 13 says, in plain terms
Article 13 sets a simple principle: when a tenancy comes up for renewal, the landlord and the tenant may agree to amend any of its terms, and either party may reconsider the rent — asking to increase it or to reduce it. That is the whole substance of the article. It is deliberately open: it does not list which terms may change, because in principle any term the parties negotiated in the first place can be revisited at renewal — the rent, the payment schedule, the number of cheques, a clause about maintenance or use — provided the parties agree.
What Article 13 does not contain is just as important as what it does. It contains no notice period — that belongs to Article 14, which requires ninety days. It contains no method of service, and it does not, by itself, cap the rent — the ceiling on any increase comes from Decree No. 43 of 2013, a later instrument. And it says nothing about ending the tenancy: Article 13 is about the terms of the continuing relationship, never about eviction. Eviction on expiry is governed by an entirely separate article, Article 25(2), with its own grounds and its own 12-month notice. Reading Article 13 for what it is — a renewal-only right to renegotiate by agreement — keeps it from being confused with any of those other rules.
What Article 13 means in practice
- It opens only at renewal
- The right to revisit the terms lives at the renewal point. A contract that is still running keeps every term the parties agreed until it expires; Article 13 reaches only into the new term about to begin.
- The rent can move up or down
- Either party may reconsider the rent at renewal. A landlord may propose an increase within the Decree 43/2013 ceiling; a tenant may propose a reduction where the market has softened. The article treats both directions the same.
- Other terms can be revisited too
- Beyond the rent, the parties may agree to amend other terms of the contract — for example the payment schedule or the number of cheques — for the coming term, always by agreement rather than by imposition.
- It works by agreement
- Article 13 lets a party propose a change; it does not let that party impose it. A proposal the other side rejects does not become a term of the renewed contract on its own — it becomes, at most, a matter for the RDC.
- It needs the 90-day notice to take effect
- A change under Article 13 has to be proposed on time. Article 14 requires the party seeking it to notify the other at least ninety days before expiry; without that timing, the change cannot bind the renewed term.
The same right, seen from both sides
For the landlord
- You may propose amending terms or raising the rent at renewal, within the legal ceiling
- You must propose it in time — the 90-day notice under Article 14 — or the term renews unchanged
- Any rise is capped by Decree 43/2013; a rent near the market average may not be raised at all
- Article 13 is not an eviction route — recovering the property on expiry is a separate matter
For the tenant
- You have the same right — to seek a rent reduction or a change of terms at renewal
- A proposed increase does not bind you automatically; it must respect the timing and the ceiling
- You can check the Smart Rental Index to see whether any proposed rise is even permitted
- If you disagree with a proposed change, the RDC decides — you are not forced to accept it
Article 13 is the right; Article 14 is the timing
It helps to keep two neighbouring articles apart. Article 13 is the substantive right — it says the terms and the rent may be revisited at renewal, by agreement. Article 14 is the procedure that gives that right effect — it says the party who wants a change must notify the other at least ninety days before the contract expires, unless they agree otherwise. One is the "what", the other is the "when". A landlord or tenant who has an Article 13 right to propose a change but ignores the Article 14 timing cannot make the change stick for the coming renewal; and a perfectly timed notice that proposes something Article 13 does not allow — such as a rent rise beyond the Decree 43/2013 ceiling — does not become lawful just because it was on time. The two work together, and both must be satisfied.
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When the rent is revisited upward: the Decree 43/2013 ceiling
| How far the current rent sits below the average market rent | Maximum increase permitted at renewal |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below the average market rent | No increase permitted (0%) |
| 11% to 20% below the average market rent | Up to 5% |
| 21% to 30% below the average market rent | Up to 10% |
| 31% to 40% below the average market rent | Up to 15% |
| More than 40% below the average market rent | Up to 20% |
How a renewal renegotiation runs, step by step
Decide what you want to revisit
The party seeking a change — landlord or tenant — settles on what it wants for the renewed term: a rent adjustment within the ceiling, or another term allowed under Article 13.
Propose it at least 90 days before expiry
Under Article 14, a written notice must reach the other party no less than ninety days before the contract expires, unless the two have agreed a different period.
Check any rent figure against the index
If the change is a rent rise, both sides can check the Smart Rental Index to see the average market rent and the bracket that caps the increase under Decree 43/2013.
Negotiate and, ideally, agree
Because Article 13 works by agreement, the parties discuss the proposal. If they agree, the renewed contract reflects the new terms and is registered on Ejari.
If no agreement, file at the RDC
Where the parties cannot agree — most often on the rent — either may bring the matter to the Rental Disputes Centre, which evaluates it for an amicable settlement first.
The Centre decides the disputed term
If settlement fails, a First Instance Committee decides the disputed rent or term using RERA criteria and comparable rents, within the Decree 43/2013 ceiling, with a route of appeal under the decree.
When Article 13 applies: worked examples
A landlord wants a higher rent when the lease renews in five months.
What is usually neededArticle 13 allows the rent to be reconsidered at renewal. The landlord proposes the new figure through a 90-day notice under Article 14, checked against the Smart Rental Index so it stays within the Decree 43/2013 bracket; the change binds only if it is agreed or fixed by the RDC.
A tenant believes the rent is now above the market and wants it reduced.
What is usually neededArticle 13 gives the tenant the same right to reconsider the rent — this time downward. The tenant serves their own 90-day notice asking for a reduction at renewal, supported by index figures; if the landlord refuses, the RDC can be asked to fix the fair rent.
A landlord wants to change the payment terms from one cheque to four.
What is usually neededA payment schedule is a term of the contract, so Article 13 lets it be revisited at renewal by agreement. The landlord proposes it in the 90-day notice; because the article works by agreement, the tenant's consent — or an RDC decision — is what makes the new schedule binding.
A landlord tries to raise the rent in the middle of a running one-year contract.
What is usually neededArticle 13 does not reach a live contract. A running tenancy keeps its agreed rent until it expires; the earliest a change can take effect is the next renewal, and only through a timely 90-day notice, not mid-term.
What a solid renewal-change file contains
- The current Ejari-registered tenancy contract, showing the existing terms and rent
- A written notice citing Articles 13 and 14 and stating the specific change proposed
- Proof the notice reached the other party at least 90 days before expiry
- For a rent change, a Smart Rental Index printout showing the average and the bracket
- Emirates ID or trade licence identifying the parties to match the contract
- Any correspondence showing the negotiation and whether agreement was reached
Common mistakes on both sides
The mistakeTreating Article 13 as a right to impose a new rent or term.
The fixIt works by agreement; a proposal the other side rejects does not become binding on its own — the RDC decides a genuine dispute.
The mistakeTrying to change the rent in the middle of a running contract.
The fixArticle 13 only reaches renewal; a live tenancy keeps its agreed terms until it expires, and the change waits for the next renewal.
The mistakeAssuming any rent increase is allowed once you propose it.
The fixDecree 43/2013 caps the increase by how far the rent sits below the market average; if it is close to the average, no rise is permitted at all.
The mistakeProposing a change without meeting the 90-day timing.
The fixArticle 14 requires at least ninety days' notice; a late proposal does not bind the renewed term, which continues on its existing terms.
The mistakeConfusing Article 13 with eviction on expiry.
The fixArticle 13 is only about the terms of a continuing tenancy; eviction on expiry is Article 25(2), on four grounds, with a separate 12-month notarised notice.
Where MANJAZ fits in
MANJAZ is a publisher and service provider, not a court and not a law firm, and it never guarantees a particular result. What we do is practical: read a tenancy file against the Article 13 and 14 requirements, check a proposed rent change against the Decree 43/2013 ceiling and the Smart Rental Index, help draft or respond to a renewal notice so its wording and timing are sound, and organise the documents each party needs. Where the file must move between Arabic and other languages, we arrange certified and legal translation, and we can follow up procedures at the Rental Disputes Centre.
Whether you are a landlord planning a renewal change or a tenant who has received a proposal and is unsure whether it is valid, on time, or within the ceiling, the value is in getting the details right early: the correct article, the correct timing, a figure that respects the ceiling, and a clean record of what was proposed and what was agreed. Small errors at the renewal stage are what most often decide the outcome later, and they are the easiest to avoid.
Questions and answers
Article 13 says that when a tenancy renews, the landlord and tenant may agree to amend any of its terms, and either party may reconsider the rent by asking to raise it or to lower it. It is the right to renegotiate at renewal, by agreement — not a right to impose a change and not an eviction rule.
Yes. Article 13 gives both parties the same right. A tenant can use it at renewal to ask for a rent reduction or to change another term, just as a landlord can use it to propose an increase within the legal ceiling.
No. Article 13 only applies at renewal. A running contract keeps its agreed rent and terms until it expires; the earliest a change can take effect is the next renewal, and only through a timely 90-day notice under Article 14.
Article 13 is the substantive right — it allows the terms and rent to be revisited at renewal. Article 14 is the procedure — it requires the party seeking a change to notify the other at least ninety days before expiry. Article 13 is the "what"; Article 14 is the "when".
No. Article 13 lets the rent be reconsidered, but the size of any increase is capped by Decree No. 43 of 2013. If the current rent is up to 10% below the average market rent, no increase is permitted; the steps rise to a maximum of 20% for rents more than 40% below the average.
If the parties cannot agree after a valid, timely proposal, either can bring the matter to the Rental Disputes Centre. The Centre first tries an amicable settlement; if that fails, a committee decides the disputed rent or term using RERA criteria and comparable rents, within the Decree 43/2013 ceiling.
Official sources
- Dubai Legislation — Law No. 26 of 2007 (landlord & tenant) — original text; Arts 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 29, 36 amended by Law 33/2008
- Dubai Legislation — Law No. 33 of 2008 amending Law 26/2007
- Dubai Legislation — Decree No. 43 of 2013 (rent increase)
- Dubai Land Department — Smart Rental Index announcement
- Rental Disputes Centre — About the Centre
This content is for general information and awareness. It is based on the legislation and official sources available at the time of the last review, and procedures may differ according to the facts of each case and updates issued by the competent authorities. It is not legal advice, and MANJAZ is the publisher of this explanation, not the authority that issued the legislation.
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