(Image caption: Rental asking prices declined across most of Dubai’s major residential communities between Q3 2025 and Q3 2026, according to Property Finder.)
Dubai, UAE: Residential rents in most of Dubai’s major communities declined between the third quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2026, giving tenants more options and greater negotiating power, according to property listings platform Property Finder.
The platform tracked ten key apartment communities, with nine recording year-on-year declines in median asking rents. These included Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Arjan, Dubai Creek Harbour, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Meydan and Palm Jumeirah.
Dubai Hills Estate was the only community where apartment rents remained unchanged over the period.
Rental Listings Increase as Tenants Gain More Choice
Cherif Sleiman, Chief Revenue Officer at Property Finder, said the average number of apartments listed for rent daily on the platform in September 2026 was 55.1 per cent higher than in September 2025.
Renter enquiries increased by 15.4 per cent over the same period. However, each apartment listing received an average of 23 per cent fewer enquiries than a year earlier, indicating that competition among landlords had increased.
Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina Record Biggest Declines
The combined median asking rent for apartments peaked at Dh135,000 in December 2025 before gradually declining during the first half of 2026, reaching Dh100,000 in June.
Downtown Dubai recorded the steepest decline, with asking rents falling 21.7 per cent year-on-year. Dubai Marina followed with a 16.1 per cent drop.
In Downtown Dubai, rents declined across all apartment sizes. Sleiman said this indicated a genuine repricing of properties rather than a change caused solely by more smaller units entering the market.
September data showed early signs of stabilisation. The combined median apartment asking rent increased from Dh100,000 in August to Dh105,000 in September, while enquiries per listing improved for both apartments and villas.
Sleiman cautioned that one month of improvement was not enough to establish a lasting trend, although the figures were encouraging.
Demand Remains Strong for Affordable Homes
Studios and one-bedroom apartments attracted the largest share of enquiries in seven of the ten apartment communities tracked.
In Business Bay, one-bedroom apartments accounted for 43.1 per cent of listings but attracted 48.7 per cent of enquiries, highlighting strong demand for smaller homes.
For villas, three- and four-bedroom properties attracted the most enquiries in eight of the ten communities monitored.
Villa Rents Also Decline in Most Areas
Villa rents followed a similar but more moderate pattern, with eight of the ten communities recording lower asking rents.
Al Furjan was the only community showing a clear overall increase, with rents rising 15.15 per cent. The increase was partly attributed to a greater number of five-bedroom villas entering the market.
Rents for four-bedroom villas in Al Furjan, the area’s largest segment by enquiries, increased by 9.4 per cent. However, three of the five comparable villa types in the community recorded declines.
Although Dubai Hills Estate remained flat overall, five of its six comparable villa types either declined or stayed unchanged.
Advice for Tenants and Landlords
Sleiman said the current market conditions provide tenants with an opportunity to compare properties and negotiate rental terms.
For landlords, he noted that reducing the asking price alone may not be sufficient to attract tenants. With more properties available, listing quality, visibility and the speed of responses to prospective renters are becoming increasingly important.
The latest figures suggest that tenants have greater choice across much of Dubai’s rental market, while landlords face increased competition to secure tenants.
