Dubai’s Rental Market Heads Towards Another Record Year

Dubai’s freehold areas recorded 298,984 rental contracts in January–September 2026, up 6.8% year-on-year and on course to surpass the 2025 record of 377,926, according to fäm Properties.

September recorded 48,639 contracts, up 22.6% from August. New contracts rose 25.6% year-on-year to 25,345, while renewals increased 7.6% to 23,294.
One-bedroom homes accounted for 124,113 contracts, around 42% of the nine-month total.

The top 10 freehold areas by rental contracts were:
Al Warsan First: 28,825
Jebel Ali First: 24,710
Al Barsha South Fourth: 24,564
Business Bay: 19,781
Marsa Dubai: 16,453
Nadd Hessa: 15,722
Al Thanyah Fifth: 12,459
Al Barsha South Third: 10,655
Wadi Al Safa 5: 10,009
Dubai Investment Park First: 9,898
These figures show where tenancy activity is concentrated. Higher contract volumes alone do not establish that rents are rising.

Alongside this, Q3 property sales reached 37,429 transactions worth AED92.9 billion. Developer sales accounted for 25,441 deals worth AED52.6 billion, versus 11,988 resales worth AED40.3 billion. More than 67% of secondary-market transactions were cash purchases.

Dubai South led primary-market volumes for the seventh consecutive month, with 737 off-plan sales worth AED980.5 million in September. Wadi Al Safa 3, Al Barsha South Fourth, Jebel Ali First and Al Hebiah First followed.

Homes below AED2 million represented approximately two-thirds of September sales, highlighting the importance of this price bracket alongside Dubai’s headline luxury transactions.

The picture is of an active market with distinct patterns across communities, property types and price points. Understanding those differences provides more insight than a citywide headline alone.

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Originally posted on LinkedIn