Abu Dhabi freezes rent increases at 0% for United Arab Emirates nomads

Abu Dhabi locks rent increases at 0% until further notice

The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre cut the permitted annual rent increase from 5% to 0% on June 2, freezing rents across residential, commercial and industrial properties for an open-ended period. The directive covers lease renewals and any new contracts signed for units that have been rented before, ADREC confirmed.

Landlords can't raise rent at renewal and incoming tenants must be offered the rate recorded in the property's last registered Tawtheeq contract. The measure temporarily overrides the Executive Council Resolution No. 14 of 2016 framework, which had capped annual hikes at 5% with 60 days' written notice. ADREC has described the policy as temporary and "in force until further notice", with no end date published.

Properties inside the Abu Dhabi Global Market jurisdiction, including Al Maryah Island and Reem Island, sit outside the freeze and continue under separate rental rules.

Who the freeze covers

The rule applies to virtually all standard long-term tenants on Tawtheeq-registered contracts, including Emiratis, expats and remote workers on yearly leases in mainland Abu Dhabi. Apartments, villas, offices, retail units and warehouses are all included.

Short-stay tourists in hotels, serviced apartments or Airbnb-style bookings aren't covered, because those stays fall outside the Tawtheeq tenancy system. Nomads booking month-to-month hospitality stays won't see direct protection, though analysts cited by Gulf News and Arab News expect the freeze to ease pressure on some extended-stay segments.

Businesses serving the nomad market, including coworking operators and serviced-office providers, also benefit from locked commercial rents during the freeze.

What tenants should do

Renewing tenants should confirm the Tawtheeq renewal is filed at the same rent as the previous registered contract. New tenants moving into a previously rented unit can request the prior Tawtheeq figure as the benchmark and refuse informal markups.

• Tawtheeq registration: standard registration and renewal fees still apply; only the rent figure is frozen.
• Notice rules: the 5% cap and 60-day notice mechanism are suspended during the freeze.
• Disputes: tenants pressured to accept higher rents can escalate through Abu Dhabi's rental dispute channels referenced in the 2016 rent law.

Read our full United Arab Emirates guide for the complete picture and check ongoing visa updates for further ADREC announcements.