What new tenants really pay in Business Bay in 2026

These are the rents new tenants signed for, on leases starting between 1 August and 31 October 2026.

• Studio: AED 60,000 a year. The middle half of leases ran from AED 51,000 to AED 70,000. Based on 1,304 new leases.
• One bedroom: AED 85,000 a year. The middle half of leases ran from AED 70,000 to AED 100,000. Based on 2,038 new leases.
• Two bedrooms: AED 125,000 a year. The middle half of leases ran from AED 105,000 to AED 145,000. Based on 887 new leases.

The middle rent is the one in the middle of the list: half of the leases were signed for less and half for more. The middle half leaves out the cheapest quarter and the most expensive quarter of leases.

The flats behind these figures had a middle size of 450 sq ft for studios, 769 sq ft for one-bedroom flats and 1,290 sq ft for two-bedroom flats.

From tenancy contracts registered with Dubai Land Department, which publishes them as open data. We used the Rent Contracts file dated 9 November 2026. It shows no names and no flat numbers.

What we counted:

• new leases only for the figures above (renewals are shown further down);
• residential flats let as one unit, on contracts of about a year or more;
• leases starting between 1 August and 31 October 2026;
• the area DLD files as “Business Bay”.

The sums are ours, not DLD’s. To look up the leases in one building yourself, see How to check what tenants really pay in your building in Dubai.

Lower than a year ago, though a little higher than in June and July. The first comparison is the middle rent on new leases starting from August to October 2025 against the same three months of 2026.

• Studio: AED 71,409 a year earlier, AED 60,000 now. That is AED 11,409 or 16% lower.
• One bedroom: AED 95,000 a year earlier, AED 85,000 now. That is AED 10,000 or 10.5% lower.
• Two bedrooms: AED 140,000 a year earlier, AED 125,000 now. That is AED 15,000 or 10.7% lower.

The fall is not only because cheaper buildings joined the list. 54 buildings had at least five new one-bedroom leases in both periods. The middle rent was lower in 53 of them and higher in 1.

Month by month in 2026, the middle rent on a new one-bedroom lease was highest from January to March and lowest in June and July. It has risen a little since.

• January: AED 100,000
• February: AED 100,000
• March: AED 100,000
• April: AED 90,000
• May: AED 85,000
• June: AED 80,000
• July: AED 80,000
• August: AED 83,000
• September: AED 85,000
• October: AED 85,000

For comparison, Savills found that apartment rents in Business Bay from July to September 2026 were 12.2% lower than a year earlier, as reported by Khaleej Times on 13 October 2026. Our figures describe leases already signed. They are not a forecast.

The same for a studio, and a little less for larger flats. A year ago the gap was much wider. These are the middle rents on leases starting between 1 August and 31 October 2026.

• Studio: AED 60,000 on renewals (335 leases), AED 60,000 on new leases. The two figures are the same.
• One bedroom: AED 80,000 on renewals (741 leases), AED 85,000 on new leases. A new lease cost AED 5,000 more, which is 6.3% above the renewal figure.
• Two bedrooms: AED 117,661 on renewals (572 leases), AED 125,000 on new leases. A new lease cost AED 7,339 more, which is 6.2% above the renewal figure.

A year earlier, a new one-bedroom lease cost 21.8% more than a renewal: AED 95,000 against AED 78,000.

Renewals move slowly because any increase is limited by Decree No. (43) of 2013. For the rules, see When can my landlord increase the rent in Dubai?

A great deal. 51 Business Bay buildings had at least ten new one-bedroom leases in the three months. Their middle rents ran from AED 60,000 in the lowest building to AED 142,500 in the highest.

These are the ten buildings with the most new one-bedroom leases, with the middle rent in each. The names are as DLD records them.

• Zada Tower: AED 64,500 (156 leases)
• Regalia: AED 86,000 (113 leases)
• Peninsula Three: AED 100,000 (108 leases)
• Peninsula Four: AED 130,000 (98 leases)
• DAMAC Towers by Paramount: AED 85,000 (82 leases)
• Reva Residences: AED 65,000 (79 leases)
• Merano Tower: AED 69,000 (78 leases)
• Peninsula Two: AED 96,000 (61 leases)
• Al Habtoor City: AED 95,000 (58 leases)
• Vera Tower: AED 64,000 (58 leases)

The records do not say why one building costs more than another. Size, age, facilities and position inside Business Bay all differ. So compare a flat with its own building, not with the Business Bay figure. Our free Rent Check does that in one step. For the same figures in Jumeirah Village Circle, see What new tenants really pay in JVC in 2026.

Everything the lease register does not record, and a few leases we could not use.

• Whether the flat was furnished, its floor, its view and its condition.
• How the rent was paid, such as the number of cheques.
• Advert prices. An advert shows what a landlord hopes to get.
• Flats with three or more bedrooms, and hotel apartments. This guide covers studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats.
• Leases registered after 9 November 2026. Some leases that started in October may still be added.
• The building name on about 11% of the new leases, which DLD leaves blank. Those leases count in the Business Bay figures but not in the building list.

Use the Business Bay figure as a first test, then check the building. If the rent you are asked for is above the middle half for that kind of flat, for example above AED 100,000 for a one-bedroom flat, ask the agent what explains it.

Then look up the flat’s own building in the Rent Check. If you are renewing, the renewal rules decide what your landlord may ask, not these figures.

Price the flat from what new tenants signed in its own building, and use the Business Bay figure as a second check.

• If the flat has stood empty, read Apartment not renting in Dubai? What to change first.
• If you are an agent, see How to price a rental listing in Dubai: a guide for agents.

Flats for rent on distress.ae are listed by agents only, at or below the Rent Check figure, and listing is free for agents. Tenants see approved flats on the For rent page.