What new tenants really pay in JLT in 2026

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

• Studio: AED 55,000 a year. The middle half of leases ran from AED 50,000 to AED 60,000. Based on 396 new leases.
• One bedroom: AED 80,000 a year. The middle half of leases ran from AED 70,000 to AED 90,000. Based on 827 new leases.
• Two bedrooms: AED 110,000 a year. The middle half of leases ran from AED 94,250 to AED 145,000. Based on 367 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 443 sq ft for studios, 817 sq ft for one-bedroom flats and 1,298 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;
• JLT as DLD files it: under the area name “Al Thanyah Fifth” and the master project “DMCC Master Community”. Jumeirah Park and Jumeirah Islands are in the same DLD area and are not counted.

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 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 60,000 a year earlier, AED 55,000 now. That is AED 5,000 or 8.3% lower.
• One bedroom: AED 85,000 a year earlier, AED 80,000 now. That is AED 5,000 or 5.9% lower.
• Two bedrooms: AED 126,500 a year earlier, AED 110,000 now. That is AED 16,500 or 13% lower.

The fall is not only because cheaper buildings joined the list. 26 buildings had at least five new one-bedroom leases in both periods. The middle rent was lower in every one of them.

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

• January: AED 87,750
• February: AED 88,000
• March: AED 87,000
• April: AED 80,000
• May: AED 80,000
• June: AED 80,000
• July: AED 75,000
• August: AED 80,000
• September: AED 76,500
• October: AED 80,000

Our figures describe leases already signed. They are not a forecast.

As much as new tenants, or a little more. A year ago they paid less. These are the middle rents on leases starting between 1 August and 31 October 2026.

• Studio: AED 57,000 on renewals (179 leases), AED 55,000 on new leases. A new lease cost AED 2,000 less, which is 3.5% below the renewal figure.
• One bedroom: AED 80,000 on renewals (444 leases), AED 80,000 on new leases. The two figures are the same.
• Two bedrooms: AED 120,000 on renewals (277 leases), AED 110,000 on new leases. A new lease cost AED 10,000 less, which is 8.3% below the renewal figure.

The flats are not quite alike. The renewed two-bedroom flats had a middle size of 1,406 sq ft, the newly let ones 1,298 sq ft. Per square foot the two were almost level: a middle of AED 86.7 a year on renewals and AED 88.5 on new leases.

A year earlier it was the other way round: a new two-bedroom lease cost 7.2% more than a renewal, AED 126,500 against AED 118,000. Since then the middle rent on new leases has fallen to AED 110,000, while the middle renewal has stayed close to where it was, at AED 120,000.

Decree No. (43) of 2013 limits how much the rent may rise at a renewal. It deals with increases only. If you are renewing, check what new tenants signed for in your own building before you agree a figure. The free Rent Check shows it. For the rules, see When can my landlord increase the rent in Dubai?

A great deal. 23 JLT buildings had at least ten new one-bedroom leases in the three months. Their middle rents ran from AED 53,000 in the lowest building to AED 120,000 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.

• New Dubai Gate 1: AED 53,000 (78 leases)
• Orra The Embankment: AED 120,000 (61 leases)
• MBL Residence: AED 90,000 (54 leases)
• Concorde Tower: AED 70,000 (37 leases)
• Lake City Tower: AED 67,000 (33 leases)
• Bonnington Tower Hotel and Residence Dubai: AED 80,000 (29 leases)
• Lake Terrace: AED 70,000 (28 leases)
• Armada Towers: AED 77,000 (27 leases)
• New Dubai Gate 2: AED 80,000 (26 leases)
• MBL Royal: AED 110,000 (25 leases)

The records do not say why one building costs more than another. Size, age, facilities and position inside JLT all differ. So compare a flat with its own building, not with the JLT figure. Our free Rent Check does that in one step. For the same figures in three other areas, see What new tenants really pay in Dubai Marina in 2026, What new tenants really pay in Business Bay in 2026 and 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 the homes of Jumeirah Park and Jumeirah Islands. This guide covers studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats in JLT.
• Leases registered after 9 November 2026. Some leases that started in October may still be added.
• The building name on about 24% of the new leases, which DLD leaves blank. Those leases count in the JLT figures but not in the building list.

Use the JLT 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 90,000 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, compare your rent with what new tenants in your building signed for, as question 4 explains.

Price the flat from what new tenants signed in its own building, and use the JLT 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.