Dubai was the first emirate in the UAE to introduce a rent cap in November 2005, when HH Shaikh Mohammad issued a decree capping the increase at a maximum 15 per cent of the annual rent. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in 2006, issued a decree fixing the rent cap to seven per cent for 2007, lowering it from the earlier 15 per cent.

Dubai has concluded a survey of various communities and their prevailing rents. An index with a minimum and maximum rent limit for different localities will be announced soon to guide the residents on how much they should pay for their properties. The community rent index will bring transparency to the rental market in Dubai.