Dubai Rental Market Approaches Historic High with 339,557 Contracts Registered in 2026
Tenancy activity increases by 6.8% during the first ten months, putting the emirate within reach of surpassing its annual rental registration record set in 2025.
Dubai's rental sector is maintaining strong activity in 2026, with 339,557 tenancy contracts registered across freehold areas between January and October. The latest figures represent a 6.8% increase compared with the same period last year, placing the market on track for another record-breaking year.
Research published by fäm Properties shows that Dubai recorded 44,841 rental contract registrations in October alone. This included 21,987 new agreements and 22,854 contract renewals, highlighting continued activity among both new tenants and existing residents.
The current performance brings the market closer to exceeding the 377,976 rental contracts registered throughout 2025. Dubai would need an additional 38,420 contracts during November and December to move beyond last year's total.
New tenancy agreements and renewals maintain growth
October's figures indicate that demand for rental accommodation remains active across Dubai's freehold communities.
New tenancy agreements increased by 3.8% compared with October 2025, while renewals recorded a smaller annual improvement of 0.5%.
The figures suggest that the rental market continues to attract new residents while existing tenants also remain active in renewing their accommodation arrangements.
Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, attributed the continued activity to sustained demand for residential properties in Dubai.
One-bedroom apartments dominate rental registrations
Smaller residential units continued to account for a significant proportion of Dubai's rental activity.
One-bedroom apartments generated 138,836 rental contracts during the first ten months of 2026, representing approximately 41% of all registrations recorded in the period.
In terms of location, Al Warsan First emerged as the busiest freehold rental destination. Other areas with substantial activity included Al Barsha South Fourth, Jebel Ali First and Business Bay.
These locations reflect the broad distribution of rental demand across Dubai's established residential and investment communities.
Dubai property sales record Dh35 billion in October
Alongside the rental market's performance, Dubai's property sales sector also recorded considerable activity during October.
Separate data from DXBinteract showed that 11,974 property sales transactions were completed during the month, generating a combined value of Dh35.01 billion. Transaction value increased by 18% compared with September, while the number of deals rose by 5.4%.
Off-plan properties continued to account for the larger share of sales, recording 7,609 transactions worth Dh19.2 billion. Meanwhile, the resale segment registered 4,289 transactions valued at Dh15.6 billion.
Dubai South maintained its position as a leading destination for off-plan purchases for the eighth consecutive month, with 720 transactions worth Dh894.6 million.
Al Rowaiyah First followed with 639 transactions valued at Dh3.2 billion, while Al Barsha South Fourth recorded 449 deals worth Dh542.9 million.
Apartments and villas contribute to October sales
Apartments represented the largest segment of Dubai's property sales during October, with 8,888 transactions generating Dh15.5 billion.
Villa sales reached 1,356 transactions worth Dh9.1 billion, with transaction volume increasing by 62% compared with the previous month.
Plot transactions also experienced substantial growth, rising 92.7% month-on-month to 449 deals valued at Dh5.9 billion. Townhouse sales increased by 8% to 649 transactions worth Dh2 billion.
Commercial real estate recorded another 540 transactions involving offices and retail units, with a combined value of Dh2.3 billion.
The luxury segment also featured prominently. An apartment at Silena Building B on Dubai Islands sold for Dh58 million, while the most expensive villa transaction was recorded at Eden Hills for Dh97 million.
Properties below Dh2 million account for most sales
The October data also highlighted the continued importance of relatively lower-priced properties in Dubai's transaction market.
Homes valued below Dh2 million represented 63.7% of all property sales during the month. Properties priced below Dh1 million accounted for 30.6%, while those between Dh1 million and Dh2 million represented another 33.1%.
A further 14.7% of transactions involved properties valued between Dh2 million and Dh3 million. Homes priced between Dh3 million and Dh5 million accounted for 11%, while properties above Dh5 million represented 10.4%.
Activity was also visible across individual residential developments. Binghatti Skyterraces recorded 207 primary-market apartment transactions worth Dh221.8 million, while Tilal Binghatti registered 336 primary-market villa sales valued at Dh658.3 million.
Dubai property market maintains momentum
The latest rental and sales figures demonstrate the continued scale of activity across Dubai's real estate sector.
With rental registrations approaching last year's record and property sales maintaining strong transaction values, the emirate continues to attract interest from tenants, homeowners and investors.
The final two months of 2026 will determine whether Dubai's freehold rental market can establish a new annual benchmark.
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