The Abu Dhabi Rental Index is the official guide to rents in the emirate, published by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) on its Interactive Map. For each district, community or registered project it shows a lower, a median and an upper annual rent, by property type, bedroom count and contract type. The latest quarter on the map is Q2 2025, when the median rent for a one bedroom apartment was AED 68,055 a year on Al Reem Island, AED 80,264 on Yas Island and AED 40,081 in Mohammed Bin Zayed City. At renewal, a newer rule now matters more than any index: since 3 June 2026 the permitted annual rent increase has been 0%, cut from 5%, until further notice. This guide gives ADREC's figures for 17 areas, shows how to check any building yourself, explains the 2026 rules for tenants and landlords, and what the numbers mean if you are deciding whether to rent or buy.
The Abu Dhabi Rental Index at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who publishes it? | The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), the emirate's real estate regulator |
| When did it start? | 20 August 2024, as Abu Dhabi's first official rental index |
| Where is it? | ADREC's Interactive Map, in the Average Rent Prices view |
| What does it show? | A lower, median and upper annual rent in dirhams |
| Filters | Contract type (all, new, renewal), year, property type and bedrooms |
| Latest period | Q2 2025, with the years 2022 to 2025 to choose from |
| Legal reference? | No: ADREC calls it a general guide for information only |
| Rent increases in 2026 | 0% on renewals since 3 June 2026, until further notice |
What the Index Shows and What It Does Not
ADREC launched the index on 20 August 2024 to make the rental market more transparent and to give tenants and landlords indicative rental values, quarter by quarter, for areas across Abu Dhabi. It sits on ADREC's Interactive Map, the same map that shows sales transactions, housing supply, registered leases and service charges. Choose an area and the map returns a lower, a median and an upper rent, in dirhams a year, for the property type and bedroom count you picked. The median is the headline number, shown as the average annual rent, and a chart tracks all three lines by quarter, in most areas from early 2022. Choose all property types and all bedroom counts instead and the map lists every bedroom count at once, rounded to the nearest thousand.
Know the limits before you rely on a number. The latest quarter is Q2 2025, so the map does not show what rents did after that. ADREC is explicit that the index is a general guide based on aggregate data, for information only, and should not be used as a legal reference for the exact rental value of any residential unit. And each figure describes an area and a type of home, so a particular building, view or finish can sit above or below it. Our guide to ADREC, DARI, Tawtheeq and Madhmoun explains the official systems around the index.
Average Rent for Apartments in Abu Dhabi by Area
These are ADREC's median annual rents for apartments and duplexes in Q2 2025, all contract types, read from the map on 25 September 2026. The names are ADREC's districts: its Khalifa City district also takes in Masdar City and Al Raha Gardens, and Al Ghadeer is filed under the Al Layyan district.
| Area | 1 bed (AED) | 2 beds (AED) | 3 beds (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Reem Island | 68,055 | 99,566 | 141,550 |
| Yas Island | 80,264 | 127,020 | 161,284 |
| Saadiyat Island | 91,278 | 159,719 | 217,932 |
| Al Raha Beach | 68,517 | 107,141 | 169,280 |
| Khalifa City | 55,277 | 85,486 | 136,650 |
| Mohammed Bin Zayed City | 40,081 | 48,833 | 74,094 |
| Al Reef | 55,546 | 70,001 | 76,431 |
| Al Ghadeer | 46,686 | 61,875 | 109,456 |
| Al Bateen | 72,673 | 104,749 | 128,033 |
| Al Khalidiyah | 52,089 | 61,172 | 93,072 |
| Al Nahyan | 45,701 | 56,413 | 81,715 |
Saadiyat Island, home of the Saadiyat Cultural District, has the highest medians in the table for every size, and Mohammed Bin Zayed City the lowest, at well under half the Saadiyat level. Studios follow a similar order: AED 54,268 on Al Reem Island, AED 48,309 at Al Raha Beach, AED 53,368 in Khalifa City and AED 32,995 in Mohammed Bin Zayed City. On Yas Island the studio median, AED 85,453, sat above the one bedroom median that quarter, a reminder that each figure reflects the contracts behind it, not a price list.
Al Maryah Island needs care. Its series starts only in the third quarter of 2024, so there is no one year comparison yet, and its figures are the highest of any area in this guide: AED 116,468 for a one bedroom and AED 252,094 for a two bedroom in Q2 2025. Our Al Maryah Island guide explains what the island offers.
Average Rent for Villas and Townhouses by Area
These are the median annual rents for villas and townhouses in Q2 2025, all contract types. Where the map shows no figure for a bedroom count, the table says so.
| Area | 3 beds (AED) | 4 beds (AED) | 5 beds (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yas Island | 205,503 | 275,731 | 272,379 |
| Saadiyat Island | Not shown | 416,364 | 585,988 |
| Jubail Island | Not shown | 338,061 | 480,210 |
| Khalifa City | 149,918 | 165,385 | 164,766 |
| Mohammed Bin Zayed City | 117,813 | 133,009 | 143,864 |
| Al Reef | 107,649 | 145,361 | Not shown |
| Al Ghadeer | 100,253 | 118,811 | Not shown |
| Al Shamkha | 91,100 | 128,758 | 146,004 |
| Zayed City | 156,452 | 162,200 | 181,943 |
| Shakhbout City | 114,885 | 131,393 | 143,055 |
| Al Mushrif | 137,291 | 174,350 | 195,357 |
| Al Bateen | 132,934 | 178,799 | 189,218 |
The island communities carry the highest villa rents, led by Saadiyat Island, where the median five bedroom villa rented for AED 585,988 a year. In the established mainland communities the step from four to five bedrooms is small, and in Khalifa City the five bedroom median sat just below the four bedroom one. Jubail Island's series starts only in 2025, and the map shows no rent figure yet for Hudayriyat Island or Al Jurf; our guides to Hudayriyat Island and Al Jurf cover those communities.
How to Check the Rent for Any Building on ADREC's Map
- Open ADREC's website, choose Market Data and then Interactive Map.
- Switch the map to Average Rent Prices.
- Choose the contract type: all contracts, new leases only or renewals only.
- Choose the year, the property type, apartment or villa, and the number of bedrooms.
- Search for the area or click it on the map, and zoom in to move from the district to the community and, where there is data, the project.
- Read the overview panel: the average annual rent, the quarter it is based on, and the chart of lower, median and upper rent over time.
Compare like with like: the same bedroom count, the same property type and, where you can, the same project. Look at the range as well as the median: on Al Reem Island a one bedroom ran from AED 57,000 at the lower value to AED 78,000 at the upper value in Q2 2025. And switch between new leases and renewals, because they tell different stories.
New Leases Cost More Than Renewals
The contract type filter shows how much more a new tenant paid than a tenant who renewed. For one bedroom apartments in Q2 2025 the gap ran from 6% in Mohammed Bin Zayed City to 22% on Yas Island:
| Area, 1 bed | New lease (AED) | Renewal (AED) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Reem Island | 73,648 | 63,079 | 17% |
| Yas Island | 85,171 | 69,842 | 22% |
| Saadiyat Island | 94,940 | 87,355 | 9% |
| Al Raha Beach | 76,207 | 65,039 | 17% |
| Khalifa City | 59,226 | 52,423 | 13% |
| Mohammed Bin Zayed City | 41,661 | 39,327 | 6% |
| Al Reef | 58,175 | 51,451 | 13% |
Two bedrooms show the same pattern: on Al Reem Island new leases had a median of AED 106,921 against AED 95,437 at renewal. Before the 2026 measure, moving home cost more than staying put, which is why the rules on renewals matter so much to both sides.
How Rents Moved Before the 2026 Freeze
Between Q2 2024 and Q2 2025 the median one bedroom rent rose in every area below, most of all on Yas Island:
| Area, 1 bed | Q2 2024 (AED) | Q2 2025 (AED) | Rise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Reem Island | 60,001 | 68,055 | 13% |
| Yas Island | 64,513 | 80,264 | 24% |
| Saadiyat Island | 86,391 | 91,278 | 6% |
| Al Raha Beach | 65,099 | 68,517 | 5% |
| Khalifa City | 49,781 | 55,277 | 11% |
| Mohammed Bin Zayed City | 37,615 | 40,081 | 7% |
| Al Reef | 48,013 | 55,546 | 16% |
| Al Ghadeer | 39,401 | 46,686 | 18% |
ADREC's own reports show the climb continued after the index's latest quarter. When it announced the 2026 measure, ADREC said demand had consistently exceeded supply and new lease prices had risen 15% across Abu Dhabi and 23% in investment zones on the previous year. Its market report for the first half of 2026, published on 18 August 2026, put the rise in new lease prices at 17% for apartments and 9% for villas, and at 21% and 16% inside investment zones. It also counted 233,000 active residential lease contracts worth AED 9.3 billion, and found that rented homes make up 69% of occupied units in the Abu Dhabi region. Our rental market report looks at yields by area.
The 2026 Rent Freeze: What Changed on 3 June
On 3 June 2026 the Government of Abu Dhabi changed the permitted annual rent increase from 5% to 0% on residential, commercial and industrial properties across the emirate, for a temporary short period and until further notice. While the measure lasts, every tenancy renewal is processed at a 0% increase.
The measure comes with a reference point. In ADREC's words, all lease renewals and new agreements will reference the rental rate from the property's last registered Tawtheeq contract. That is why a registered lease matters: the last contract registered for a home is the figure the rules work from, for a renewal and for a new tenant. ADREC oversees compliance, and anyone who believes the directive is not being observed can contact it through its website, its customer service line and its official email.
The power behind the measure sits in the tenancy law. Article 16 of Law No. 20 of 2006 allows one increase a year of no more than 5% and lets the Chairman of the Executive Council increase, decrease or cancel that percentage; the limit applies to current tenants at renewal and to new tenants when they sign. As of 25 September 2026 ADREC had announced no change to the 0% measure, but it is temporary by design, so check the latest position before you sign or renew.
Renewals, Notice and Eviction: What the Tenancy Law Says
Abu Dhabi's tenancy law, Law No. 20 of 2006 as published with its amendments in the DARI law library, sets the rules most tenants and landlords meet around renewal time:
| Rule | What the law says |
|---|---|
| The contract | Tenancy contracts must be concluded in writing |
| Paying rent | For a home, within 21 days of the due date unless agreed otherwise |
| Staying on | If the tenant stays with no objection, the lease renews on the same terms |
| Notice to end or change | Two months before expiry for a home, three months for commercial use |
| Rent increase | Once a year, within the percentage set by the Executive Council, now 0% |
| Sale of the home | The lease stays valid against the new owner |
| Overcharging | The committee can cut the increase and fine up to one year's rent |
Eviction is limited to the grounds in Article 23: rent not paid on time, subletting without written permission, overcrowding or misuse, use that harms health or public order, and demolition for rebuilding with the necessary permits, which requires the property to be at least fifteen years old and gives the tenant six months from the date the permits are issued. A landlord who wants to live in the home must not own another habitable property in the same municipality, must give six months' notice before the lease expires, and must live there for one uninterrupted year; if not, the committee can order the tenant's return, compensation of up to one year's rent, or both.
Disputes go to the Lease Disputes Resolution Committee of the Judicial Department in Abu Dhabi, chaired by a judge. Its judgment is final where the dispute is worth AED 50,000 or less; above that it can be appealed within fifteen days, and rulings on disputes worth more than AED 300,000 can go on to the Cassation Committee within thirty days. Short stays are a separate regime with their own licence; see our holiday homes page.
Rent or Buy? What the Index Tells a Buyer
The index is also the fairest starting point for a rent or buy decision, because it gives an official rent to set against a purchase. In Q2 2025 a two bedroom apartment on Yas Island had a median rent of AED 127,020 a year, about AED 10,585 a month; on Al Reem Island the figure was AED 99,566, about AED 8,297 a month. Compare that with the monthly repayment for a similar home in our mortgage calculator, add the service charge, which ADREC's map also shows by project, and remember the one-off costs of buying: the Down Payment, the 2% registration fee and an AED 875 e-services fee when the sale is registered.
Our affordability calculator shows what you could borrow, our guide to mortgages in Abu Dhabi explains the lending rules, and our expat buying guide covers the paperwork. When you are ready to compare, browse apartments for sale in Abu Dhabi, villas for sale or the off-plan projects that let you pay in stages while you rent. Buying is not automatically cheaper: prices, rents and bank rates move in both directions, and a tenant whose rent cannot rise at renewal may find that staying put costs less for now.
What the Index Means for Landlords and Investors
For an investor, the index answers the first question about any purchase: what will it rent for? Gross yield is the annual rent divided by the price. At the Q2 2025 median of AED 68,055 for a one bedroom on Al Reem Island, a price of AED 1,000,000 gives a gross yield of 6.8% and a price of AED 1,300,000 gives 5.2%, before service charges, maintenance and vacant months. Test your own numbers with our rental yield calculator and read our Abu Dhabi returns guide, then compare our apartments for sale on Al Reem Island with the medians above.
The 2026 rules change the income picture in three ways. A tenant in place renews at 0%, so the rent on an existing lease stays where it is while the measure lasts. New agreements also reference the last registered Tawtheeq rent, so when you buy a tenanted home the registered rent is the figure to check first, and under Article 18 the lease passes to you with the home. And every lease should be registered: on TAMM, registering a new lease contract costs AED 50 and takes one day, or 1% for contracts longer than four years, and renewing a lease contract costs AED 50.
Our article on furnished and unfurnished rentals compares the two options for landlords. If you are weighing a sale instead of another tenancy, our guide to selling a property in Abu Dhabi and our property evaluation request are the place to start.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating the index as a price list. It is an official guide to rents in an area, not a legal reference for any single unit.
- Forgetting the date. The latest quarter on the map is Q2 2025, and ADREC reports that new lease rents kept rising after it.
- Ignoring the contract type. New leases and renewals are priced differently.
- Assuming the 0% measure is permanent. It is temporary and until further notice.
- Skipping registration or notice. The rules work from the last registered Tawtheeq contract, and a change of terms needs written notice two months before expiry.
How Masterpiece Property Can Help
Masterpiece Property is a licensed Abu Dhabi brokerage regulated by ADREC. Our advisors can help you read the index for a specific building, compare it with homes for sale, and check the registered lease on any tenanted home before you commit. Browse our Abu Dhabi property guides, contact us or book a video call with an advisor.
FAQ
What is the Abu Dhabi Rental Index?
It is the emirate's official rental index, launched by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre on 20 August 2024. On ADREC's Interactive Map it shows a lower, median and upper annual rent for each area by property type, bedroom count and contract type.
Where can I check the rental index in Abu Dhabi?
On ADREC's website, under Market Data and Interactive Map, in the Average Rent Prices view. Choose the contract type, year, property type and bedrooms, then select the district, community or project on the map.
What period does the rental index cover?
The map offers the years 2022 to 2025, and its latest figures are based on Q2 2025. At launch ADREC described the index as giving indicative quarterly rental pricing for areas across Abu Dhabi.
What is the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Abu Dhabi?
It depends on the area. In Q2 2025 the median one bedroom rent ran from AED 40,081 in Mohammed Bin Zayed City to AED 91,278 on Saadiyat Island among the main areas in this guide, with AED 68,055 on Al Reem Island and AED 80,264 on Yas Island. Al Maryah Island was higher again, at AED 116,468.
Can my landlord increase the rent in Abu Dhabi in 2026?
Not at renewal while the current measure lasts. Since 3 June 2026 the permitted annual increase has been 0% on residential, commercial and industrial property across the emirate, reduced from 5%, temporarily and until further notice.
Does the rent freeze apply to new tenants?
ADREC says all lease renewals and new agreements will reference the rental rate from the property's last registered Tawtheeq contract, and Article 16 of the tenancy law applies the increase limit to new tenants when they sign. Check the registered rent for the home before you agree a figure.
How much notice does a landlord or tenant have to give in Abu Dhabi?
Written notice two months before the lease expires for a home, and three months for commercial, industrial or professional use, if either side does not want to renew or wants to change the terms. A landlord who needs the home for his own use must give six months' notice before expiry.
Can a landlord evict a tenant to sell the property?
A sale is not one of the eviction grounds in Article 23 of the tenancy law, and Article 18 keeps the lease valid against the new owner.
What can I do if my landlord raises the rent above the limit?
Contact ADREC through its official channels, and take the dispute to the Lease Disputes Resolution Committee, which can reduce the increase to the legal limit and fine the landlord up to one year's rent.
Is the rental index legally binding?
No. ADREC calls it a general guide based on aggregate data, for information only, and says it should not be used as a legal reference for the exact rental value of any residential unit.
How much does it cost to register a lease in Abu Dhabi?
On TAMM, registering a new lease contract costs AED 50 and takes one day, or 1% for contracts longer than four years, and renewing a lease contract costs AED 50.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Abu Dhabi?
It depends on the home, your Down Payment and how long you will stay. Compare the index rent with the monthly repayment and service charge of a similar home, and add the 2% registration fee on a purchase. Prices, rents and bank rates move in both directions.
