Can my landlord increase the rent if it is already at the market rate?

Generally no. Under Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013, if your current rent is within 10% of the average market rent shown in the RERA rental index for your area and property type, the landlord is not permitted to increase it at renewal. The whole purpose of the index is that increases are only justified when your rent has fallen meaningfully below market; if you are already at or near market, there is no lawful basis for a rise. The reliable way to confirm this is to run the official RERA rent increase calculator on the Dubai Land Department website or Dubai REST app, entering your community, unit type, and current rent. If it returns 0%, any increase your landlord demands is unenforceable, and you may continue on the same terms. Keep the calculator result as evidence. If the landlord still pressures you or threatens non-renewal, you can raise the matter with the Rental Dispute Center under Dubai Land Department. Note that proper advance notice rules also apply to any change of terms. You can compare verified UAE tenancy lawyers on LEXAI to push back on an unlawful increase.