Contract cancellations in Dubai’s rental market fell by 25 percent in the first quarter of 2026, a figure that industry observers say signals a maturing relationship between landlords and tenants across the emirate.
Data from the Dubai Land Department shows that the period from January to March recorded 118,385 new rental agreements and 135,607 renewals — with the volume of renewals suggesting that a significant portion of tenants opted to extend rather than relocate, reflecting a degree of confidence in current market conditions.
The combined value of rental contracts signed during the quarter reached AED 32.2 billion.
On the supply side of professional services, the number of registered real estate offices expanded to 10,200, with 3,599 licences issued across various property-related activities during the same period. Brokerage dominated the breakdown: 1,564 licences were allocated to sales and purchase transactions, and 928 covered leasing operations.
The remaining licences spanned property management, valuation, consultancy, mortgage brokerage and auction services — a distribution that reflects the operational depth behind Dubai’s property sector.
Analysts have characterised the current environment as broadly balanced, with supply and demand alignment limiting the kind of price volatility seen in previous cycles.
