Rethinking office income as tenants negotiate

Khaleej Times reported on 23 September 2026 that some Dubai tenants were moving to new homes as newly signed leases offered lower rents. The article concerns residential leasing. It does not establish a comparable decline in office rents.

Keep different markets separate

Gulf News reported CBRE data on 29 July showing different Q2 patterns: residential rents fell 6.2% quarter on quarter, while office rents were 13% higher year on year. These figures have different comparison periods as well as different property types.

Our office-income interpretation

An office investor needs a lease-level assessment. Record contractual rent, rent actually collected, the remaining term, incentives, any outstanding amounts and expenses paid by the owner. An asking rent on a neighbouring listing is a comparison lead, not collected income.

For a vacant property, include the marketing period and the cost of making the space usable. A fitted office and a shell-and-core unit can have very different cash requirements even when their annual headline rents look similar.

What to request before an offer

Obtain the lease and payment schedule, the current service-charge statement, a condition inspection and a dated set of comparable units. Ask which assumptions remain unverified. Review renewal and contractual questions with an appropriate adviser.

Use astraterra.ae — offices for sale dubai to begin a property comparison; make the income evidence part of the brief.

Sources

Khaleej Times, 23 September 2026: khaleejtimes.com — dubai tenants move homes as new leases offer rents up to 15 lower

Gulf News / CBRE, 29 July 2026: gulfnews.com — dubai rents ease 62 while home prices stay above 2025 levels 1.500623468