Doha, Qatar: Housing rental rates in Qatar showed signs of quarterly stabilisation during the second quarter of 2026, registering year-on-year adjustments, marked by a sharp jump in mortgage transaction values.
According to the latest Q2 2026 report by ValuStrat, the median monthly rent for residential units across Qatar settled at QR8,100. While this figure represents quarterly stability, overall residential rents declined by 4.5 percent compared to the same period last year.
The data noted that while headline asking rents held firm quarter-on-quarter, net effective rents experienced subtle downward pressure.
To maintain occupancy and limit vacancy periods, Industry leaders highlighted that landlords increasingly relied on non-price incentives, such as extended grace periods and utility-inclusive lease options.
In prime locations like The Pearl Qatar, some property owners offered significant discounts to secure immediate tenancies.
During Q2 2026, Qatar recorded 335 mortgage transactions across all ready property asset classes, a 15
percent quarter-on-quarter increase and an 8 percent year-on-year increase.
The total value of these mortgage transactions reached QR16bn, representing a 9 percent quarterly uptick and a 61 percent surge compared to Q2 2025.
Financing conditions were supported by the US Federal Open Market Committee keeping the benchmark federal funds rate in the 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent range in June 2026.
Doha municipality dominated financing activity, accounting for 139 mortgage transactions worth QR14.2bn, the lion’s share of total transaction volume and value for the quarter. “The rental market presented a more nuanced picture,” said market expert and Head of Research, Qatar at ValuStrat, Anum Hasan. “While asking rents were broadly unchanged, landlords increasingly offered longer grace periods, utility-inclusive leases, and targeted incentives, effectively reducing net yields.”
She stressed that “Larger homes faced pressure from family relocations and tighter household budgets, particularly in prime locations.” On the other hand, lease activity was active in both segments, driven primarily by contract renewals.
Apartment lease rates remained flat quarterly but dropped 4.3 percent YoY to average QR5,600. The second quarter saw around 19,000 registered apartment lease contracts (up 1.5 percent QoQ).
Demand for studios and one-bedroom units was buoyed by returning residents, whereas two-bedroom asking rents fell by 2.6 percent both QoQ and YoY as regional tensions, workforce adjustments, and temporary family relocations freed up larger inventory, the market analysis said.
Villa median rents stabilised quarterly but decreased by 5.7 percent YoY. Median monthly rates stood at QR12,250 for three-bedroom villas, QR12,500 for four-bedroom units, and QR14,000 for five-bedroom layouts. Four-bedroom villa rents slipped 1.2 percent QoQ, whereas five-bedroom properties remained flat. Over 6,500 villa lease contracts were registered in Q2, led by Ain Khaled (406 contracts), Al Wukair (367), and Al Gharrafa (288). In contrast to rental yield adjustments, Qatar’s ready-property sales and financing market posted strong momentum. “Together with higher mortgage transaction volumes, these trends indicated that buyer confidence remained resilient,” Hasan added.
