A foreigner can rent an apartment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, without any trouble but the cost is going to be comparatively high. You can find an affordable apartment if you are lucky but such apartments don’t stay long in the real estate agency’s catalog because the demand considerably exceeds the supply. At the same time, rental prices differ in Dubai and much depends on the type of apartment, the number of rooms that it has, the district where it is located, and the devices that it is equipped with.
The district of Dubai affects the price of the apartment greatly. Renting an apartment in the city center is expensive. Alternatively, you could consider renting a place outside the city center. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Sports City, for instance will cost you around 28 Dirhams (AED) per year. The current exchange rate of AED to UDS is 1 to 0,27, which makes 7,600 USD per year or 632.2 USD per month.
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Viewz by Danube residential complex in Dubai.
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If the price matters for you, you will have to spend some time looking for affordable residential accommodations in Dubai. It would be a good idea to do your homework and look through publicly accessible catalogs before you go to Dubai. If you can find a few nice apartments in the catalogs, the process of renting a place in Dubai is going to be simpler.
Popular districts of Dubai
How much is the rent in Dubai? The answer will depend on the district of the city. Different districts will have different levels of security, infrastructure development, and accessibility of social infrastructure objects, but the differences will not be great.
Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers
These are districts of high-rise buildings and they are extremely popular with visitors to the UAE. The rent starts at 40,000 AED (hereinafter – per year) but the price is often higher.
Typical apartment:
- Dubai Marina (1 bedroom, rent is 40-180 thousand AED) – a nice option for couples and solo travelers;
- Jumeirah Beach Residence (1 bedroom, rent is 70-155 thousand AED) – good for family beach vacations;
- Jumeirah Lakes Towers (1 bedroom, rent is 36-130 thousand AED) – family holidays.
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Como Residences, Dubai.
Emirates Hills, The Springs, The Meadows, The Lakes
These districts will suit families with children and pets. Maximum level of social and infrastructural comfort, high living standards. The rental prices are also high but the quality of life is superb indeed.
Typical apartment:
- The Springs (3-bedroom villa, rent is 160-200 thousand AED) – not too bad for Dubai but much more expensive than in most other emirates;
- Emirates Hills (renting residential accommodations in the district will cost you at least 450 thousand AED) – this is one of the most expensive districts of Dubai;
- The Meadows, The Lakes (3-bedroom villa, rent is 230-270 thousand AED) – average high rental price in Dubai.
Palm Jumeirah
This is an elite district and the prices are comparatively high there. At the same time, people of means will find multiple points of interest in the district. A luxurious district for the rich only.
Typical apartment:
- The Palm Jumeirah (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 75-260 thousand AED).
Jumeirah Village
This is one of the newest districts of Dubai designed for the young, the expats, and the officers of western companies. If you are low on funds, renting an apartment in this district would be a perfect choice: the prices are affordable and Jumeirah Village does not have any serious drawbacks.
Typical apartment:
- Jumeirah Village (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 29-120 thousand AED) – the price is a confirmation of the fact that housing in Dubai can be affordable.
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Sobha SeaHaven residential complex.
The Greens
There you will find a curious combination of one-story villas and huge luxurious residential complexes. The district is characterized by friendliness to newcomers. The Greens is the choice of Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City employees. There are several lakes in the district that make the climate not so exhaustive.
Typical apartment:
- Jumeirah Village (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 50-120 thousand AED) – a cozy, almost ‘European’ part of the UAE. If you want an apartment in the area where a large number of foreigners live, the district is for you.
Arabian Ranches, Motor City, Sports City
We have combined two inexpensive districts (Motor City, and Sports City) with a more expensive one because in all three places the choice of housing opportunities is very large. You can rent an apartment for a month or for a year. Besides, all three districts offer a wide range of entertainment opportunities.
Typical apartment:
- Arabian Ranches (3-bedroom villa, rent is 115-320 thousand AED) – a unique residential complex built and managed by Emaar Company; a district with the highest living standards and high (even for the UAE) housing prices;
- Motor City (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 39-80 thousand AED) – a large choice of apartments at relatively low prices;
- Sports City (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 28-89 thousand AED) – one of the most attractive opportunities for families arriving in Dubai.
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Fashionz residential complex.
Downtown Dubai, DIFC, Business Bay
The places are remarkable by the price difference that you will find there. An apartment only a few blocks away may cost ten times less than the one that you are looking at. If you would like to live in a district with multiple trade centers and commercial objects in Dubai, Downtown Dubai, DIFC, or Business Bay should be your choice.
Typical apartment:
- Downtown Dubai (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 60-175 thousand AED) – the district has everything you need for work and recreation and it gives easy access to other parts of Dubai and the UAE;
- DIFC (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 63-200 thousand AED) – one of the commercial centers of the UAE; the district would be a natural choice for business people and investors;
- Business Bay (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 45-199 thousand AED) – mostly a commercial district but comfortable residential accommodations are also available there.
Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, Al Wasl
These are Dubai villa neighborhoods. If you would like to rent a place in Dubai only for a month but you want to feel comfortable there, this is probably the best option that you have. Any of these districts will be perfect for your family. The rental prices start at 99,000 AED, which is not too much by the UAE standards.
Typical apartment:
- Jumeirah (3-bedroom villa, rent is 99-220 thousand AED);
- Umm Suqeim (3-bedroom villa, rent is 140-260 thousand AED);
- Al Wasl (3-bedroom villa, rent is 149-160 thousand AED).
Real property in the UAE: Petalz residential complex in the heart of Dubai.
Deira, Bur Dubai
These are the oldest districts of Dubai. Very few new buildings are erected there but the technical conditions of the existing buildings are at a high level. One of the advantages that these districts boast is a large number of shops, cafes, and family restaurants. The rental prices are comparatively low there. Deira and Bur Dubai should be of interest to families with kids and to those who cannot afford renting an expensive apartment.
Typical apartment:
- Bur Dubai (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 30-155 thousand AED);
- Deira (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 21-115 thousand AED).
Festival City
The district is remarkable by the choice of types of houses that you can find there. You can rent an apartment in the district but also you can opt for a villa or a semi-detached house. Район отличается большим выбором типов жилья, в каталогах агентств представлены квартиры, таунхаусы и виллы. The number of socio-cultural facilities is impressive in the district and the rental prices are relatively low. Families often choose to reside in Festival City.
Typical apartment:
- Festival City (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 45-84 thousand AED).
Mirdif
The best choice for those who would like to rent an affordable villa in Dubai. We must also note that the airport is not far away from the district and the price-to-quality ration is superb.
Typical apartment:
- Mirdif (3-bedroom villa, rent is 45-220 thousand AED).
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Safa One (Al-Safa).
Dubailand
One of the few new districts. You can rent an apartment there at a decent price if you are happy with a limited choice of shops, cafes, and restaurants in the area.
Typical apartment:
- Dubailand (1-bedroom apartment, rent is 86-170 thousand AED).
Additional costs
The total cost of hiring an apartment in Dubai is made up of two parts. The first part is the rent proper and the second part are several additional costs that cannot be avoided in most cases. When calculating your budget, you have to take these additional costs into consideration.
Security deposit
The deposit is mandatory but the sums vary and they can be negotiable.
Information on the security deposit:
- It is paid to the landlord as a guaranty of the property security;
- Normally, the amount of the deposit is equal to the amount of the monthly rent;
- Alternatively, the security deposit may be 5% to 10% of the yearly rent.
- If the tenant does not break or ruin anything, the security deposit will be returned to him/ her on departure;
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Cavalli Tower, Dubai Marina.
Housing fee / Dubai municipality Fee
The payments are mandatory; the amounts are fixed by the emirate authorities.
Information on housing/ Dubai municipality fee:
- It is a state duty for property renters;
- Often added to the DEWA bill (see below);
- The municipal fee is 5% of the rent;
- It is broken into 12 equal payments.
Agency fees
You will have to pay a fee to the real estate agency if you hire it to help you find a rental apartment in Dubai.
Information on agency fees:
- Some agencies in Dubai charge 2%-5%;
- Some other agencies 7%-10%.
Ejari Dubai
Ejari is a special government platform where all real estate contracts are registered with the Land Department in Dubai. Using Ejari to register the contract is similar to registering it with a notary public.
Payment in special trustee centers:
- Registration fee is 120 AED;
- Service fee is 95 AED + VAT.
Payment via a mobile application/ electronic system:
- Registration fee is 100 AED;
- Knowledge Fee (for granting you access to the information) is 10 AED;
- Innovation Fee is 10 AED.
Real property in the UAE: a 5-bedroom villa in DAMAC Lagoons.
DEWA
Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) is a public utility organization that manages electricity and water supply in Dubai. The organization charger the tenant an addition deposit but it guarantees uninterrupted supply of water and electricity. When the rent agreement expires and the tenant moves out, the deposit is returned to him/ her.
Amounts of DEWA deposit:
- Apartment in Dubai – 2,000 AED;
- Villa in Dubai – 4,000 AED.
Payment for account activation:
- Meter connection (large and small meters) – 100 / 300 AED;
- Registration fee – 10 AED;
- Knowledge fee – 10 AED;
- Innovation fee – 10 AED.
Air conditioning and cooling systems
You don’t want to rent an apartment in Dubai without an air conditioner because it is very hot in the emirate. The two largest suppliers of these devices in Dubai are Empower and Emicol Companies. The rent will partially depend on who covers the air conditioning costs: the tenant or the property owner. For this reason, it is important to clear it up before signing the rent agreement.
Real property in the UAE: apartments in Golf Gate (Damac Hills, Dubai).
Technical services
It would be a good idea if you took a personal look at the technical conditions of the apartment before you sign the agreement. You cannot fully trust photographs of the information from your realtor. If you find that some things are missing, you can probably negotiate a lower price. If everything is in good order, you have to be clear on who covers the repairs in case anything breaks down.
Please read other articles about Dubai by following the links bellow:
Real property in the UAE: TRUMP VILLAS residential complex (a 10-year residence permit as a bonus).
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