If you have just moved to Dubai and are looking for a place to stay it is important that you get what you pay for and that you are happy with your choice as rent will be one of your biggest expenses here.
In Dubai, rented apartments range from AED 355 to AED 1,098 per square meter with annual rents ranging from AED 23,000 to AED 200,000.
For example, rental apartments in Dubai Festival City can start at AED 112,000 for two-bedroom options and AED 140,000 for three-bedroom options. According to Property Monitor, the average annual rent for this prime development is AED124,464.
What does it tell you? Rents in Dubai are very volatile. So how to choose an apartment for rent?
That’s why we’ve put together a list of things to look out for when looking for accommodation in Dubai. It can get overwhelming at times, causing you to miss out on some elements. To make sure you don’t miss out, we’ve put together a list of things to consider when deciding to rent a new apartment or villa in Dubai.Our
A checklist will walk you through all the key things to look out for, from the moment you browse Bayut and Dubizzle listings to the moment you view the apartment.
Key Factors To Consider For An Apartment Search
1. Choosing the right location for your apartment
Location is arguably the most important factor to consider when looking for an apartment in Dubai. This will determine how easily you can access amenities like groceries, schools, hospitals, and public transport.
Location is largely a personal decision and many different factors should be considered when choosing a location. For example, prioritizing access to school if you’re moving to Dubai with kids, while easy access to public transport is more helpful if you’re commuting to work every day.
Second, location can also affect your security.In general, apartments located in older downtown neighbourhoods tend to be safer than those located in newer or less developed areas. Indeed, older neighbourhoods are often more densely populated and have a stronger sense of community, which can help deter crime.
In addition, your choice of location may affect your security. Apartments in older downtown neighbourhoods are generally safer than those in newer or less developed communities. Indeed, established communities often have higher population densities and a stronger sense of community, both of which can help reduce crime.
It can also affect overall quality of life. For example, if you want a more active urban lifestyle, you may want to choose an apartment in a prominent, popular area. On the other hand, if you choose a quieter and more comfortable environment, you can choose an apartment in a residential area.
Generally, when choosing a place to live, the location of an apartment in Dubai is very important to consider. It is essential to carefully analyze your alternatives and choose the one that best suits your needs and tastes, as this can affect the accessibility of facilities, your safety and overall quality of life.
2. Decide on the budget
It’s important to consider various cost factors as well as any additional fees that may apply when choosing where to stay in Dubai. For example, some apartments may require a monthly maintenance fee, a security deposit, and sometimes a flat fee for amenities.
It is also important to consider utility costs such as electricity, water, and gas as these can significantly increase the overall cost of living.
If you have just moved to Dubai, you should also consider the initial costs of moving into an apartment. This may include the cost of renting a moving truck or hiring someone to move, as well as the cost of buying furniture and other household items.
It is important to carefully consider your budget and make sure that you can afford the monthly rent and other costs associated with living in the apartment.
Here are some projected costs you can consider:
- Agency Fees: The total rent does not include the 5% of the annual rent paid to the real estate agency.
- deposit: usually 5% or 10% of the annual rent for unfurnished and furnished apartments. This amount will be refunded at the end of the contract. Make sure you take a security deposit with you from home if you move.
- Deposit DEWA : This is a mandatory fee charged by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).This refundable DEWA deposit for apartments is 2000 DEA and 4000 AED for villas. There is also an additional non-refundable connection fee of AED 110,
- City Tax: Also known as City Tax. This amounts to 5% of the annual rent and is added to your monthly DEWA bill.
- Ejari Fee: AED 195 one time fee per rental agreement.
- Chiller or Generator Storage and Gas Storage: Varies by location and provider (if applicable).
3. Checklist To Use When Viewing The Apartment In Dubai
Let’s move on to the most essential element of your apartment hunt now that you know what to look for in a new apartment. But how do you know which home is ideal for you?
Here is a plan we created for apartment searching in Dubai. Based on responses made by long-term residents of Dubai on forums and social media platforms, this should make the procedure simpler for you.
4. Explore the neighborhood
Some residential areas can get very busy during peak hours, which you’ll only notice if you’re trying to get to the office between 8am and 6pm.
In addition to maps and guides of the area, it is necessary to walk around and find out how far the building is from the nearest supermarkets and public amenities.If you are not driving, think about how long it will take you to get to the nearest bus and/or metro station.
You can also use the Google Maps heatmap tool to check rush hour traffic in your area. Traffic jams are marked with red and yellow roads.
For example, communities such as Jumeirah Village Circle, International City, and Barsha Heights generally have little traffic. However, roads in these communities can get quite congested during weekday rush hours, so check ahead.
5. Build quality and facilities
- Security: Although Dubai is a safe city, you should look for an apartment complex with 24-hour security and surveillance. This can give you peace of mind and keep you safe.
- Parking: If you have a car, make sure the apartment complex has enough parking space for residents. Look for a place with designated resident parking as well as guest parking.
- Guarantee: This generally applies to new buildings where the owner provides a maintenance guarantee against any damage or necessary repairs to the property.This will come in handy especially if you are new to Dubai.
- Chillerless: With chillerless, the landlord pays the entire cost of cooling the air, not the tenant. Renters of apartments without air conditioning in Dubai only have to pay for the electricity consumed in the apartment, excluding air conditioning.
- Facilities: The majority of apartment complexes in Dubai have many amenities such as swimming pools, gyms and sports facilities. Consider all the amenities that are important to you and look for a community that offers them.
- Size and Layout: When choosing an apartment, it is essential to evaluate the size and layout of the apartment. Make sure it has enough space for you and your family, and that the layout of the room meets your needs.
- Shower drain: While not a problem-solving tool, it is important to check that the water in the shower is draining properly as most properties in Dubai have it. tend to have this problem.
- Ventilation: Arriving at the site later at night, you may find strange odors (after about 8pm). This is the time to find out if there are any problems with the litter room, dirty slides, and more.
- Quality of Finish: Finally, pay special attention to the quality of the property’s finish. Look for high-quality materials, such as marble or granite countertops, and check for wear on appliances and fixtures. This will give you an impression of the overall quality of the part.
- Spacing: Check if there is enough space for the refrigerator, washing machine and gas stove and if it is practical.
- Lighting: While it may seem innocuous, the natural light entering the apartment during the day and the light of the bulbs at night is something you need to consider.
- Pest control: Always require thorough cleaning and pest control prior to moving in.
6. Inspect the interior
- Consider how well the walls of the apartment can absorb noise from adjacent units. If the walls in the house are too thin, you may hear noises such as crying babies, loud TVs, music, etc. If you are a light sleeper, this should be at the top of your list.
- General condition of the apartment, including any visible damage or wear, layout and design of the space, quality and condition of furniture and fittings, and cleanliness of the apartment are the main factors.
- Check the condition of walls, floors and ceilings for signs of damage from water seepage, mold, or other problems.You should also check the apartment for any safety hazards, such as faulty wiring or gas leaks, and ensure that the unit complies with all building codes and regulations. local safety regulations.
- Notice the peeling paint on the walls. Look for signs of mold or leaks, especially around corners.
- Attempt to open and close all cabinet and cabinet doors. Do the doors open all the way or do they look like they’re about to fall?Check if windows open and close properly (if they can be opened).
- Pay special attention to the toilet and bathtub – this is something most people who visit the apartment overlook. If there are any cracks in the bathroom, insist that they be fixed before you move in.
- Pay attention to the number of wall sockets in the apartment. They should be convenient to plug in all your large appliances, like televisions and internet modems, as well as smaller devices, like smartphones and hair dryers.
7. Activities and Lifestyle
The next thing to consider is your lifestyle. What are you doing or what do you want to do? What is your everyday life?
If you are an employee, where do you work? If you have school-age children, what type of school would you like for them?What do you and your family like to do on weekdays? And the weekends? Do you prefer to cook or eat out or order take away?
Do you do your own laundry or do you prefer a professional laundry service? Do you or any other family member drive?
The answers to these and other questions determine your service requirements and lead you to your dream apartment.
For example, your job should limit your options. It is best to choose an area close to where you work.
However, if an apartment near your workplace exceeds your budget, you have no choice but to expand your search radius to more distant parts of the city. However, in this case, you need to find a place accessible by public transport or, for convenience, spend money on a car.
If you have school-age children, you need a neighborhood with schools nearby.
On the other hand, if you’re used to going to the mall every weekend or spending time with your family, you need an on-site recreation area. A perfect example of such an investment is the Marsa Plaza condominium near Dubai Festival City Mall, the premier shopping destination in the United Arab Emirates.
If you or your family members have an active lifestyle—like tennis, swimming, basketball, and other sports—you might want to have a gym or club nearby that offers such activities. Finally, if you’re used to eating out, you also need a space with plenty of dining options.
8. Value for Money
After narrowing down the selective list of neighborhoods based on your specific budget and needs and preferences, the next step is to list all the apartments for rent in your select areas. At this point, you can rank your list of possible apartments by value.
Value or value for money is usually measured by the total amount of space and additional amenities and facilities you can get for a given price.
To illustrate, if you spend AED 124,000 on your annual apartment rent, which apartment on your list offers the most space and amenities for that money? This will be the apartment that gives the best value for money.
There is indeed great news for you on this front. Although the UAE ranks eighth in the world for monthly rents (meaning the UAE is one of the most expensive countries in the world), it offers a relatively higher value for money when it comes to real estate. high-class.
As a result, you get more luxury real estate space for every dirham you spend in Dubai than in New York, Hong Kong or London.Specifically, when it comes to luxury real estate, AED 36,731 will get you 454 square meters of space in Dubai, and just 139 square meters in Hong Kong, 209 square meters in New York and 269 square meters in London.
Dubai is an expensive city. Therefore, choosing an apartment requires a lot of care.
Remember to filter options based on your budget and lifestyle. Then compare your options based on the value each can bring before deciding which apartment to rent.
