Accommodation in Dubai

There’s plenty of expat accommodation in Dubai, and since the market crash of 2008, leasing prices have dropped to levels much more favourable for foreign nationals.

While many expats entertain the idea of living in a luxurious Middle Eastern villa surrounded by a lavish courtyard and pool, this type of housing can often be expensive and in high demand. Whether you're buying property in Dubai or renting, it’s best to temper these dreams of grandeur and to take into consideration a number of factors before securing accommodation in Dubai.

Renting property in Dubai

Some expats may not even have the opportunity to heighten their senses and engage in the exhilarating house hunt, as employers often allocate a home for their employees relocating from overseas. If you’d rather have the option of selecting your own accommodation don’t be afraid to request a housing allowance equivalent to the home on offer.

In order to pick the area in Dubai in which you'd like to live it’s necessary to decide what your priorities are and what you’re willing to sacrifice. Each area has its own unique set of pros and cons; it is recommended you speak to other expats about their experiences and also consider:

• Commute times to work and to local schools if you have school age children
• Congestion and noise level in the area
• Proximity to shops and restaurants
• Which areas are popular with expat communities

It’s also important to realize that some areas of Dubai are more expensive than other areas; this is especially true of ‘New Dubai’, a collection of suburbs that has been recently developed.

It’s helpful to hire a real estate agent in Dubai, but it’s also possible to peruse the online classifieds (DubaiDonkey.com or DubaiClassifieds.com) or even just drive through areas of interest and look out for “To Let” signs.

Expats using an agent to look for accommodation in Dubai should make sure the chosen individual is a registered agent with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA); this will minimise your exposure to risk and red-tape.

The average cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment is now around Dhs.150,000 ($28,000) per year, while a four-bedroom villa starts at Dhs.400,000.

In order to assist employees, some companies now offer to provide these rent cheques for workers and reclaim the money from the monthly salaries. A ‘rent cap’ introduced by the UAE government in 2005 has sought to combat the often disproportionate rent increases and prevent landlords hiking rents above the government-prescribed percentage each year.

Many people choose to house-share as a way of cutting costs; by splitting the rent between four, five or six people it is possible to enjoy the luxury of villa-living without breaking the bank. Others have migrated to the neighbouring Emirate of Sharjah, where rents are considerably less.