Apartments for rent in Dubai

Dubai is a fast-paced cosmopolitan city with some of the most sophisticated addresses in the world. Dubai’s real estate industry is known to be one of the most affordable prime real estate markets globally, where investors and residents have the unique opportunity to live on the world’s largest man-made island, Palm Jumeirah, in the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa and in one of the many skyscrapers which make up the community of Dubai Marina. Dubai also has a traditional side which was the original centre of the city, made up of areas such as Deira, Bur Dubai, Al Satwa and Al Qusais. These areas are known for their cultural significance and generally house affordable apartments for rent in Dubai. 

There is no shortage of rental units for those looking to make Dubai their home. Tenants can choose from one of the Dubai apartments for rent or live in one of the many villa communities around town. Location is one of the main deciding factors when it comes to renting or investing in the emirate. Most of the luxury residences offer private beach access, stunning sea views and are located along the coastline in bustling neighbourhoods such as Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah and Jumeirah. Whatever your preference, you can find many different apartments in Dubai from affordable flats to sea-view penthouses, serviced hotel apartments and duplex flats for rent in Dubai.

Types of Apartments in Dubai 

Flats for rent in Dubai come in many different sizes with options ranging from affordable, luxury, furnished, unfurnished and serviced flats. Tenants can choose to rent flats in Dubai on a monthly or yearly basis. Tenants looking for apartments for rent in Dubai can also choose from various units depending on their budget and space requirements. Most apartment buildings in Dubai provide amenities such as reserved parking, shared swimming pool, a kid’s play area and a gym. Many of the apartments for rent in Dubai also include a maid’s room, a laundry room and a balcony. Those looking to rent an apartment in Dubai can choose from studio, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-bedroom flats. 

Some other apartments in Dubai include duplex/triplex units, which have two or three floors, similar to a townhouse but with the benefits and convenience of an apartment. There are also hotel apartments, commonly referred to as serviced apartments in Dubai, where generally, all of the bills are covered in the rental price and the tenant will not have any extra expenses. For hotel/serviced apartments in Dubai, the rental price is generally higher due to this factor. Most serviced apartments in Dubai also offer housekeeping services and access to other amenities. Some buildings in Dubai are also pet-friendly, but you would need to check with your landlord/real estate agency prior to signing the tenancy agreement. 

Popular Areas to Rent Apartments in Dubai

Dubai is known for its high-rise lifestyle, it has over 542,000 apartment units in the city, as per the housing units report of 2019 published by the Dubai Statistics Centre. Those looking for luxury properties in highly sought after areas can consider living in Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT). These areas are known for their range of high-end properties and are also well-connected to public transportation options such as the Dubai Metro. Popular affordable communities when it comes to renting a flat in Dubai include Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), International City and Al Nahda. 

Rental Trends for Flats in Dubai 

Rental prices for apartments in Dubai start from AED 15k for a studio in neighbourhoods like International City and Deira. 1-bedroom apartments in Dubai can be rented for AED 21k in areas like Al Nahda and Dubai South. If you’re looking to live in Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah then the prices for a 1 BHK for rent starts from AED 45k and AED 65k, respectively. Rental prices for 2-bedroom apartments in Dubai range from AED 30k to AED 525k. The higher-priced properties are found in exclusive neighbourhoods such as Business Bay, Downtown Dubai and Jumeirah. 3-bed units are priced upwards of AED 45k in the Al Qusais and Jebel Ali communities. The average prices for renting a 3-bed flat in JLT is AED 121k and it is AED 137k in Business Bay. 4-bed units can be found for AED 65k in Deira and go up to AED 800k yearly in Downtown Dubai. Finding a 5-bedroom apartment in Dubai is not that common and prices start from AED 150k in communities such as Dubai Sports City, Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) and Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). 

How to Rent an Apartment in Dubai? 

When you are looking to rent a flat in Dubai the first step is to start your property search online. Using Bayut to search for your next home and to connect with the relevant real estate agents who have listed their properties is a simple process. Once you’ve selected a property the next step is to negotiate and sign a tenancy contract. The rent is paid in a number of post-dated cheques and it is common for landlords to ask for one to four cheques, annually. 

Costs Associated with Renting an Apartment in Dubai 

Apart from the annual/monthly price for an apartment for rent in Dubai, there are a few other costs associated with renting an apartment in Dubai. When renting a property through a real estate agent/agency you will have to pay an agency commission, this can range anywhere from 2% to 5% of the annual rent and is calculated by the agency you are using. If you would want to avoid this then you would have to rent an apartment directly from the owner. 

Most tenants moving to apartments in Dubai need to pay a security deposit. The security deposit for an apartment in Dubai usually ranges from 5% to 10% of the annual rent. Your landlord decides this amount and it is refundable upon vacating the property. A certain amount could be deducted based on the condition of the property when vacating the premises.  

When signing the tenancy agreement, the tenant or the landlord will also need to register for an Ejari. Ejari is a government-run initiative by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) to regulate tenancy contracts in Dubai. Prices for rent in Dubai are also regulated by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) using the Ejari system. The Ejari tenancy contract creates a transparent legally binding contract between the tenant and landlord. Each Ejari also comes with a unique Ejari number which is mandatory in order to get connections set up for electricity, water, internet, phone and gas services. The Ejari registration/renewal fee is AED 215 + 5% VAT. 

When moving to an apartment in Dubai you will need to set up the electricity and water connection yourself once you have the Ejari number. The government service provider for this is Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). To set up the DEWA connection for apartments, there is an AED 2k refundable deposit for this and an additional non-refundable AED 110 connection fee. If you are not renting a serviced apartment then you will also need to pay the monthly utility bill for the water and electricity consumption. This DEWA bill also comes with a housing fee which is calculated by the Dubai Municipality based on your tenancy contract. In your monthly DEWA bill, Dubai apartments for rent are also subject to a housing fee which is calculated as 5% of your annual rent divided into 12 parts, which needs to be paid monthly. The housing fee is automatically added to your monthly DEWA bill and is calculated based on your Ejari.

Another charge is chiller fees or district cooling fees. Many buildings offer chiller-free apartments for rent in Dubai where the tenant does not have to pay the chiller/district cooling charges. These charges are for the cooling/air-conditioning of the flat and vary from the different providers and size of the property, it is separate from your DEWA bill. The two main district cooling providers are Emicool and Empower. Some buildings also have DEWA as the chiller supplier, so the chiller charge is included as part of the DEWA bill. This is slightly less expensive compared to district cooling as there is no demand charge. A demand charge is only found in district cooling, it is a fixed price for use of the services, as the consumption charge is separate, it is billed annually and paid monthly.