Renting an apartment in Dubai
What a flat in that tower actually goes for, and how not to hand a year of rent to the wrong person.
Portal prices are asking prices. What a unit closes at depends on the tower, the floor, the cheque count and how long it has been listed. We track the range per building rather than per district, and we tell you which listings are the same flat posted five times by five agents.
How we help
- 01The realistic range for that building, not the district average
- 02How the cheque count moves the price: one, two or four cheques
- 03Ejari, DEWA, chiller and deposit, so the first month holds no surprise
- 04Which agents actually hold the unit and which are reposting it
- 05When to sign, because renewal season and summer are not the same market
What people are asking right now
Ranges from the market, not live listings. We move them when the market moves.
| District | Type | Asking range | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina | Studio | AED 8,000 - 11,000 | mo |
| Dubai Marina | 1 BR | AED 11,000 - 15,000 | mo |
| JLT | Studio | AED 6,000 - 9,000 | mo |
| JLT | 1 BR | AED 8,000 - 12,000 | mo |
| Business Bay | 1 BR | AED 8,500 - 13,000 | mo |
| JVC | Studio | AED 4,500 - 7,000 | mo |
| Palm Jumeirah | 1 BR | AED 20,000 + | mo |
Swipe sideways for the rest
Tell us what you need
The more concrete you are, the more useful our answer.
Questions people ask first
What do I pay before I move in?
Usually a five percent deposit, five percent agency commission, Ejari at AED 220, a DEWA deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment, plus the cheques themselves. On a AED 80,000 flat that is roughly AED 10,000 before any rent.
Is one cheque always cheaper?
Usually, often five to ten percent below the four-cheque price. Whether tying up the cash is worth it is your call, and we will put both numbers next to each other.
Can the landlord raise the rent?
Only within the RERA rental index, and only with ninety days written notice before renewal. If the increase sits above the index, the calculator in the Dubai REST app settles it.
Other things we help with
Setting up a company in Dubai
Free zone or mainland, what each one really costs, and which banks open the account afterwards.
What we trackBuying property in Dubai
What the portal price leaves out, and what a purchase costs from signature to key.
What we trackThe Golden Visa, without the sales pitch
Which routes exist, what each one really requires, and which are quietly harder than they look.
What we trackHealth cover in Dubai, and what it skips
The legal minimum, what it does not cover, and where paying more actually buys something.
What we trackYour first six weeks in Dubai, in order
Emirates ID, bank account, licence, DEWA, school places. What comes first and what it costs.
What we trackOpening a bank account in Dubai
Personal or corporate, which banks say yes to whom, and what actually causes a rejection.
What we trackThe freelance permit, priced honestly
Who it fits, what it costs in year one and at renewal, and where it falls short.
What we trackCrypto in the UAE, licensing included
What VARA actually regulates, what needs no licence at all, and what a licence costs.
What we trackGetting into the night you actually wanted
Tickets, tables and the weeks when the whole city drops its prices.
What we trackThe good ones, as they appear.
Free, no sign-up, leave whenever.
@dxbradar