Area
Demand and nightly rates differ widely between areas. A 1-bed in Downtown Dubai has a median gross of about AED 150,000 a year, against about AED 112,000 in Business Bay (professional segment, before costs).
Buy-to-let
Choosing a unit that works as a holiday home.
Most of the performance is decided before you sign: the area, the layout and what the building allows. This is what to look at, what to ask for and how our estimate reads the result.
What makes a unit work
Six things that decide most of it.
Layout and bedrooms
Compare the bedroom count with the data, not with the brochure. In the areas we measured, a professionally run 2-bed grosses more than a 1-bed, but it also carries higher utilities, furnishing and service charges.
Building rules
Many buildings and owners' associations restrict holiday homes or require a No Objection Certificate. Ask in writing before you offer. If the unit is mortgaged, ask the bank too.
View, floor and light
Guests book from photos. A view, a balcony and good light photograph well and support the nightly rate.
Parking and amenities
Parking, a pool, a gym and walkable access to what guests want are part of the listing and part of the reviews.
Furnishing
A unit that is already furnished to holiday-home standard saves the set-up cost. Starting from empty, we estimate AED 35,000 to AED 50,000 for a 1 or 2-bed.
Before you offer
A pre-offer checklist.
Put these questions to the seller, the agent and the building before you commit. If the answers are unclear, that tells you something too.
- Does the building allow holiday homes, and is a No Objection Certificate needed?
- Can the unit be registered with DET? The title deed or approved sales agreement and a recent DEWA bill are part of the paperwork.
- What are the annual service charges, and what do they include?
- Is it freehold, in an area where foreigners can own?
- Is the unit furnished, and is the furniture included in the price?
- What is the real condition: air conditioning, appliances, plumbing, noise?
- If it is let today, what is the tenancy and when does it end?
- If you are financing it, does the bank allow holiday-home use?
The numbers to ask for
Ask for these, in writing.
A good agent can give you most of them. Where they cannot, treat the gap as a risk.
Price and fees
The price plus the 4% Dubai Land Department registration fee, in total, and AED 250 for the title deed. Ask who pays which part in the sale agreement.
Annual running costs
Service charges, utilities and insurance. We estimate utilities at about AED 1,300 a month for a 1-bed and AED 1,800 for a 2-bed when run as a holiday home.
Permit costs
DET charges AED 300 per bedroom, capped at AED 1,200 a year, plus AED 50 for classification. Fees were waived under a 2026 support package; check the current position.
How our estimate works
We compare two options, not one.
Send us the area, the size, the bedrooms and whether the unit is furnished. We compare the market data for similar professionally run units with what the unit would leave you after commission, utilities, consumables and a management fee, and set that next to the average asking long-let rent for the same area and size.
The result is a range with the assumptions shown, not a promise. Typical costs we use: 15% to 18% platform commission, about 4% of gross for consumables, and utilities as above. Asking rents are before the agency fee and empty months, so we say how much of the gap that explains.
If a long let pays you more, we will tell you. If the holiday home makes sense because you want to stay some weeks a year, or keep the option to sell without a tenancy, we say that too.
See the income data by area or go back to the investment overview.
FAQ
Questions owners ask first.
Which bedroom count works best?
It depends on the area. Compare the median gross for 1-beds and 2-beds in the area you are considering, then take the higher utilities, furnishing and service charges of the larger unit off the difference. Our estimate does that for your unit.
Can I rent out any unit I buy?
Not automatically. Many buildings restrict holiday homes or require a No Objection Certificate, and each unit needs a DET permit. Ask the building and, if the unit is mortgaged, the bank before you offer.
What does the DET permit cost?
AED 300 per bedroom, capped at AED 1,200 a year, plus AED 50 for the classification certificate. Under a 2026 support package, DET-registered holiday homes were exempted from permit and licence fees for a period DET announces; check the current position with DET.
Should I buy furnished or empty?
Furnished saves the set-up cost, if the furniture is to holiday-home standard. Starting from empty, we estimate AED 35,000 to AED 50,000 for a 1 or 2-bed. Ask whether the furniture is included in the price.
How much does it earn?
Gross medians for professionally run units are in the table on the investment page, and gross is before all costs. After costs, the median owner net is below the average asking long-let rent in the areas we measured. Your unit gets its own numbers in the estimate.
Do you guarantee rent?
No. There is no guaranteed rent and no target return. Our fee is agreed in writing before you sign.
Looking at a unit? Send it before you offer.
We compare the holiday home with a long let for that unit. No commitment.