Renting a house in Dubai can be a daunting task if you don’t have any guidance in place. Below are some of the key pointers I have compiled to provide you with what you should keep in mind before starting your house hunt process for a smooth and hassle-free experience.
Start With A Budget
I would highly recommend coming up with a range instead of a single price point to set your budget. Understand your family’s needs, understand your income, and prepare your mind accordingly about what you are going to spend because Dubai is a place where if you don’t start with a budget it can get expensive pretty fast. While setting a budget in your mind, make sure you also add up costs like a security deposit for your house which is 2-5%of your annual rent, and commission fees of the agent which is 5%.
Requirements
After a budget is planned, keep in mind requirements that are feasible for you. Ranging from warm studios to beautiful 3 and 4-bedroom apartments and massive villas, there is something for everyone. Proximity to your workplace, schools, colleges, and hospitals for the need emergencies are some very important factors that should be taken into consideration while selecting the apartment or villa. I would recommend you to start your house hunt on online websites like Bayut.com, Propertyfinder.com, and Dubizzle.com where you can filter your searches according to your requirements like the number of rooms and baths needed, furnished or unfurnished, location, and list of amenities and you select your preferred home accordingly.
Contact The Broker
Now that you have shortlisted the houses, the next step comes is that there is a contact number mentioned by the broker under each property posted online. You can contact the broker and make an appointment to view the apartment. This is a small tip from my side you reach the location a little earlier at the location to see the neighborhood and the area. Make a list of all the questions you have on your mind regarding the property. I suggest you check the apartment and the amenities available in the building thoroughly. Convey all your doubts and be clear with your agent to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.
Make An Offer
After viewing the properties and doing all the research, I suggest if you are sure about the house you want to finalize, it’s time to make an offer. If you are certain about your stay in the house and can pay in fewer cheques that is one or two in a year, the good news is that the landlord agrees to decrease the annual rent. Usually, people pay quarterly or give monthly cheques according to their suitability. My advice would be to think carefully about your duration in the house and accordingly make a decision for the payment plan.
Booking Time
For reserving the property, you will need the following documents to complete the process. Passport copy, Residence visa copy, Emirates ID, salary certificate (if you are a salaried person). When reserving the property, you will be asked to pay a commission to the agent and a security deposit(5% of the annual rent). Don’t forget to take the receipt for the same. Before moving into the apartment, I suggest you take pictures of the apartment to avoid any miscommunication when you will hand over the house to the landlord at the end of your contract period.
Signing The Contract
Once the security deposit is paid, you may receive a tenancy contract. It is very important for you to know the tenancy laws in Dubai. Special clauses can also be added after the consent of both parties. If you are ok with all the terms and conditions, then you must review and sign the agreement. You should always keep a copy of the signed agreement, agent fees paid, and cheques given in the name of the landlord. The agent handles one copy of the contract for the landlord and the other for the tenant. If the property is not in a liveable condition, you must ask your landlord to fix it.
Time to Register With Ejari
It is a very important step as Ejari is a legally accepted rent document in the Emirates. My agent helped me with this and did all the processes as I made sure all the receipts are correct. You can also do this by yourself by going to the nearest typing center by carrying all the necessary documents. For registration, the documents required are:
Tenants’ and landlords’ passport copies
The tenancy contract
Emirates ID
DEWA
After Ejari registration, now is the time to get your DEWA (Dubai Water and Electricity Authority)connection before moving into your new house. For registration you will require the following documents:
Landlord’s and tenants’ passport copy
Tenants emirates ID
DEWA form
Ejari number
DEWA premise number (you can ask your broker for the details)
The registration can be done online as well as by the broker. You have to pay a certain amount that is AED 2000 as a security deposit to your broker if he is doing it for you for the registration. Also, a small tip would always check your outstanding bills of DEWA. Just confirm with your broker once before setting up your new DEWA account.
Yay! Time to Move-in!
After all the hardships, you are finally ready to take the big step in your new house and start a new chapter of your life in Dubai. Get yourself a good broker who has a good knowledge of the market and suits your needs. This will make your process much easier and smooth. There are plenty of online options as well.