Best place to find a house for rent in Dubai

Factors to consider when finding a house for rent in Dubai

When finding a place to rent in Dubai, there are a number of important factors to consider. Rent is likely to be your largest expense and where you live can have a huge impact on your quality of life. So, it's not a decision to be taken lightly. 

The following factors will have a large impact on both the best areas to rent in Dubai and the appropriate budget that you will need: 

• Property type: think about whether you are looking for a studio, apartment, townhouse or villa. 

• Size: the size of property that you need will have a large impact on the price

• Location: locations, like waterfront communities, business hubs and those with the best transport links will have higher rents

• Furnished or unfurnished: this will impact both the rental price and required deposit

• Age of property: consider the age of the property and quality of fixtures and fittings - modern, luxurious properties will often cost more

• Views: properties with waterfront or skyline views will be in higher demand

Spending some time considering your preferences regarding these factors is an important first step. It will not only help you in your research, but also allow you to work effectively with a real estate agent to find houses for rent in Dubai that fit your budget without compromising on your requirements.  

Understand your budget to rent a house in Dubai

Determining a suitable budget is a crucial part of finding a place to rent in Dubai. For most people, rent is by far their largest monthly expense. By failing to set an appropriate budget, it will not only make the process of finding a property more difficult, but you will also risk overstretching yourself and not leaving enough money left over for other expenses. 

Everyone’s financial situation is a bit different, so there is no one rule for how much you should budget to rent a house. 

But, many people consider not spending more than 30% of your income on rent to be a good rule of thumb. 

If you are living with your spouse, or in a shared property, this rule could be spending no more than 30% of your combined income on rent.

When understanding your budget to rent a house, you should also factor in how much you plan to spend on other expenses like transport and entertainment. Those who spend less on such expenses may choose to allocate more than 30% of their income to rent, and vice versa. 

Start searching by your budget

With the endless choice of areas and rental properties, it's crucial to start narrowing down your search to find houses for rent in Dubai without becoming overwhelmed. 

Choosing the best place to find houses for rent is made significantly easier when you start searching according to your budget. In doing so, you will quickly be able to identify communities that are suitable for you, to avoid wasting time and quickly identify potential properties to rent. 

Average rent of places to expect in Dubai

Using the above guideline to help you determine an appropriate budget for your rental property in Dubai, you can now decide which communities could be suitable for you.

When deciding the best areas to rent in Dubai, your salary/income is a big factor. In the following section, we will explore communities that you could explore based upon your salary. 

Income below AED 10,000/month

If you are earning below AED 10,000/month, your options for renting a whole property will be quite limited, with the 30% of income guideline suggesting a budget of less than AED 36,000/year. 

In such a circumstance, you could consider some of Dubai’s more budget friendly communities like International City, Deira and Bur Dubai. Alternatively, you could consider house sharing as a way to reduce the cost of renting a property in Dubai. 

Income from AED 10,000 - AED 15,000/month

A salary of AED 10,000 to AED 15,000 monthly could give you a rental budget of AED 36,000- AED 54,000/year. You could find houses for rent in Dubai in this price range within the following communities: 

*Average prices from June 2024 as per Property Monitor

Income from AED 15,000 - AED 20,000/month

An income of AED 15,000 - AED 20,000/month could give you a budget of AED 54,000 - AED 72,000/year (based on 30% of income), allowing you to also consider the following communities: 

*Average prices from June 2024 as per Property Monitor

Income above AED 20,000/month

A salary of above AED 20,000/month could allow you to expand your search to the following communities: 

*Average prices from June 2024 as per Property Monitor

Conclusion

When searching for a property to rent in Dubai, the options are endless and sometimes overwhelming. In this article, we have explored the key factors to consider when deciding both your requirements and the suitable budget to find houses for rent in Dubai. We hope that this will give you the confidence to begin searching for your next rental property. 

Remember, you don’t have to undertake this process alone. Partnering with an experienced real estate agent will give you access to a wealth of knowledge and experience that can transform your property search and help you to find the perfect home.