The cost of buying property in Dubai, fee by fee
Costs and mortgages
What the Dubai Land Department charges, what the broker, developer and bank charge, who pays each one, and a worked example at AED 2,000,000.
Investing in Dubai property with Enesco
Homes sourced from the data, returns worked out the same way every time, and the letting handled by the team that found the home.
Buying through us costs the customary 2% plus VAT on a resale and nothing extra on an off-plan purchase from a developer; management is a share of the annual rent, agreed in writing.
In short
- Enesco sources property for investors in Dubai, works out the net return from the likely rent, the service charges and the buying fees, handles the purchase and then lets and manages the home.
- Our price statistics are our analysis of the Dubai Land Department's open transaction data, published on the prices pages.
- We do not promise a yield and we do not give investment advice; we show the inputs with their sources so you can judge them.
Brief.
Budget, ready or off-plan, areas, whether you will let long-term or for short stays, and how long you plan to hold.
The data.
We show recent sale prices and price per square foot for each area and building from our analysis of DLD's open data, and the rent the Smart Rental Index and recent lets suggest.
Shortlist with the return worked out.
Each home comes with the same calculation: likely annual rent, less the approved service charge and the management fee, against the price plus the buying fees.
Checks.
The advert's Trakheesi permit, the title deed, the building's approved service charges and whether any are unpaid, and on off-plan the escrow account and the developer.
Purchase.
Form B, the offer, Form F, the developer's NOC and the transfer, or the reservation, sale agreement and Oqood registration on an off-plan home.
Letting and management.
The same team markets the home, vets the tenant, registers the Ejari and manages the tenancy, with an annual statement of rent, fees and costs.
How we work out a return
- The rent.What similar homes in the building or community let for, from the Smart Rental Index and recent lets.
- The running costs.The service charge RERA has approved for the building, looked up on DLD's Service Charge Index, plus our management fee and a provision for maintenance.
- The full price.The price plus the buying fees: about 7% on a ready home bought with cash, or 4% plus AED 20 on Oqood for an off-plan home, worked out with the buying costs calculator.
Net rent against the full price is the figure we compare homes on. We show the inputs rather than a headline percentage, because rent and service charges move.
The data we use
We compute sales counts, median prices and median price per square foot by area and quarter from the Dubai Land Department's open transactions dataset. It is our analysis, not DLD's, published on the prices pages with the dataset and licence named.
Dubai recorded more than 270,000 real estate transactions worth AED 917 billion in 2025, 20% more than in 2024, according to the Dubai Media Office. Past figures do not tell you what a home will be worth.
Letting after you buy
- Every tenancy is registered with RERA through Ejari, for AED 177.75 online
- At renewal the rent can rise only within the bands of Decree No. 43 of 2013, from nothing to at most 20%
- Short stays need a holiday home permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism; shared housing needs a permit under Law No. 4 of 2026
- Our property management fee is a share of the annual rent, agreed in writing
Tax, and buying from abroad
The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals. Under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023, as explained by the Federal Tax Authority, a person's income from property held in their own name is not subject to corporate tax when the activity is not carried out, and is not required to be carried out, under a licence.
Non-residents buy with a passport, and UAE banks commonly lend them 50% to 60% of the price of a ready home. Your country of residence may tax your Dubai income; we do not give tax advice.
What it costs
Buying through us costs the customary 2% plus VAT on a resale and nothing extra on an off-plan purchase from a developer; management is a share of the annual rent, agreed in writing.
Questions about this service
What return can I expect on Dubai property?
We do not promise a return. For each home we show the likely rent, the approved service charge, the management fee and the full price with fees, with sources, so you can judge the net figure.
Where do your price figures come from?
From our analysis of the Dubai Land Department's open real estate transactions dataset, published on our prices pages. They are our statistics, not DLD valuations.
Do I pay tax on rental income in Dubai?
The UAE has no personal income tax, and under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023 rental income from property in your own name is outside corporate tax when no licence is required. Your home country may tax it.
Can I let my investment for short stays?
With a holiday home permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, which individual owners can obtain for their own homes. Check its current requirements before you buy with short stays in mind.
Is off-plan or ready better for investors?
Neither as a rule. A ready home can be let from the day of transfer and financed up to 60% as a second home; an off-plan home is paid in stages, earns nothing until handover and is financed up to 50%. Off-plan or ready sets the two side by side.
Can I invest without living in the UAE?
Yes. Non-residents can own freehold property in Dubai's designated areas and borrow from UAE banks, which commonly lend them 50% to 60% of a ready home's price.
Guides that go with this service
The same decision from both sides: what you pay and when, what a bank will lend, where your money sits, and when you get the keys.
What changes when you are not in the UAE: the documents, the power of attorney rules, moving the money, borrowing, visas and tax.
Service charges in Dubai, explained for owners and buyers
Owning and letting
What the annual charge pays for, who sets it, where to look it up before you buy, and what the law does when an owner stops paying.
Other services
A buyer's broker who shortlists, checks every advert, negotiates the price and stays with you to the title deed.
A valuation from real sales data, a permitted listing, qualified buyers and a transfer handled from the first viewing to the trustee office.
A tenant's adviser who shortlists, checks the landlord, negotiates the terms and registers the contract on Ejari.
