Service charges are recurring fees attached to residential property ownership in Dubai. Homeowners must pay service charges in Dubai for the maintenance and upkeep of residential communities or buildings. Service charges cover a variety of property management expenses and are different for each type of residential property. Evaluating the prospects of buying residential property in Dubai? Make sure you include a Dubai service charges comparison when deciding between apartments and villas for sale in the emirate.
SERVICE CHARGES FOR POPULAR VILLA COMMUNITIES
Service charges in Dubai are applicable to all types of properties. These recurring fees are charged on a square foot basis and can range anywhere between AED 3 and AED 30 or sometimes even more. In order to compare service charges for popular areas in Dubai, let’s first get an idea of the applicable recurring service fees for villas and apartments in the emirate.
All of the amounts mentioned below have been extracted from the Dubai service charges index portal on the official website of the Dubai Land Department.
ARABIAN RANCHES
One of the most popular villa communities in Dubai, Arabian Ranches is known for its luxurious homes and well-appointed sub-communities. Here’s the amount of service charges you have to pay for villas in Al Reem 1.
GENERAL FUND | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
|---|---|
| Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.59 |
| Maintenance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.42 |
| Utilities Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.33 |
| Insurance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.01 |
| Master Community | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.31 |
| Reserved Fund | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.15 |
| TOTAL | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.81 |
DUBAILAND
Living Legends is one of the most popular villa communities in the Dubailand area. The following service charges are applicable for villas for sale in Living Legends.
GENERAL FUND | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
|---|---|
| Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.02 |
| Maintenance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.10 |
| Management Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.40 |
| Master Community | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.79 |
| Reserved Fund | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.00 |
| Adjustment | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED -0.30 |
| TOTAL | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 3.01 |
PALM JUMEIRAH
For the comparison of service charges in Dubai, our last villa community is the XXII Carat Club Villas in Palm Jumeirah. The breakdown of service charges payable for owning a villa in XXII Carat is as follows.
GENERAL FUND | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
|---|---|
| Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.25 |
| Maintenance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.69 |
| Utilities Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.79 |
| Management Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.46 |
| Insurance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.10 |
| Master Community | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.45 |
| Reserved Fund | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.53 |
| TOTAL | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 10.27 |
SERVICE CHARGES FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES
Let’s now look at how the service charges for apartments in Dubai compare with that of the villas. Again, for the comparison we will observe the service charges for the three most popular areas for buying apartments in Dubai.
JUMEIRAH VILLAGE CIRCLE (JVC)
Being the most sought-after district for buying apartments in Dubai, Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) offers an impressive portfolio of properties. Within the community, people prefer the apartments for sale in Seasons Community. The service charges for flats in Seasons Community are listed below.
GENERAL FUND | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
|---|---|
| Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.39 |
| Maintenance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.84 |
| Utilities Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.33 |
| Management Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.17 |
| Insurance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.13 |
| Master Community | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.55 |
| Reserved Fund | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.89 |
| Income | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.03 |
| TOTAL | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 10.33 |
DUBAI MARINA
Another hotspot for property buyers in search of upscale apartments in Dubai, the Dubai Marina district has an excellent collection of high-end residential towers. Take a look at the amount of service charges payable for owning an apartment in Marina Diamonds.
GENERAL FUND | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
|---|---|
| Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.25 |
| Maintenance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.84 |
| Improvement | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.07 |
| Utility Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 6.70 |
| Management Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.31 |
| Insurance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.58 |
| Master Community | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.67 |
| Adjustment | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.26 |
| Reserved Fund | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.20 |
| Income | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED -0.85 |
| TOTAL | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 15.03 |
PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED | |
| ADDITIONAL CHARGES | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
| Unit A/C (Charges) | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.91 |
DOWNTOWN DUBAI
Last on this list for Dubai service charges comparison between apartments and villas is Downtown Dubai. Again, just like Dubai Marina, Downtown specialises in luxury apartments with choices ranging from smaller studios to lavish penthouses. Apartments for sale in Burj Views, Downtown Dubai are particularly popular among buyers. The breakup for their Dubai Land Department service charges is listed below.
GENERAL FUND | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
|---|---|
| Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 3.06 |
| Maintenance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.76 |
| Improvement | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.35 |
| Utilities Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 4.85 |
| Management Services | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 1.29 |
| Insurance | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.67 |
| Master Community | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 2.10 |
| Reserved Fund | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 0.86 |
| TOTAL | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 15.94 |
PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED | |
| ADDITIONAL CHARGES | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED |
| Unit A/C (Charges) | PRICE PER SQ.FT. IN AED 4.27 |
DUBAI SERVICE CHARGES COMPARISON: VILLAS VS APARTMENTS
The tables above give you a clear idea of how this recurring service fee is calculated for apartments and villas in Dubai. This Dubai service charges comparison clearly shows that the recurring service fee for apartments is way higher than that of villas.
On average, based on the Dubai service charges index data above, the service charges for villas in Dubai are generally lower than those of apartments. The higher recurring fee for apartments is mainly because most residential buildings in Dubai come with additional facilities – like swimming pools, gyms, elevators and more – that need constant maintenance, in addition to the upkeep of common areas.
Before you invest in real estate, it’s best to weigh the pros and cons of buying a property in Dubai.
You might also want to get a clear idea of the cost of investing in Dubai property prior to making your decision. It also helps to familiarise yourself with the legal steps of buying a property in Dubai.
