How are gated communities different from compound villas in Dubai?
When looking for villas in Dubai, a sense of community is one of the main factors in helping people decide the place they call home. Most villa communities in Dubai include either gated neighbourhoods or villa compounds, both of which offer that sense of community and security to their residents. But when it comes to gated communities vs villa compounds – there are certain distinctions one must take into account before making a decision.
GATED COMMUNITIES VS VILLA COMPOUNDS IN DUBAI
Before we look at the differences it is important to understand each of these real estate developments and how they work.
A gated community is an enclosed residential estate or community, guarded with walls and/or fences. A villa compound is generally a small group of villas knit together into a community, it may or may not be gated.
These two types of residential arrangements do share many similarities. Living in a gated community gives you a sense of community, alongside security, privacy and of course access to shared amenities among other things. It’s pretty much the same when living in Dubai villa compounds. However, when it comes to comparing gated communities vs villa compounds – you should know the following differences between them.
CRITERIA | GATED COMMUNITIES | VILLA COMPOUNDS |
|---|---|---|
CRITERIA Ownership | GATED COMMUNITIES Buyer-owned | VILLA COMPOUNDS Singularly owned by landlord/real estate agency |
CRITERIA Availability for Expats | GATED COMMUNITIES Mostly freehold – available for rent and sale | VILLA COMPOUNDS Non-freehold – only available for rent |
CRITERIA Types of Properties | GATED COMMUNITIES Villas, townhouses | VILLA COMPOUNDS Villas |
CRITERIA Development Size | GATED COMMUNITIES Large-scale master-planned communities | VILLA COMPOUNDS Small villa clusters |
OWNERSHIP
One of the most defining factors that set gated communities apart from villa compounds is ownership. For the most part, villa compounds are owned by a single landlord or a real estate company.
A majority of villa compounds in Dubai are located in non-freehold areas for expats, which means the properties here are only available for rent for the expat community. These developments were built for residents to create their own tight-knit community; villa compounds are typically found in areas where properties for sale are exclusively available to locals.
Gated communities in Dubai, on the other hand, are master-planned developments by a real estate developer. Houses in gated communities mostly consist of freehold properties for those expats and locals willing to buy or rent out villas in Dubai.
SIZE
The second most prominent feature when it comes to gated communities vs villa compounds is the total size of the developments. Gated communities in Dubai are large scale developments. Some of them, like Arabian Ranches and Emirates Hills have a collection of more than 1,000 villas each.
Villa compounds in comparison are much smaller. These developments usually have around 25 to 50 houses grouped together into a small community. However, there are certain villa compounds that are fairly larger with sometimes up to 150 villas in the compound.
OLD VS NEW
If you observe carefully, you’ll notice that most of the villa compounds are located in older residential areas like Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim and Al Barsha – from the time when expat settlements in the UAE were on the rise. Nowadays, there are few, new villa compounds being constructed in Dubai. Most new villa developments are gated communities that offer the best of both worlds to its residents.
One could say that gated communities are a more modern form of villa compounds in Dubai. The gated communities-trend first started in the UAE with Emaar launching Emirates Hills and Arabian Ranches.
RENTING HOMES IN GATED COMMUNITIES VS VILLA COMPOUNDS
Now that we have the basics of differentiation for our villa compounds vs gated communities evaluation, let’s look at how they fare when it comes to renting villas in Dubai. To achieve that, we compare how much tenants can expect to pay in some of the best gated communities in Dubai vs areas with compound villas for rent in Dubai.
PROMINENT AREAS WITH VILLA COMPOUNDS IN DUBAI
Let’s first look at the most popular areas with the best villa compounds in Dubai and the expected cost of renting villas in these neighbourhoods.
UMM SUQEIM
Those in search of compound living can consider villas for rent in Umm Suqeim, which have a starting price of AED 90k. Umm Suqeim has a handful of villa compounds that include Al Salemiya Villas, Abdul Jalil Grove One and Two, Al Manara Village and Sidra Village. Houses for rent in Sidra Village have a starting price of AED 195k.
JUMEIRAH
Another popular neighbourhood that offers compound living is Jumeirah. Tenants looking at villas for rent in Jumeirah must be prepared to pay anywhere between AED 100k and AED 550k. Popular villa compounds in the area include Wasl 51, Jumeirah 9 Villas, Garden Villas and The Terraces. Rental villas in Wasl 51 have a starting price of AED 200k.
AL SAFA
The Al Safa area is extremely popular for its villa compounds, which offer privacy and close-knit community lifestyle. Prices for villas for rent in Al Safa start from AED 115k and can even go up to a staggering AED 1.2M. For compound living, you can take a look at houses for rent in the Splendour Villas community, which is one of the most popular villa compounds in Al Safa. Other popular compound villas in Al Safa include Wasl Square, Al Hala Complex, Bayti 22 and Al Wasl Village.
Those looking for villa compounds in Dubai can also consider the ones available in Umm Al Sheif, Al Manara and Al Barsha areas. Some of these properties rank among the best villas to rent for the weekend in Dubai.
PROMINENT GATED COMMUNITIES IN DUBAI
This section of our comparison of villa compounds vs gated communities in Dubai takes a closer look at the rent of villas available in the popular gated neighbourhoods.
ARABIAN RANCHES
One of the top-rated gated communities for renting villas in Dubai, living in Arabian Ranches is like a dream for many. Tenants can expect to pay anywhere between AED 75k and AED 1.2M for rental villas in Arabian Ranches. Thus, villas in Arabian Ranches cater to all budgets, with both affordable and luxurious properties. For those who wish to get the best of gated community living can look for homes in the top sub-communities for renting villas in Arabian Ranches.
THE MEADOWS
The Meadows is another gated-community that is popular among tenants. Houses for rent in The Meadows have rents starting from AED 150k. Those interested in living in The Meadows can weigh the pros and cons of the community, before considering the best areas for renting villas in The Meadows.
MUDON
Mudon is also great for living in a gated community. To rent villas in Mudon, tenants must be prepared to pay anywhere between AED 83k and AED 210k as the annual rent. Living in Mudon offers residents the chance to experience an upscale lifestyle with the comforts of gated community living. To get the best of Mudon’s lifestyle, consider renting in the some of the best areas to rent villas in Mudon.
Other options for those who want to live in a gated community in Dubai include The Villa, Al Furjan, Emirates Hills and The Springs among others.
That’s all we have for you now – a thorough comparison of gated communities vs villa compounds. Those who are more interested in affordable options, can look at the properties in some of the best areas with cheap villas for rent in Dubai.
Those looking for homes in a gated villa community can always weigh their options in Arabian Ranches vs Dubai Hills Estate to rent villas.
So what would you prefer – a gated community or villa compound? Let us know in the comments section below.
