The sum, on a real case: a Marina one-bed at AED 1.45 million, the middle resale price there this year, renting for AED 85,000, the middle new lease.
What comes off the rent, in a year
- Service charges: about AED 16,000, at AED 20 per square foot on 800 square feet
- An empty month between tenants: about AED 7,000
- Upkeep and small repairs: about AED 2,000
- What is left: about AED 60,000, or 4.1% of the price
The gross figure in an advert is not what you keep. Two flats with the same rent can leave you very different amounts. The real return depends on the building: what its past leases were and what new leases sign for today, its approved service charge in the Land Department's index, how much new supply is coming nearby, and how much tenants want to live there.
That is why we never judge a unit on its gross yield. We run this sum on real numbers for every building we show you.
Source: Dubai Land Department transaction and rent data, 2026 so far. Costs are our own illustration at the stated assumptions.