Rental yields in Dubai by area: gross and net, from our data
Gross yields on 1-bed apartments in 18 Dubai areas from Ejari rents and DLD sales, how to get from gross to net, and why an off-plan buyer earns less.
Written by our team
8 min read
Rental yield is the rent a home brings in each year, as a share of what it cost. In Dubai, gross yields on 1-bed apartments run from about 5% in the most expensive districts to about 9% in the cheapest, by our analysis of Ejari rents and DLD sales. This guide shows our figures by area, then takes them down to a net figure you can plan with.
This is general information, not financial advice. Past rents do not tell you what rents will be when your off-plan home is ready.
How we worked out these yields
- Rent: the median annual rent on Ejari-registered contracts for 1-bed apartments, April 2025 to March 2026.
- Price: the median price of ready (not off-plan) 1-bed apartments sold in the same district and period, from DLD sales records.
- Gross yield: median rent divided by median price. Gross means before service charges, empty months and fees.
The districts are the Land Department's own districts, which are larger than the names people use. For example, the district that covers JVC is "Al Barsha South Fourth", and the one that covers Dubai South, Emaar South and Expo City is "Madinat Al Mataar". We link each district to our area guide.
Gross yields on 1-bed apartments by area
| Area (Land Department district) | Median rent (AED/yr) | Median ready price (AED) | Gross yield | Rent contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Furjan (Jabal Ali First) | 70,000 | 800,000 | 8.8% | 3,225 |
| International City (Warsan Fourth) | 55,385 | 630,000 | 8.8% | 2,351 |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis (Nadd Hessa) | 60,000 | 700,000 | 8.6% | 3,035 |
| Dubai Sports City (Al Hebiah Fourth) | 60,000 | 695,000 | 8.6% | 1,662 |
| Dubai Production City (Me'Aisem First) | 63,000 | 745,000 | 8.5% | 1,338 |
| Dubai South (Madinat Al Mataar) | 58,500 | 714,000 | 8.2% | 1,380 |
| Dubai Land Residence Complex (Wadi Al Safa 5) | 56,000 | 700,000 | 8.0% | 1,387 |
| Jumeirah Village Circle (Al Barsha South Fourth) | 75,000 | 980,000 | 7.7% | 9,534 |
| Arjan (Al Barshaa South Third) | 72,000 | 950,000 | 7.6% | 2,575 |
| Town Square (Al Yelayiss 2) | 60,000 | 790,000 | 7.6% | 940 |
| Jumeirah Lake Towers (Al Thanyah Fifth) | 85,000 | 1,190,000 | 7.1% | 2,268 |
| Business Bay | 98,000 | 1,408,702 | 7.0% | 4,357 |
| Dubai Hills Estate | 96,000 | 1,460,000 | 6.6% | 1,363 |
| Mohammed Bin Rashid City and Meydan (Al Merkadh) | 85,000 | 1,350,000 | 6.3% | 3,380 |
| Dubai Creek Harbour (Al Khairan First) | 105,000 | 1,725,000 | 6.1% | 1,460 |
| Dubai Marina (Marsa Dubai) | 100,000 | 1,755,000 | 5.7% | 4,311 |
| Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa) | 122,000 | 2,200,000 | 5.5% | 2,356 |
| Palm Jumeirah | 155,000 | 2,950,000 | 5.3% | 611 |
Source: our analysis of Ejari rents and DLD sales, April 2025 to March 2026, 1-bed apartments.
The pattern is the same as in most cities. Cheaper districts give a higher yield: their rents are lower, but their prices are lower by more. Districts like Downtown and the Palm give a lower yield, and their buyers usually care more about the location and the resale market.
Yields by size of home
Across the districts with enough data, the median gross yields in the same period were:
| Home | Median gross yield across districts | Districts |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 8.7% | 34 |
| 1-bed apartment | 7.6% | 45 |
| 2-bed apartment | 6.3% | 45 |
| 3-bed apartment | 6.0% | 22 |
| 3-bed villa or townhouse | 5.3% | 15 |
| 4-bed villa or townhouse | 5.3% | 13 |
Smaller homes yield more because a studio rents for more per square foot than a 2-bed. They also tend to change tenants more often, which costs you empty weeks and fees.
From gross to net
Gross yield is a starting point. To get to a net yield, take off what you pay every year.
- Service charges. The building's yearly fee per square foot, set by the owners' association and approved by RERA. Read service charges in Dubai. In the DLD service charge index (mostly budget year 2023), the median rate is about AED 12 to 13 per sq ft in districts like Dubai Silicon Oasis, Arjan and International City, AED 17 to 18 in Business Bay and Dubai Marina, and AED 23 in Downtown. Check the current rate for the exact building in the Dubai REST app.
- Empty months. Allow at least one month a year between tenants. More if the area has a lot of new buildings finishing at the same time.
- Management. A property manager for a long-term let usually charges 5% to 8% of the annual rent, plus 5% VAT (Property Finder, 2026).
- Ejari. Registering a tenancy contract costs AED 177.75 online or AED 220 at a trustee centre (DLD, checked 5 November 2026). The tenant or the agent usually does it.
- Maintenance and insurance. Small, but not zero.
A worked example
Two 1-bed apartments at the median figures above. Sizes are the median for ready 1-bed sales in each district (about 820 sq ft in both). We use 5% management plus VAT and one empty month.
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | Business Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 700,000 | 1,408,702 |
| Rent | 60,000 | 98,000 |
| Gross yield | 8.6% | 7.0% |
| Service charge | 12.5 × 822 sq ft = 10,275 | 17.5 × 827 sq ft = 14,473 |
| One empty month | 5,000 | 8,167 |
| Management 5% + VAT | 3,150 | 5,145 |
| Net rent | 41,575 | 70,215 |
| Net yield on price | 5.9% | 5.0% |
| Net yield on price + 4% DLD fee | 5.7% | 4.8% |
All figures in AED. In this example the net yield is 2 to 3 points below the gross yield.
Why an off-plan buyer's yield is lower
Our yields use the price of ready homes. If you buy off-plan, you usually pay more per square foot. In the 12 months to 30 September 2026, the median off-plan apartment sold for more per sq ft than a ready one in almost every district, for example:
- Jumeirah Village Circle: AED 1,589 off-plan against AED 1,311 ready (21% more)
- Business Bay: AED 2,803 against AED 1,912 (47% more)
- Dubai South and nearby (Madinat Al Mataar): AED 1,689 against AED 1,067 (58% more)
That gap is not the same home costing more. New buildings, smaller units, the payment plan and different locations in the district all play a part, and a new building may rent for more than an old one. Still, if a new 1-bed rents for the same as an older one, the yield on the off-plan price is lower. Divide the same median rent by the median off-plan 1-bed price in the same period, and 7.7% in JVC becomes about 6.5%, and 8.2% in the Dubai South district becomes about 4.9%. Compare off-plan and ready property before you decide.
You also earn no rent while the building goes up, which often takes around three years from launch.
Short-term rentals
You can let a home by the night, but it needs a holiday home permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and the building must allow it. On 21 May 2026, Dubai announced an economic package that included "exemption from permit and licence fees for holiday homes" and from collecting the Tourism Dirham (Dubai Media Office, 21 May 2026). The package runs for 3 to 12 months depending on the measure, and we could not find the end date for this one. Check the current fees with DET before you apply.
Short-term rent can be higher than an annual lease, but so are the costs: management companies usually take 15% to 25% of booking revenue, and you pay the utilities, furniture and cleaning. Occupancy changes with the season.
Rent rules and the DLD rental index
Rent increases on renewal are limited. The DLD's Smart Rental Index, launched on 2 January 2025, sets what a landlord can charge based on the building's own rents, the area and a building rating (DLD). If your rent is close to the index, you may not be allowed to raise it, and you must give the tenant 90 days' notice of any increase. Check the index in the Dubai REST app before you count on a higher rent.
What other sources say
- Cavendish Maxwell put gross yields in Q3 2026 at 6.6% for apartments and 4.9% for villas and townhouses. It also found that 21.4% of rental transactions in Q3 were at a lower rent than before (Khaleej Times, 2 November 2026).
- For Q1 2026, the same firm put apartments at 7.2% and villas at 5%, with rents up 10.2% year on year, the slowest annual rise since 2022 (Gulf News, 14 May 2026).
- Windmills Group put apartment yields at about 7.7% and villas at about 7.0% in Q3 2026 (Khaleej Times, 29 October 2026). Its villa figure is much higher than other sources.
Different firms use different rent and price data, so their numbers do not match ours or each other's. Most agree on the direction: rents are growing more slowly in 2026 than in 2024 and 2025, and in some buildings they are falling.
How to use these figures
- Use the yield for the home size you want to buy, in the district you want to buy in.
- Check service charges for the exact building, not the district.
- Work out your yield on your full cost, including the 4% DLD fee and the other costs on top of the price.
- Assume rents at handover could be lower than today, especially in districts with many projects finishing at the same time. See the best areas to buy off-plan for supply in each area.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department, register or renew a tenancy contract (Ejari), checked 5 November 2026: dubailand.gov.ae
- Dubai Land Department, Smart Rental Index announcement, 2 January 2025: dubailand.gov.ae
- Dubai Media Office, AED 1.5 billion economic incentives package, 21 May 2026: mediaoffice.ae
- Khaleej Times (Cavendish Maxwell data), Q3 2026 rents and yields, 2 November 2026: khaleejtimes.com
- Khaleej Times (Windmills Group data), Q3 2026 transactions and yields, 29 October 2026: khaleejtimes.com
- Gulf News (Cavendish Maxwell data), Q1 2026 rents and yields, 14 May 2026: gulfnews.com
- Property Finder, property management costs, 2026: propertyfinder.ae
- Our analysis of Ejari rents and DLD sales, April 2025 to March 2026; DLD sales, 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026 (off-plan vs ready price per sq ft); the DLD service charge index (mostly budget year 2023)