If you’re considering relocating to Dubai, you have much to prepare yourself for. To begin with, the task requires patience and a lot of research. If you’re not putting in enough work, chances are that you might end up making regrettable decisions. There are millions of properties in Dubai, including villas and apartments rental in Dubai, that you can choose from.

Here’s a guide on how to find the best one that will suit your needs.

A Guide to Selecting the Ideal Rental Property in Dubai

Set a Budget

Your budget decides almost all of what you can do and what you can expect. A city like Dubai has world-class luxuries and can even make the wealthiest think about their budget needs. Therefore, you should consider your monthly income and expenses to determine how much you can spare.

It’s crucial to note that you can get discounted rent if you pay for them annually. Thus, consider the duration of your stay. However, this also means that once you move in somewhere, you can’t get out once that contract is signed. Unless, of course, that contract has an ending clause that has a condition you’re fulfilling. We’ll get to that later.

To set a budget, consider the possible rent of up to 20-30% of your monthly income. Since you need to save at least 20-30%, the rest of the amount would add up to your utility bills and daily expenses. Now that we’ve established a budget, we know how much rent we can afford, and thus, we can start considering properties.

Location

When it comes to the location, the most important thing to consider is the distance of the residence from your workplace. The closer the proximity to your daily commuting destinations, the lesser the cost you’ll accrue for transportation.

Your secondary priority should be the neighborhood and the facilities and amenities that are in the area. You don’t want to be in a secluded locality that offers nothing for your entertainment.

Moving into an industrial or strictly official area will result in boredom, and you’ll have to journey long distances for entertainment. So, it’s best if you consider malls, restaurants, beaches, parks, and fitness centers to be near. However, the closer you are to such places, the more cost of rent you’ll accrue.

Finally, if you’re considering moving with your family, being near schools and hospitals will be essential. Similarly, the size of the residence, along with the requirements for amenities, will increase.

The Residence

Now that you have the budget and location in mind, it’s time to take a look at different properties. These days, you don’t have to visit every property to get a rough estimate of its offering. Use property finder portals and virtual tour features offered by them to have an idea regarding the residence.

If you’re moving into an apartment in a building, consider the indoor amenities and facilities they offer. You’ll need to consider the size of the residence and the infrastructure to understand what living there will be like. Community pools and gyms are great, but if they’re too crowded around the time you wish to go, they’ll be useless.

You can ask the neighbors what the conditions are like, what problems they face, and how often they occur.

Basic facilities such as internet availability, a proper waste management system and running water are basic requirements. See if all these and more are working fine. The residence itself shouldn’t show any signs of damage or erosion.

This brings us to the maintenance of the residential building. Even if you’re considering a villa for rent, the community in which it resides will charge maintenance and service charges. Consider those along with the total rent as well.

Negotiate and Legalize

Make sure you do everything with the help of a professional RERA-registered real estate agent. You’ll need them for more than just coming up with potential listings for you to view. These agents are required to finalize and legalize the contract you and the landlord agree upon. In addition, they will negotiate on your behalf and ensure that the deal struck is in your favor.

Once you have the rates, the clauses of the contract and everything else negotiated, it’s time to legalize it. For this, you’ll need to visit the DLD (Dubai Land Department) and present the required documentation. This will be necessary for the government to recognize your arrangement and the legality of the contract you sign. Now that your deal is done, neither you nor the landlord can change anything in the contract without the other party’s consent.Pay the good agent their fee and enjoy your life in Dubai. This may become prove to be your pathway to owning a property in Dubai and hunting flats for sale in Dubai. Good luck!