How to search property for rent in Dubai

Whether you are a seasoned expat or new to the city, understanding the resources available to you to aid your property search, as well as the regulations that exist to protect you, will ensure that you find the perfect home suited to your needs, lifestyle preferences and budget. More importantly, it ensures your experience is as smooth as possible. Here’s a guide on how to rent an apartment or villa in Dubai.

Search online

Before browsing through rent listings on Property Finder, take the time to tailor your search parameters to ensure the results returned are matched to your needs. For example; minimum or maximum price, type of property (apartment, villa or townhouse), number of bedrooms, furnished or unfurnished, etc.

Each listing will clearly state:

Rental amount; per annum
Security deposit; typically 5% of the rental amount
Amenities; no. of bedrooms, no. of bathrooms, access to gym and swimming pool facilities, etc.
Agent contact details, to arrange a property viewing

Property Finder also offers comprehensive Community Guides where you can discover particular areas in more detail, allowing you to decide whether they tick the boxes in terms of your needs, wants and lifestyle preferences.

Verified Listings

An advantage of searching on Property Finder is the ability to narrow your search to Verified Listings. When you see the green ‘Verified Listing’ badge, you can be confident you are browsing an authentic listing, making for a faster and simpler home seeking experience. An in-house team validates that the advertised photos don’t depict a false representation of the property, that the property is being marketed by an authorised agency and, most importantly, that the property is genuinely available for rent.

RERA Certified Agents

Engaging the services of a RERA Certified Agent makes your home seeking journey smoother as they can equip you with the market knowledge and insights required to make informed decisions. Real estate brokerages in Dubai must be registered with RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department), and will each have a unique registration number. To validate this number, you can visit the official DLD website, dubailand.gov.ae. You can also check a brokerage, or individual broker to ensure they are registered by searching via their company name or full name.

Community Expert

If you’re interested in a particular area, engaging the services of a Community Expert can simplify your property search. Not only will they be able to provide superior insights and market knowledge for the community and advise you of pros and cons, they can also assist in negotiating you the best deal possible as they are armed with recent transaction data and trends.

Choose RERA Approved Projects

Much like brokerages in Dubai, all real estate projects must be registered with RERA. If you are considering an off-plan development, you should verify the registration details of the project on the DLD website.

Trakheesi Permits

It is mandatory for all real estate brokerages in Dubai marketing or advertising property listings online, or via print media, to have a Trakheesi Permit. The Trakheesi system endeavours to improve transparency within the real estate sector by eliminating fake or duplicate listings from the market.

All properties advertised on Property Finder have had their Trakheesi number validated with RERA, meaning that you can be assured that the property listing is 100% genuine.

Okay, I’ve found a property, what’s next?

Once you have located a property of interest, it is important to schedule a viewing and conduct a proper inspection of the home. At this stage, it is also the perfect time to negotiate the rental amount, or number of cheques required, with the agent. In many cases, fewer cheques can be used as a bargaining tool to get a discount on the yearly rent.

You can also question any other elements of the contract with the agent, for example, the deposit required, contract duration, termination clauses etc.

Should you decide to proceed with the property, you’ll need the following documents at the ready:

Passport copy
Residence Visa copy
Emirates ID copy
Security deposit; typically 5% of the rental amount for unfurnished, or 10% for furnished properties
Agency fee; typically 5% of the rental amount

Upon receiving the above, your Tenancy Agreement is prepared, ready for you to review and sign!

Understand more about the documents requirements to rent a property

Renter's Guide