Villas & houses for rent in Dubai, UAE

Exploring your best Villa rental options in Dubai

With Expo 2020 coming up in the second half of the year, Dubai is brimming with excitement and new attractions making it a great city to live in. If you are looking to move to Dubai, move home or upsize from an apartment to a villa, now is a great time to explore your options. 

As supply levels increase in the property market, landlords are becoming more flexible to maintain occupancies, which puts you in the perfect spot to negotiate the best prices. You can even take advantage of leasing incentives like rent-free periods, longer contract terms and even contributing to utilities. Here is some information to help make your decision to move a little easier.

What kind of Dubai villas can I rent?

People prefer living in villas for many reasons including the privacy it offers, the community facilities, lawns, and gardens. If you have always dreamt of having your own pool to soak in and enjoy the year-round sunshine, the current market prices mean you don’t need to be a millionaire to rent a home with one. 

Villas are usually located slightly away from crowded roads to give you a life of serenity. Many communities come equipped with family parks, golf courses, schools, supermarkets and more to ensure you have everything you and your family need within a stone’s throw. 

When you choose a villa for rent in Dubai, you can also consider the scales of luxury and modernity as newer villas are being built in line with the latest International architectural trends. 

How many different types of houses for rent are there in Dubai?

In Dubai, home to the world’s largest mall and the world’s largest tower, more is more. 
You can rent anything from apartments with varying numbers of bedrooms, to townhouses to villas with up to 10 or more bedrooms. There are many options to choose your dream home to rent in Dubai. 

There is a vast number of villas available to rent online so it can get overwhelming, but our guides can help you navigate easily through properties, laws, and regulations. Dubai is a fast-growing city and new areas are coming to life almost every day.

Downtown Dubai and Dubai International Financial Centre are popular with newly married couples and professionals due to the close proximity to the Burj Khalifa and Sheikh Zayed Road, but the rents in these areas can be a bit higher than less central areas. Bur Dubai and Deira are cheaper and are packed with lots of ethnic food restaurants, however, the buildings tend to be older and may not be equipped with the facilities or amenities that newer communities offer. 

Dubai Marina is popular among Western residents and a younger crowd while the middle-income districts of the Greens and Springs offer cheap flats and villas. 

There are also luxurious villas to rent in upscale communities like Emirates Hills and The Arabian Ranches. Villas in these communities enjoy access to golf courses, parks, jogging tracks and more. If you’re looking for something closer to the beach, The Palm Jumeirah would be the perfect community for you. 

Where can I get cheap houses for rent in Dubai?

If you are looking to rent a villa at the price of a 2-BHK apartment, we would recommend looking at the newer communities coming up in Dubai. Villas in communities like Townsquare, Mira, and Remraam are built with all modern facilities but come at less than half the rental price since the communities are new. You can even choose between furnished or unfurnished villas. In some communities, it is a norm to offer the property along with large household appliances, like cooking over and refrigerators, so make sure you check with your agent before signing your tenancy contract.

What is the process of renting in Dubai?

Rent in Dubai is usually paid in the form of cheques. Due to the current market conditions, the traditional expectation to pay rent upfront in one cheque is very uncommon now and more flexible options of 4,6 and sometimes even 12 cheques are available. 

When renting you will need your residency visa, passport, and a chequebook in your name. The maintenance is usually paid by the owner while the monthly utilities are borne by the tenant so you should ensure this is clearly stated in the contract. There is usually a deposit of AED 4,000 for villas along with feeds to activate DEWA.

A rental agreement in Dubai is not legal until it has been registered with Ejari, the online portal of Dubai’s Land Department (DLD). Registering can be done either on their site – ejari.gov.ae – or through customer service centres throughout the city. The Al Manara Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, next to Noor Bank Metro, is the government's main one-stop-shop for services. The Ejari process is in place to guarantee your rights as a tenant.
Registration for Ejari – 'my rent' in Arabic – costs Dh220 and you will need to provide a copy of the title deed from the landlord, tenancy contract, your Emirates ID as well as passport copies of both the landlord and the tenant. If the previous tenant's Ejari has not been cancelled, you may need a photo or photocopy of their document to do so and cancel the Ejari before you can register your own. 

There are usually broker fees to be paid which is 5-10% of your annual rent and a deposit to the landlord which is also 5% of the annual rent to be refunded once you leave.

Once you have registered the rental agreement with Ejari you can activate your water and electricity connection (DEWA). If you are moving houses, you can also simply transfer your connection to the new villa. If you are renting for the first time, you can take a copy of your passport and Emirates ID to a DEWA service centre. You will also need to provide the DEWA number that is unique to your property. It is usually printed on a tag on the front door of your villa.