--- title: "What it costs to own an apartment in Dubai | YOLO STAY" description: "Service charge, DEWA, cooling, the DET permit and holiday-home running costs: who pays what on an annual lease and on short stays." url: https://yolostay.ae/journal/owner-costs-dubai-apartment/ language: en alternates: en: https://yolostay.ae/journal/owner-costs-dubai-apartment/ ru: https://yolostay.ae/ru/journal/owner-costs-dubai-apartment/ updated: 2026-10-22 --- [Journal](https://yolostay.ae/journal/) · For owners # What it costs to own an apartment in Dubai 18 October 2026 · 3 min read · YOLO STAY ![](https://yolostay.ae/wp-content/yolostay-journal/covers/owner-costs-dubai-apartment.webp) Service charge, DEWA, cooling, the DET permit and holiday-home running costs: who pays what on an annual lease and on short stays. **Contents** 1. Owner costs under any arrangement 2. Utilities 3. Extra costs of a holiday home 4. Who pays what: annual lease vs holiday home 5. How to work out your own apartment 6. How our owners see it The purchase price is only the first line. To compare an apartment’s return on an annual lease and as a holiday home honestly, you need every recurring cost of ownership and to know who pays it in each case. Below is the full list, a “who pays” table and the order in which to do the sums. ## Owner costs under any arrangement ### Service charge The annual contribution to running the building and community: security, cleaning of common areas, lifts, pool, gym, and repairs to the facade and building systems. It is charged on the apartment’s area in dirhams per square foot. Each building’s budget is approved by the Dubai Land Department (RERA), and you can look up a building’s rate in the DLD service charge index. Buildings differ widely: a premium tower with hotel services and a rooftop pool can charge several times more than an ordinary residential building. ### Insurance Cover for the apartment and the owner’s liability. For short stays you need a policy that covers letting to guests — check this when you buy it. ### Repairs and replacement Air conditioning, plumbing, appliances, repainting. In Dubai air conditioning runs almost all year, so regular servicing is a fixed line in the budget. ## Utilities - **DEWA** — electricity and water. - **Cooling (chiller)** — in some buildings air conditioning is billed separately by a district cooling provider. The bill usually has a fixed part that is charged even when the apartment is empty. - **Internet and TV.** On an annual lease the tenant pays the utilities; in a holiday home the owner does, and they are part of the apartment’s costs. ## Extra costs of a holiday home - **DET permit** — from AED 370 a year for a one-bedroom unit, up to AED 1,270 for four bedrooms or more. - **Booking platform commissions** — Airbnb, Booking.com and others keep their share of each booking. - **Cleaning and linen** after every guest. - **Supplies:** toiletries, kitchen basics and the small things guests expect. - **Furniture and appliances:** with guests changing all the time, wear is faster and refreshes come sooner. - **The management company’s fee**, if an operator runs the home. ## Who pays what: annual lease vs holiday home | Cost | Annual lease | Holiday home | | --- | --- | --- | | Service charge | Owner | Owner | | Home insurance | Owner | Owner | | DEWA, cooling, internet | Tenant | Owner | | DET permit | — | Owner | | Furniture and appliances | Owner, if let furnished | Owner, refreshed more often | | Cleaning, linen, supplies | — | Owner (part of the home’s costs) | | Platform commissions | — | Deducted from each booking | | Minor repairs | Usually the owner | Owner | | Management | Agent — usually a one-off fee | Operator — a percentage | ## How to work out your own apartment 1. Take your building’s service charge rate from the DLD index and multiply it by the area. 2. Add insurance and an annual repairs budget. 3. For a holiday home, add 12 months of utilities, the DET permit, supplies and furniture refreshes. 4. From the expected guest revenue, deduct platform commissions and the operator’s fee. 5. Compare the result with an annual lease in your building minus service charge and repairs. In our comparison calculator we assume: platform commissions of about 15%, utilities of about AED 1,100 a month, supplies of AED 8,000 and furniture refreshes of AED 9,000 a year. These are our assumptions for an average apartment, not a rule — for yours we calculate from your building’s actual figures. A worked example is in the article “Short-term or annual lease”. ## How our owners see it Owners see every expense on their apartment in the YOLO STAY app with a photo of the receipt. At the end of the month they get a statement: income, expenses, fee and the amount paid out. The fee is taken from the month’s result — income minus expenses — and there is none in a month with a loss. For owners ## What could your home earn? Fees from 15%, AED 0 onboarding and no fee in a month with a loss. We will send an income estimate for your building. [Get an income estimate](https://yolostay.ae/fees/#request) This guide is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules and fees in Dubai change — check the official sources (Dubai Land Department, Department of Economy and Tourism) or talk to us before any transaction. Journal ## Read next ![](https://yolostay.ae/wp-content/yolostay-journal/covers/dubai-areas-for-holiday-homes.webp) For owners ### Dubai areas for holiday homes: where an apartment earns best Marina and JBR, Downtown, JLT, JVC, Sports City, Sobha Hartland and Jumeirah — guests, seasons and a checklist before you buy. Read the guide → → https://yolostay.ae/journal/dubai-areas-for-holiday-homes/ ![](https://yolostay.ae/wp-content/yolostay-journal/covers/holiday-home-permit-dubai.webp) For owners ### How to rent out an apartment short-term in Dubai legally The DET holiday home permit: documents, fees from AED 370 a year, the Tourism Dirham, and whether to self-manage or use an operator. Read the guide → → https://yolostay.ae/journal/holiday-home-permit-dubai/ ![](https://yolostay.ae/wp-content/yolostay-journal/covers/short-term-vs-long-term-rental.webp) For owners ### Short-term or annual lease: an honest calculation for Dubai owners Why "short-term pays twice as much" isn't true for every apartment, how to check yours in five minutes, and what 2026 changed. Read the guide → → https://yolostay.ae/journal/short-term-vs-long-term-rental/ ## Contact YOLO STAY - [Email](mailto:mail@yolostay.ae) - [+971 55 952 23 41](tel:+971559522341) - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971559522341) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/yolostay.ae) --- Markdown mirror of https://yolostay.ae/journal/owner-costs-dubai-apartment/. Site guide for AI agents: https://yolostay.ae/llms.txt