Written by Hammad Roshan — CEO, Tahani Real Estate Brokers LLC, Dubai.
RERA-licensed brokerage · ORN 25557 · LinkedIn
RERA-licensed brokerage · ORN 25557 · LinkedIn
Updated 5 November 2026. Official sources checked on this date.
Before budgeting for a Dubai apartment, check its approved service-charge rate and latest unit statement. A city-wide estimate cannot tell you what a particular property costs to run. Keep the budget year, chargeable area, arrears and separately billed items visible in your comparison.
Start with the DLD Service Charge Index and open its Mollak lookup. Select the project, usage and year, or use the title-deed search. Match the result to the actual property. The lookup states that service charges exclude arrears.
Save the result with the latest invoice. If no matching budget appears, ask management for the relevant approved budget rather than substituting a nearby building’s rate. A missing result alone does not establish a zero charge or an exemption.
Under Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, Article 25 places annual service charges on the owner and uses the registered unit area with the approved allocation method. Article 27 requires RERA approval before management charges or collects amounts. Article 51 repeals Law No. 27 of 2007.
For a rented property, read the lease and ask for a written breakdown of the tenant’s bills. Keep utility obligations separate from the owner’s service-charge account. Seek advice on a disputed contract clause rather than assuming that every building follows the same billing arrangement.
If the verified annual rate were AED 12 per square foot and the applicable chargeable area were 950 square feet, that component would be 950 × AED 12 = AED 11,400 a year. These are hypothetical inputs, not a quoted building rate.
Confirm the registered area, any balcony or other allocation treatment, and all invoice components with management. Do not automatically multiply an advertised built-up area by an assumed rate. Ask about the payment schedule, prior balances and any separate reserve or community items before estimating cash due.
Compare the current statement with previous years and ask management to explain material changes. This guide does not substantiate a universal AED-per-square-foot ownership budget or a standard cooling percentage. Use written evidence for the property you are considering.
Request the approved budget and an itemised account, then identify the discrepancy in writing. Keep invoices, payment receipts and correspondence. DLD’s owner FAQs describe approved payment channels and management’s role in receiving owner complaints; contact DLD for the appropriate escalation route.
Article 28 prohibits withholding RERA-approved charges. Article 24 allows an owners committee to request RERA replacement of management in the relevant project category; it does not establish a universal 30% owner-vote replacement rule. General information here is not a determination of an individual dispute.
Use your verified costs in our rental-yield calculator, compare published listings, or contact the landlord inquiry desk with your requirements. Keep title deeds and financial documents out of public inquiries.
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Use DLD’s Service Charge Index for the exact project, usage and budget year, or its title-deed search. Compare the result with the latest unit statement; the index excludes arrears.
Article 25 of Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019 places the annual service-charge obligation on the owner. Tenants should separately confirm their lease and utility bills.
If a verified rate is AED 12 per square foot and the applicable chargeable area is 950 square feet, the illustrative annual component is AED 11,400. Confirm the area basis and other invoice items.
Use the property’s approved budget and current billing information. This guide does not establish a Dubai-wide rate range or a standard cooling share. Ask which cooling costs are included to avoid double-counting.
Ask management for the approved budget, itemised statement and explanation of the difference. Keep the documents and contact DLD for the appropriate complaint route if it remains unresolved. Article 28 does not allow withholding RERA-approved charges.