Dubai Rental Yield Calculator
Gross and net rental yield for any Dubai or UAE property. Free — no login.
Most UAE listings quote gross yield (annual rent ÷ purchase price). What matters for investment decisions is net yield — after service charges, vacancy, maintenance, and management. This calculator does both.
What is rental yield in Dubai?
Rental yield is the annual rental income from a property expressed as a percentage of the purchase price. Gross yield uses the headline rent only; net yield subtracts service charges (AED 12–25/sqft), vacancy (5–10%), maintenance (~5%), and management fees (5–8%). A typical 2026 Dubai apartment with 8% gross yield delivers a net yield of 5–5.5%.
How to use this calculator
Enter the listing price, expected annual rent, unit size, and service charges. The tool computes gross yield (the number most agents quote) alongside net yield (the number banks and institutional investors actually use).
Worked example: AED 1.2M JVT 1-Bedroom
Standard mid-market Dubai apartment. Listing claims 7.5% gross. Let's run the net math.
Listing view (gross)
Real view (net)
The 7.5% gross becomes 4.9% net — a 35% haircut. Use this calculator on every prospective deal before committing.
Typical Dubai yields by area (2026)
- International City — 8–9% gross, 5–6% net (high charges)
- JLT / Discovery Gardens — 7–8% gross, 5–6% net
- JVC / Al Furjan / JVT — 6.5–7.5% gross, 5–6% net
- Dubai Sports City / Sports City — 6.5–7.5% gross, 5–5.5% net
- Business Bay — 6–7% gross, 4–5% net
- Dubai Marina / JBR — 5–6% gross, 3.5–4.5% net
- Dubai Hills Estate / MBR City — 5–6% gross, 3.5–4.5% net
- Downtown Dubai / Palm Jumeirah — 4–5% gross, 2.5–3.5% net
Service charge bands — by building tier
| Tier | AED/sqft | Typical buildings |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 8–13 | International City, Discovery Gardens, older Dubai Silicon Oasis |
| Mid-market | 13–18 | JVC, JVT, JLT, Town Square, The Greens |
| Upper-mid | 18–24 | Business Bay, Dubai Marina (older), Al Furjan |
| Premium | 24–32 | Dubai Marina (newer towers), Downtown (mid-tier), JBR |
| Luxury | 32–55 | Palm Jumeirah, branded residences, Bluewaters, City Walk |
Why net yield matters more than gross
A 9% gross yield in a building with AED 28/sqft service charges can net out below a 5% yield in a well-managed building with AED 14/sqft charges. Always compute both. Banks calculate cash-flow DSCR (debt-service coverage ratio) using net rent, not gross — so this is also the number that determines mortgage approval for investment properties.
Studio vs 1BR vs 2BR — yield comparison
- Studio: highest gross yield (8–10% in JVC, Business Bay, Studio City), but highest tenant churn (6–9 month tenancies common), highest vacancy. Best for very hands-on investors who treat it as a quasi-business.
- 1-Bedroom: the sweet spot. ~6–7% gross, 4.5–5.5% net, low vacancy, 12–24 month tenancies. Most resilient resale value. Recommended default for first-time investors.
- 2-Bedroom: lower yield (~5–6% gross) but family tenants stay 2–3+ years. Less cash-flow but lower operational drag. Better for buy-and-hold capital appreciation.
Related tools: Mortgage calculator · DLD fees calculator · Short-term rental calculator · Full net ROI calculator.
Dubai Rental Yield — FAQ
What is a good rental yield in Dubai?+
Gross rental yields in Dubai range 5–9% depending on area and unit type. A healthy net rental yield (after service charges, maintenance, vacancy) is 5–7%. Areas like International City and JLT offer the highest gross yields; Dubai Marina and Downtown offer better appreciation but lower yields.
How do you calculate rental yield?+
Gross rental yield = (Annual rent ÷ property purchase price) × 100. Net rental yield subtracts service charges, maintenance, vacancy loss, and management fees from annual rent before dividing by price. The gap between gross and net is usually 25–35% in Dubai.
Does this calculator include service charges?+
Yes. The calculator lets you enter property size and a service charge rate (AED per sq ft). Dubai averages AED 12–25/sq ft depending on building class. REMAP pulls exact per-building data from DLD service charge filings when you run a full analysis on a Bayut URL.
What vacancy rate should I assume?+
Dubai long-term rental vacancy averages 5–8% annually. High-demand areas (Marina, Downtown, JBR, Palm) run 3–5%; oversupplied areas (Business Bay studios, JVC mid-market) can hit 10%+. Off-plan handover surges can push first-year vacancy to 15%.
Is this calculator free?+
Yes, and no login required. For a full net ROI analysis with real DLD transactions, live rental comps, and building-specific service charges, paste a Bayut or Property Finder URL into REMAP.
What's the difference between gross and net yield?+
Gross yield = annual rent ÷ purchase price. Net yield additionally subtracts service charges (AED 12–25/sqft × unit size), vacancy loss (5–10% of rent), maintenance budget (~5% of rent), and property-management fees (5–8% of rent if outsourced). On a typical Dubai apartment, gross 8% becomes net 5–5.5%.
How much are Dubai service charges per square foot?+
Service charges range from AED 8/sqft (older budget towers in International City) to AED 35/sqft (premium Marina + Downtown buildings). RERA publishes a service-charge index for every registered tower. Average across all Dubai apartments in 2026 is roughly AED 17/sqft.
Which Dubai areas have the highest gross rental yields?+
In 2026: International City (~9% gross), Discovery Gardens (~8.5%), JLT (~8.1%), JVC (~7.5%), Dubai Sports City (~7%). However, high gross yields often come with higher service charges and longer void periods — always compare net yields, not gross.
Which Dubai areas have the highest capital appreciation?+
Across 2022–2025: Palm Jumeirah (+45% cumulative), Dubai Hills Estate (+38%), MBR City (+35%), Downtown Dubai (+28%), Dubai Marina (+22%). Lower yields here are offset by capital gain — total return often beats high-yield mid-market areas.
Should I prioritize yield or appreciation?+
Depends on your strategy. Cash-flow investors (income-focused) optimize for net yield: JLT, JVC, Discovery Gardens. Capital-growth investors (asset-builders) accept lower yields in Palm, Downtown, Dubai Hills. Golden Visa buyers usually pick a hybrid — AED 2M+ in Downtown or Marina hits visa + decent appreciation.
Studio vs 1BR vs 2BR — which yields best?+
Studios deliver highest gross yields (~8–10%) in JVC, Business Bay, Studio City — but highest vacancy and tenant churn. 1BR is the sweet spot (~6–7% gross, low vacancy). 2BR has lower yields (~5–6%) but stickier family tenants. Stick to 1BR for first-time investors.
How does short-term rental (Airbnb) compare to long-term rental yield?+
STR can deliver 30–60% higher gross revenue than LTR in tourist areas (Marina, JBR, Downtown), but operating costs are 35–50% higher (cleaning, utilities, platform fees, licensing). Net yield uplift is typically 15–25% — see the short-term rental calculator for an exact comparison.
Want the full picture?
This tool gives you one metric. REMAP pulls DLD transactions, service charges, rental comps, and market velocity for every unit. Paste any Bayut or Property Finder URL and get a complete Net ROI breakdown in 30 seconds.
Run a full REMAP analysis on any Bayut URL