Hey fellow OFWs in Dubai (or any other emirate in the UAE), today I will give you a step-by-step guide on how you could get a flat in Dubai that is under your name for those who wants to take advantage of the lower real estate rate (like me).
After living in the UAE as an OFW for five years, this is the first time that I’ve lived without housemates and a landlady. It is nice to have my own kitchen to cook when I want and to have the washing machine all for myself. Don’t get me wrong. There is still advantages with living with fellow OFWs especially when you are lonely and homesick. But nothing beats having your privacy and the liberty to do anything as you please once you are in the comforts of your own home.
Search
When you start searching for a flat to rent, you might be overwhelmed since there are a lot of vacant flats available. What you must do to not be confused is to a) stick to the area where you want to move and b) stick to your budget. A lot of postings for vacant flats have an option for a filtered search. Use this. For me, I was able to find my flat via Bayut. Other popular search engines you could use are propertyfinder.ae, dubai.dubizzle.com, getthat.com and property.trovit.ae.
If anyone is wondering, I rent my studio flat from SBK Real Estate. Two thumbs up when it comes to professionalism and speedy service.
Contact the Advertiser
Once you managed to find a flat that you want to rent, contact the advertiser. My advice is don’t limit your choices to only one or two flats. Chances are you are not the only one who is looking at the same unit and most of the advertisers (some are direct to owners while others are under a real estate company) would not be able to answer you immediately. I have searched for flats last April and till now I have been receiving calls from other agents who I have contacted before and was not able to respond (for reasons beyond my wildest imagination). When this happens, it is better that you have other options. May the first agent/flat owner to respond wins.
Schedule a viewing
When scheduling for a viewing, be prepared to meet the agent at the evening since most of the agents still need to show up to their offices in the morning to do their paper works and other administrative duties. Some agents are not even able to meet you and would just call the watchman at the building to show you around. This is what happened to me. So, the watchman was not able to answer all my questions. This did not deter me though, for I was in constant communication with my agent and he was more than willing to accommodate all my questions and requests.
Settle the fees
Of all the steps, this is the most difficult to settle especially if you keep on converting dirhams to pesos. You would soon think that the money you are spending on renting a flat that you could never own here in UAE is money better spent in the Philippines as down payment on a condo unit or a town house that is YOURS. But, as OFWs we also must remember that we spent 11 months overseas working and away from our families. We owe it to ourselves to be able to have a place for comfortable resting. I’m not saying that if you are living with roommates that you are not comfortable. But if you are living with someone who is working nights, you must be careful when you are moving around in the mornings because you don’t want to disturb them. Or if you are running late one morning and you don’t have the time clean after yourself, you would not annoy someone with your disarrayed stuffs if you are living alone.
Breakdown for fees:
3 months advance payment for rent
Security deposit (amount varies but usually indicated in the post for available flats)
Commission fee (amount varies but usually indicated in the post for available flats although some postings for vacancies mention there are no commission fee charges)
Note: You also must prepare to issue post dated cheques depending on your agreement. Some real estate agrees for bimonthly payments of rent, so you must issue six cheques for the whole year. While others could only offer for quarterly payment arrangements.
Once the fees are settled, you sign a contract and your agent MUST do the necessary administrative applications for your tenancy contract to be registered to the municipality.
Apply for DEWA and Internet Connection
Applying for DEWA connection should be done by your agent, but you must prepare 2,000 AED for deposit. In my case, I received a message from my agent informing me that they are done with the applications and that I would receive a link from DEWA in my email. Once I have paid the deposit, the electricity and water were connected the next day.
I only experienced something that is akin to headache is when I am applying for Internet connection. I don’t want to mention my provider (hello Mr. Bean) but if you are dealing with them, you must be patient and firm. Otherwise, they would keep on delaying fixing your connection. Don’t be fooled also with their “promotions” because there are some terms and conditions that they would “forget” to tell you. But, what can I do? I need Internet connection at home.
Look for Movers
Tip: As soon as you have decided to have your own flat, start packing. THE DAYS WOULD NOT BE LONG ENOUGH for you to pack. TRUST ME. The night before the move, I stayed up late still putting things on boxes and I have started packing a WEEK before the move.
When you start looking for movers, make sure that everything is in black and white. If you agreed for this amount to include a driver and some helpers, make sure that they deliver. There are cases when they would settle for an amount but after moving everything, they would ask you for more money. So before agreeing, you must show them that you are not an easy target for any misgivings.
Congratulations! Move in Day!
During move in day, eat a hearty breakfast because you are bound to have a long day. Arrange the boxes together so it would be easier for you to organize them in your new home. Prioritize what you need first and don’t be overwhelmed with all your things and how you should arrange them. If you would not be able to unpack all the boxes at once, at least arrange them neatly to one side so you would not keep tripping on them.
So, there you have it that is my experience getting a flat in Dubai. When you have your own home now, you would suddenly find yourself at IKEA every weekend. Embrace it!
Happy hunting!
An Overseas Filipino Worker since 2008, Yvette is back in the Middle East after a brief stint in a first world country in South East Asia. She is a binge watcher and is part of numerous fandoms. She writes to keep her sanity (read her rantings on Wattpad @yvette_dc) and is happiest when she's in a bookstore. If given the resources, she would see the world.