Dubai Rental Yield Calculator
Enter a purchase price and expected rent to get the gross yield — and more importantly, the net yield after service charges, running costs, and Dubai's 7–10% buying costs.
How this calculator works
Two formulas, honestly applied. Gross yield is the simple headline number: annual rent ÷ purchase price. Net yield is what actually lands in your account:
Net yield = (annual rent − service charges − operating costs) ÷ (price + upfront buying costs)
Operating costs default to 12% of rent — covering property management (typically 5–8%), maintenance, and a realistic vacancy allowance. Upfront costs default to 7% of the price: the 4% DLD transfer fee, 2% agency commission plus VAT, trustee and admin fees. You can itemize those buying costs here.
Why net yield is the number that matters
Listings and portals quote gross yield because it flatters the deal. But two properties with the same 8% gross can differ by two full percentage points net once service charges enter the picture — a high-amenity tower at AED 25/sqft eats yield that a modest building at AED 12/sqft keeps. Running the net calculation before you offer is the single highest-value habit in UAE property investing. The full method, with a worked JVC example, is in our guide to analyzing a Dubai rental, and you can compare live gross yields across every community on our areas pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good rental yield in Dubai?
Apartments in affordable communities like JVC, International City, or Discovery Gardens typically achieve 7–9% gross, while prime areas like Downtown or Palm Jumeirah sit closer to 5–6%. After service charges and costs, a net yield of 5–6.5% is a strong result. Compare that with your home market — most global cities net 2–4%. See the best-yield areas →
What is the difference between gross and net rental yield?
Gross yield is annual rent divided by purchase price — the number listings advertise. Net yield subtracts service charges, management, maintenance, and vacancy from the rent, then divides by your all-in cash including the roughly 7–10% buying costs. A 9% gross yield typically lands around 5.5–6.5% net.
How much are service charges in Dubai?
Service charges are billed per square foot per year and vary widely by building: roughly AED 3–8/sqft in suburban villa communities, AED 10–20/sqft for most apartment buildings, and AED 20–30+ in premium towers. On a 900 sqft apartment at AED 15/sqft, that is AED 13,500 a year — often the single biggest running cost.
Is rental income taxed in the UAE?
No — the UAE levies no personal income tax on rental income for individual landlords. Your net yield here is genuinely yours to keep, though you should check whether your home country taxes worldwide income.
More free tools
Monthly payment, loan amount, and total interest for a Dubai or Abu Dhabi home loan.
DLD transfer fee, trustee, agency, and mortgage fees — the true upfront cash for a purchase.
Booking, construction installments, handover, and post-handover — any plan as a real schedule.
Run the numbers on real listings
Esto does this math on every deal — with live rents and prices for each Dubai & Abu Dhabi area.