The service charge is the annual building fee. RERA approves each building’s budget and your share depends on the size of your unit. In the 2026 budgets, the Dubai median is about AED 172 per sq m a year, about €42 or $47. By area it ranges from about AED 148 per sq m in Dubai Silicon Oasis to about AED 227 in Dubai Creek Harbour. For a 70 sq m flat that is between AED 10,400 and AED 15,900 a year, roughly €2,500 to €3,850.
In this guide10 sections
| Area | AED per sq m a year | € per sq m | $ per sq m | 70 sq m flat a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | 148 | 36 | 40 | AED 10,400 |
| Al Furjan | 152 | 37 | 41 | AED 10,600 |
| Arjan | 169 | 41 | 46 | AED 11,800 |
| Dubai Sports City | 170 | 41 | 46 | AED 11,900 |
| Motor City | 171 | 41 | 47 | AED 12,000 |
| Dubai Marina | 176 | 43 | 48 | AED 12,300 |
| JLT | 177 | 43 | 48 | AED 12,400 |
| Palm Jumeirah | 182 | 44 | 50 | AED 12,700 |
| Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) | 184 | 45 | 50 | AED 12,900 |
| Dubai South | 184 | 45 | 50 | AED 12,900 |
| Dubai Hills Estate | 200 | 49 | 54 | AED 14,000 |
| Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) | 201 | 49 | 55 | AED 14,100 |
| Downtown Dubai | 204 | 50 | 56 | AED 14,300 |
| Meydan | 206 | 50 | 56 | AED 14,400 |
| Business Bay | 215 | 52 | 59 | AED 15,000 |
| Dubai Creek Harbour | 227 | 55 | 62 | AED 15,900 |
What is a service charge?
The service charge is the annual fee you pay as an owner in a building or complex with shared areas, known in Dubai as jointly owned property. It covers the cost of running, maintaining and repairing the building. RERA approves and audits every budget.
A typical service charge includes:
- Services: security and cleaning inside and out.
- Maintenance: lifts, pool, gym, gardens and building systems.
- Common area utilities: electricity, water and air conditioning.
- Management and building insurance.
- A reserve fund for major long-term repairs.
- The usage charge of the master developer, for the roads, parks and services of the wider community.
How your share is calculated
The management company splits the building’s total budget among all owners based on each unit’s area on the title deed. That is why the fee is published as a rate per area. In Dubai it is quoted per square foot. One square metre is 10.76 square feet.
The maths is simple: rate per square metre times the size of your home. A 70 sq m flat in a JVC building at the area’s median rate would pay:
| Item | AED | € | $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee, 70 sq m flat in JVC | AED 12,869 | €3,119 | $3,504 |
| Per month | AED 1,072 | €260 | $292 |
Approximate figures, for illustration only.
You can look up the approved rate for any completed building in the DLD’s Service Charge Index, on its website or in the Dubai REST app, by choosing the project, the usage and the year.
What each area pays
The table above shows the median fee of residential buildings in the areas where most off-plan buying happens. Three things stand out:
- Areas are close to each other. Most sit between AED 150 and 215 per sq m a year, about €36 to €52.
- Buildings within an area vary a lot. In JVC some buildings are below AED 40 per sq m and others above 400. In Business Bay the range runs from about 50 to almost 600. So the figure that matters is your building’s, not the area’s.
- It rises slowly. The Dubai median went from about AED 147 per sq m in 2019 to about 172 in 2026, a little over 2% a year.
In villa and townhouse communities the fee per metre is usually lower, because each owner maintains their own home and the community mainly covers roads, security and green areas.
Why some buildings pay more
- Amenities. A pool, gym, 24-hour concierge or leisure areas push the fee up.
- Height. A tall tower has more lifts, more pumps and more façade maintenance.
- Cooling. In some buildings the common area chiller is in the fee and in others it is billed separately.
- Hotel branding. Residences with hotel services have the highest fees.
- Size. In large buildings fixed costs are shared among more owners.
A somewhat higher fee is not bad in itself. A well-kept building lets better and holds its value. What matters is that it fits the rent the home can earn.
How much it takes off your yield
The gross yield you see in adverts is the rent divided by the price, before costs. The service charge is the largest fixed cost, so it is the first thing to deduct to reach the net yield.
On an AED 1,000,000 home of 70 sq m, the fee in the areas in the table runs from about AED 10,400 to AED 15,900 a year. That takes between 1 and 1.6 points off the gross yield, depending on the area. Approximate figures, for illustration only.
That is why we always compare the fee with the area’s rent before suggesting a project. You have rents and gross yields by area in the guide to yields by area and the rent estimator.
Buying off-plan: how to know the fee in advance
A building that does not exist yet has no approved budget. RERA approves it once the building is complete and the management company is running. Until then the reference is the developer’s estimate and what similar buildings in the same area, of the same size and with the same amenities, pay.
How each developer estimates it and when you start paying depends on the developer, and we confirm it for each project. Before you book, we give you the developer’s estimate and compare it with the area’s buildings in the DLD index.
How and when you pay
Invoices are issued through Mollak, the DLD system that oversees owners’ associations. The invoice shows the amount and you pay through official channels, including the Dubai REST app, also from abroad, whether you are in the UK, the US or elsewhere.
Always pay through those official channels and keep the receipts.
The owners’ committee
Owners have a say in the building. Once at least 10% of the units are registered in their owners’ names, an owners’ committee can be formed. It follows the budget, the management company’s work and the state of the building, and it is the channel to ask for changes.
Things to keep in mind
- Check the rate for the specific building, not just the area average.
- Ask whether the chiller is included or billed separately.
- Add the master developer’s usage charge if it is billed separately.
- Work out the fee with the area on the title deed.
- Deduct it from the rent before comparing yields.
- Off-plan, get the developer’s estimate in writing.
- Always pay through Mollak and keep the receipts.
Before suggesting a project we review the estimated fee and compare it with the area’s rent.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the service charge in Dubai?
In the 2026 budgets the median is about AED 172 per sq m a year, about €42 or $47. For a 70 sq m flat that is about AED 12,000 a year.
How much is the service charge in JVC?
The JVC median in 2026 is about AED 184 per sq m a year, about €45. For a 70 sq m flat, about AED 12,900 a year.
How much is the service charge in Business Bay?
The Business Bay median in 2026 is about AED 215 per sq m a year, about €52, with big differences between buildings.
Who approves service charges?
RERA, the DLD’s regulatory agency, approves and audits each building’s budget.
How do I pay the service charge?
Through Mollak, the DLD system. The invoice comes through Mollak and you pay through official channels, such as the Dubai REST app, also from abroad.
How do I know the fee for an off-plan building?
From the developer’s estimate, compared with similar buildings in the area in the DLD index. We confirm it for each project.
