Run the maths on net, never gross
A AED 3.25m apartment of 1,480 sq ft letting at AED 210,000 gives a 6.4% gross yield. At AED 18 per sq ft, service charges take AED 26,640 — the net drops to about 5.6% before management and vacancy.
Move the same numbers into a tower charging AED 28 per sq ft and you lose a further AED 14,800 a year. Nothing about the property changed except the building's cost base.
What to ask before you offer
Ask for the last three years of the owners association budget, the reserve fund balance and whether any special levy has been proposed. A funded reserve is the single best predictor that charges will stay stable.
Villas and townhouses in master communities often charge AED 3–6 per sq ft, which is why family stock frequently nets closer to apartments than headline yields suggest.
Want these figures for your own purchase?
Run your price through the calculator, then send it over for a written confirmation.