What is the difference between apartments and other housing in Dubai

There is always a high demand for real estate in Dubai. However, one type has become increasingly more popular as of late, namely, apartments. And not only is it gaining popularity in Europe but in Asia as well.

So the construction of apartments is on the increase in the United Arab Emirates, especially in Dubai.

But this still doesn’t explain how apartments have today become a part of the usual ‘normal’ housing category. So how have apartments managed to integrate themselves so seamlessly into our lives? Why do people like them so much? How do apartments differ from apartment-hotels and residential real estate?

Apartments are the perfect type of real estate for large companies. What’s more, they usually cost less than other types of real estate such as residential buildings. In this article, we’ll give you a comprehensive overview of what apartments are and how not to confuse them with other types of accommodation in apartment buildings or hotel rooms.

Content:

• Apartments: differences between apartments and apartment-hotels
• What is the difference between apartments and other types of accommodation?
• How do apartments differ from apartment-hotels?
• Some more distinguishing features about apartments
• Apartment type(s) and class(es)
• Vacation in an apartment
• Renting an apartment in Dubai
• Purchasing apartments in Dubai
• Is it profitable to invest in an apartment in Dubai?
• How to find tenants?
• What should you pay attention to before choosing an apartment?
• Emirates.Estate will assist you in purchasing real estate in Dubai

Apartments: differences between apartments and apartment-hotels

Typically, one can stay in apartments in coastal countries such as Bulgaria, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia, or Greece.

Nowadays though, one can permanently reside in them and not simply stay in them at local resorts. In addition, they can also be found in the historical centers of large and popular tourist cities. For example, in Athens, Venice, Rome, and other megacities.

So apartments can be called homes or small detached houses (perhaps part of a large house, villa, cottage) that travelers rent for either a short or long time.

What is the difference between apartments and other types of accommodation?

The main difference between an apartment and other types of housing is that a home is a residential real estate property, while an apartment is a commercial real estate property.

Nowadays a lot of people purchase apartments not only to live in but also to rent them out or resell. In particular, more people are choosing to rent or resell as these are other ways to make money and earn an income.

How do apartments differ from apartment-hotels?

Do not confuse apartments and apart-hotels, especially since the latter can often be found at hotels. So while apart-hotels can function on their own, they do still somewhat resemble hotels. For example, in buildings, various facilities, and so on.

Furthermore, an apartment-hotel can be easily distinguished from a hotel by two key features, namely, that in an apartment-hotel, there is always a kitchen in the room, and they often also contain several rooms.

Some more distinguishing features about apartments

When living in an apartment, you can easily forget that you aren’t at home (if you’re renting it out while on vacation) because they have:

• Home appliances, which include a washing machine, TV, microwave oven, air conditioning, refrigerator, and more.
• A kitchen.
• In many warm countries, including the UAE, this type of accommodation usually comes outfitted with its own parking space, swimming pool, and a terrace with a balcony.

Apartment types and classes

Apartments vary according to type and class. The class of an apartment refers to factors such as the number of rooms, the area of the entire room, the level of comfort, and the luxury of one’s lifestyle overall. So overall, apartment class refers to how many stars it has.

When referring to the type of apartment, we are referring to what level it is. That is to say, how many letters it has.

• For example, type A is a studio apartment with one bedroom and an American kitchen (the kitchen is combined with the living room). The studio area is not more than 45 square meters (it is often 40-45 square meters). This type of apartment usually accommodates between two or four people.
• Type B is a studio apartment that has two bedrooms, a living room, and a separate kitchen. In total, it is between 60 to 90 square meters in size. This type of apartment usually accommodates between two to six people.
• Type C is a studio apartment that consists of three or four bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. In addition, there is also a dining room. These types of apartments have an area of more than square meters and can usually accommodate up to 12 people.
• And then finally, there are the luxury apartments. These types of apartments are richly decorated and outfitted with expensive pieces of furniture. Typically, they are located in penthouses but can also be found in separately located houses or residences.

So, luxury apartments comprise at least two rooms. What’s more, there is even staff on hand, including butlers. In addition, they offer a wide variety of services, private pools, and so on.

These types of rooms that can be found in apartment-hotels are often referred to as "presidential apartments".

Vacation in an apartment

When spoiled for choice between an apartment or a typical hotel, which one would you choose? Well, we’d go with the apartment. Especially if it’s in Dubai, which has several advantages including:

• Its own kitchen – many people prefer to cook themselves, even when they’re on vacation. Usually, an apartment with a kitchen is chosen by families with young children, fans of healthy food, people who prefer a budget vacation, and just picky people who are good cooks.
• In addition to the stove, the apartments usually come equipped with a large refrigerator. So you have lots of storage space for perishable foods (as opposed to refrigerators in hotel rooms which are often small).
• Apartments are more convenient and spacious – they can accommodate a small or large group. This means that you don’t have to spend any extra money (as opposed to some hotel rooms which are not always cheap).
• Pets – in apartments, tenants have the right to bring along their cats, dogs, hamsters, and any other pets they would like (as opposed to hotels where it’s usually not allowed).
• Eat at any time – in this instance, you’re spoiled for choice and don’t have to follow a hotel schedule. So you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner, whenever you want.

It’s worth noting that in Dubai, the only downside for apartment enthusiasts is that it is harder to find an apartment than a room – just because there are more rooms than apartments available.

Renting an apartment in Dubai

If you’re planning on renting an apartment, especially in Dubai, you need to hurry and be prepared to plan ahead. And while this is usually the case when it comes to renting an apartment, for Dubai, you need to be even more organized and plan in advance by about two months. So please keep this in mind, even if you’ll be making your booking remotely via an online service.

Also, there is another not very pleasant difference between checking in at a hotel and staying in an apartment. When checking in at a hotel, leaving your identity document at the reception is enough., However, when checking in at an apartment the process is somewhat different.

Furthermore, hotel guests have to follow the “house rules” so to speak (where to leave garbage, at what time it is forbidden to make noise, how to use household appliances, and so on). While the tenants of luxury or presidential-type apartments don’t have to adhere to such rules. Just remember though that whether you’ve decided on a hotel or an apartment, you need to sign an agreement. All relevant parties need to ensure that they fill out some type of agreement.

Purchasing apartments in Dubai

Foreign citizens have the right to purchase different types of accommodation in the city, some of which include:

• Apartments.
• Detached houses.
• Townhouses.
• Penthouses.
• Apartment-hotels.
• Apartments.

It should be noted that there are restrictions, but only on properties – not the actual accommodation itself. For instance, there are freehold parts of the metropolis where foreigners have the right to purchase real estate and dispose of properties by themselves (having registered housing in the real estate sector means you can sell it, rent it out, give it away, inherit, and so on). Many Russians and Ukrainians purchase local properties in Dubai so that they can resell them at a more expensive price. Alternatively, they can even choose to rent it out on a short-term or long-term basis.

In addition to freehold zones, there are also places where citizens of other countries can rent residential premises, including apartments, for no longer than 99 years. Furthermore, if you’ve already rented out such property, you do not need to live there for the entire period specified in the contract. You have the right to find another tenant and rent the property to him/her.

Is it profitable to invest in an apartment in Dubai?

As mentioned previously, when looking to stay in an apartment while on vacation, you need to book it well in advance, long before you arrive.

So why is it so much easier to stay at a hotel as opposed to an apartment? Because when it comes to apartments, the demand exceeds the supply. That is to say, the number of apartments that are currently on the market is not enough to meet and keep up with the demand.

Nevertheless, it turns out that it is still very profitable to purchase this type of accommodation and rent it out. So as a bonus, since you’ll always have customers looking to rent apartments in Dubai, you will always have a regular rental income.

How to find tenants?

Investors in Dubai, just like any other rich metropolis, have many real estate agents and management organizations working for them. This means that throughout the year, their representatives not only find tenants but also negotiate with them on various issues. More specifically, these issues include the conditions of one’s arrival and accommodation, drawing up and signing of contracts (lawyers work in companies for this), checking in, explaining the rules of behavior during one’s stay, handing out keys. Additional issues that these representatives also manage include when it is time for eviction, taking the keys back, checking the safety of engineering communications such as pipelines and finishes, household appliances, furniture, and other household accessories. Finally, they also see to it that the property is properly cleaned and ready for the arrival of new residents.

In warm countries such as Dubai, some tourists visit the country all year round. So there is no need to think about whether apartments will bring in an income since there are always a huge number of people who want to rent housing here.

What should you pay attention to before choosing an apartment?

Before purchasing an apartment any investor worth his/her salt will first think about how to go about it the proper way so as not to lose money.

First, you need to decide how long you will be renting out your apartment. Also, whichever area you choose to rent out, you’ll need to keep the following in mind:

• Emigrants who come to the city for a long time often settle in real estate near the coast.
• Some of them prefer the peace and privacy of remote areas compared to the hustle and bustle of the city.
• Families with school children or children of kindergarten age need to ensure that there are educational institutions near the house.
• Office buildings are essential for businesspeople. This includes people who come to Dubai to work in highly qualified or other positions. For example, engineers, office managers, sales agents, and other office employees.

So if you know who you want to rent an apartment to before contacting a realtor, you can suitably instruct the real estate agent on finding the right area and property.

Also, if you’re looking to resell as soon as possible, it is better to purchase a room near the coast, close to shopping and office centers. The development of the surrounding infrastructure is equally important.

Of course, it is also necessary to check on things such as how engineering communications work, indoor renovation stage, and overall how the residential complex as a whole, works. In addition to this, it’s important to know how swimming pools, hammams, fitness centers and other items and equipment work. Otherwise, if you don’t familiarize yourself with these types of things, the purchase of your apartment, no matter how comfortable the residential area is, won’t benefit you. If you do happen to find yourself in such a situation, you will have to reduce the rental cost because it is unlikely that someone will agree to pay for something that they won’t receive.

Website aggregator Emirates.Estate will assist you in purchasing real estate in Dubai

Find out what’s for sale in Dubai today and see what housing options are available for you right now by getting in touch with us. Our website aggregator Emirates.Estate has selected only the best apartments and cottages that owners, developers, and individuals (single operating entity) have put up for sale. What’s more, there are a wide variety of these real estate properties available. From studio apartments to townhouses and penthouses, as well as, luxurious residential complexes and so much more. We have no doubt that you’ll find what you’re looking for. What’s more, you’re guaranteed to find something that will suit both your budget and your preference.

Our experts are available and happy to be of service. So please, go ahead and feel free to contact us via writing to us in the feedback form on our website. Alternatively, you can even call the number listed on our website. Enjoy your purchase!