What are service charges and how much should I expect?

Service charges are annual fees paid by property owners to cover the maintenance of common areas, facilities, and building management. They are set by the owners' association or master developer and regulated by RERA.

Typical ranges in 2026:

• Apartments: AED 12–30 per sq ft/year (budget communities like JVC: AED 12–16; premium like Marina/Downtown: AED 20–30)
• Villas/Townhouses: AED 3–8 per sq ft/year
• Branded residences: AED 35–60+ per sq ft/year

For a typical 800 sq ft 1-bedroom apartment in Dubai Marina, expect AED 18,000–22,000/year in service charges. This covers security, pool, gym, common area cleaning, elevators, and building insurance.

You can check official service charge budgets for any building on the DLD Mollak system.

Building-by-building data: Dubai Service Charges Explained