Rental options in Dubai for Dh50,000

Where could you possibly have rented a home in Dubai for Dh50,000 a year during the peak of the emirate's property boom? The amount could perhaps have got you some cramped quarters in a shared villa in Satwa or in the back alleyways of Jumeirah. Possibly, one could have rented a studio in International City.

The scene has changed drastically since those days. Today, the same amount of cash can get more bang for your buck. Property ventured out to find where Dh50,000 fits in Dubai's transformed realty landscape and zeroed in on nine locations. To lend more credence to this exercise, tenants pitched in too, with insider tips on their communities.

Tecomo

What's available: Two-bedroom apartment with normal finish

Tenant talk — Nilofar K V: Tecom is very strategically located and has a Metro station on the doorstep. There is good security in most buildings and also adequate parking options. There are convenience stores for grocery needs, pharmacies, medical clinics and a handful of refreshment options too, courtesy of the numerous hotel apartments dotting the area. However, the streets are not very child-friendly and tiny tots have no play areas. Also the room sizes are not particularly large. We don't, however, need to contend with traffic bottlenecks during peak hours. Tecom's unique selling point (USP) is its proximity to The Greens, a neighbourhood which has a good community vibe.

Property verdict: Referred to as the poorer cousin of The Greens, Tecom is an affordable place for people who work in Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City (DIC) and Knowledge Village to live. The DIC Metro station is a huge plus; also, cabs do the rounds frequently. Rather too many hotel apartments lend the area a commercial profile. On a positive note, however, these very hotel apartments, replete with restaurants also offer a range of clubbing options (Media Rotana, Grand Millennium, Byblos Hotel and Layia Hotel & Suites, to name a few.) A self-contained neighbourhood, Tecom has a generous smattering of convenience stores (Carrefour Express, Park ‘n Shop, Geant Easy, Pearl Mart), an Aster Medical Centre, a few pharmacies, beauty salons and an Emirates Bank outlet. However, the pathways are yet to be completed, making the area rather pedestrian-unfriendly. Another negative is the construction which is still ongoing at several sites in Tecom.

Dubai Sports City 

What's available: Unfurnished two-bedroom or a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment

Tenant talk — Maricar Cinco: I've rented a furnished one-bedroom apartment in The Diamond, Dubai Sports City. The building offers facilities such as underground car parking, a gym, barbecue area, a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna and free internet. Rents are very competitive in this area. However, the surroundings are not landscaped and this could render the area very dusty when summer sets in. Also, Sports City is quite some distance away from the main metropolis where all the action unfolds. It can also get quite noisy in the evening, due to the trucks on the roads. There are no convenience stores and residents need to drive either to the retail stretch in Motor City or the small mall at Arabian Ranches. A family owning two cars will find it hard to find parking space for the second vehicle as it is prohibited to park cars in front of the buildings.

Property verdict: Evidently, the world's first integrated sports city has a long way to go before completion. Largely a construction site, except for the fairways and villas in Victory Heights, Sports City currently has only a handful of completed towers where leasing activity is ongoing. These include The Diamond, the Golf View Residence and the Golf Tower. Look to rent here only if you drive as public transport is limited. The only incentive to move here are the low rents, with the area housing no services such as grocery stores, launderettes or salons. Residents can, however, avail of services in the temporary Els Club in the adjacent Victory Heights which offers a restaurant, a driving range, golf course (debenture membership available), and also take lessons at the Butch Harmon School of Golf.

International City 

What's available: Two-bedroom apartment in Central Business District

Tenant talk — Sadhana: International City has an inherent charm to it. Friends who have moved out say they regret leaving the liveliness of this community behind. I have been living in the Italy cluster for the past two years and plan to move to the CBD building as I come home late at night and don't want to bump into bachelors. In addition, security guards are not deployed in all buildings. However, the bachelors in International City are quite civilised. Of course, wherever one lives, one needs to exercise caution. One disadvantage is the multiple masseur cards that are dropped on your doorstep daily. Also, there is no provision for a school or multiplex here. But there are several restaurants, coffee shops, internet cafés, salons and grocery marts.

Property verdict: Avoid the Greece, Morocco and Persia clusters if you are planning to rent in International City with your family. A stark example of how negligence can give your neighbourhood a rundown look, these clusters are ill-maintained and a large number of labourers have moved in. Pickup trucks, massage parlours, unsightly satellite dishes popping out of every window and laundry weighing down balconies — there are lots of problems developing in these clusters. Proximity to the sewage plants has caused an exodus of families from these clusters, resulting in nosediving rents and the influx of labourers. Families will vouch for the France, Spain and England clusters, courtesy of the easy exits to the Emirates Road. With overcrowding going unchecked across all unit types and frequent sewage pipe bursts, intervention by municipal authorities is the need of the hour here.

Motor City 

What's available: One-bedroom apartment in Uptown Motor City

Tenant talk — Navin Narayanan: Motor City is a tranquil community and a melting pot of cultures. Both owners and tenants have free use of community facilities such as swimming pools and gyms. Being a gated community, there are no security concerns and the green walkways are ideal for a daily stroll. Depending on the size of your unit, you are entitled to basement car park berths and lockable storage rooms. The retail stretch is adequate to meet our shopping needs and we don't miss small grocery stores. However, the walls are made out of gypsum to make the apartments soundproof due to the Autodrome activities. This makes it hard to mount fixtures such as chandeliers or even curtains rails. The chiller charges imposed by Emicool are expensive and need to be borne by tenants.

Property verdict: Inarguably, one of the most well-designed gated communities in Dubai, Motor City also scores high on accessibility, maintenance and retail options. Motorheads are likely to lap up apartments facing Dubai Autodrome while units offering views of the community parks and pools are likely to find favour with families. Despite being slap bang in the middle of a racing track, the soundproof windows are a reprieve for Motor City dwellers. Recreation centres with a pool and gym each dot the community while the soon-to-open Kidville in the retail boulevard will be popular during the scorching summer months. There is adequate surface parking for visitors. Despite being touted as a gated community, guards let all vehicles through, without checking credentials. The Courtyard Marriott Hotel planned in the master plan remains just that — planned.

Dubai Silicon Oasis

What's available: One-bedroom apartment

Tenant talk — Reem Shatir: It's been more than year since I moved to Silicon Oasis. It doesn't get too noisy out here and there's also ample parking. All buildings have only been complete for two years and hence have few maintenance issues. The quality of build and finish of the apartments is also good. Although rents are not too high, Silicon Oasis still attracts a good tenant profile, unlike the neighbouring International City. Facilities such as supermarkets (Spinneys, Choithrams and a soon-to-open Carrefour), launderette, restaurants serving Chinese and Arabic cuisine, an MMI, pharmacy, bookshop and music store are only a two-minute drive away. I also have a bus stop right in front of my building (S P Oasis). Residents have individual access cards for parking in their buildings and there is vigilant security 24/7 in the community.

Property verdict: A strict no-no for those commuting to Abu Dhabi or Jebel Ali Free Zone. In addition to the Cedre Villas and Semmer Villas, used by Emirates to house its pilots and other staff, this development also features good residential towers such as The Spring Oasis, featuring covered car parks and amenities such as gyms and swimming pools. Ongoing construction activity at several sites can, however, be an eyesore. A community centre, hosting a Costa Coffee, pharmacy and Spinneys, is a favourite hang-out zone for residents. One notable drawback is the scarcity of public transport. Residents claim this makes it hard to hire domestic help in DSO households. The opening of GEMS Wellington Academy later this year should see Silicon Oasis find more favour among families. However, there is a shortage of three-bedroom apartments in this enclave.

Mirdif 

What's available: One-bedroom apartment in Ghoroob Mirdif and Shorooq Mirdif

Tenant talk — Gladys Pastolero: I love my life in Mirdif. We have just about everything one would need here. We're close enough to the heart of the city, without being stuck bang in the midst of the chaos and noise that accompany big city living. We're a little community of Mirdif-ers, and we love our home. Those who want some peace and quiet away from the grind of daily life gravitate towards Mirdif. The only bit that I'm not in love with is the sound of the planes flying overhead. I'm fortunate to be on a street that's not on the flight path. However, in the past, I have lived directly on the flight path and understand how it can be slightly disturbing if you're not used to it. In terms of connectivity, there's a Metro station in Rashidiya and regular buses connecting home to the trains. We have four malls plus numerous community centres. There's everything from spas to salons, restaurants, gyms, high-street and designer fashion here. My personal favourite bit about Mirdif is how pet-friendly it is. Just about everyone who lives here has a pet. That's one of the area's charms.

Property verdict: Earlier a quiet suburb popular among Emirati and European families, Mirdif now has a new demographic mix, courtesy of the handover of affordable apartments in Ghoroob and Shorooq. While the notorious flight path and the long commute to the city's downtown weighed against Mirdif earlier, the Business Bay Crossing and Rashidiya Metro station now attract more young families and couples to this residential enclave. Uptown Mirdif, the Arabian Centre, the mammoth Mirdif City Centre and Mushrif Park satiate Mirdif dwellers' entertainment needs. However, traffic is worsening with the opening of these new developments.

International Media Production Zone 

What's available: Two-bedroom flat in The Crescent (payable in four cheques)

Tenant talk — Lynn Wildman: It's fantastic to be in IMPZ. The prices and the location were the driving factors. It's nice and quiet out here and there is also a good bus service. There is a lot of construction occurring all around, but it doesn't affect us much. However, we miss not having a shop within the area and it can be quite inconvenient if you don't have car. Another glitch is how residents need to pay for car parking berths within the complex. This is expensive and as a result, you find scores of cars parked alongside the roads during evenings. There is no lifeguard manning the swimming pool and I feel slightly self-conscious to lie by the pool with men on scaffolding working on neighbouring towers. However, they are unobtrusive and neither shout nor whistle. The balcony does tend to get a bit dusty though.

Property verdict: "An eco-friendly oasis of calm amid the hustle and bustle of Dubai" is how Damac promotes its Crescent Towers in IMPZ. In reality, with rudimentary infrastructure in place, IMPZ today is a construction site in the midst of the desert. While Crescent Towers A, B and C have been handed over and are being leased, Lago Vista Towers A, B and C (also from Damac) are in the final stages of completion in IMPZ. While the three Crescent towers feature a tennis court, swimming pool, gym, barbecue area and steam/sauna rooms, it can be awkward to take a dip in the open pool, with construction workers being a permanent fixture in the neighbouring high-rises. The nearest retail offerings are the Choithram supermarket in Dubai Investments Park or Spinneys in Motor City. The entrance to IMPZ is also complicated, with no proper sign from the Emirates Road.

Al Khail Gate 

What's available: Two-bedroom apartment in Phase 2

Tenant talk — Vijayaraj P: This community offers the most affordable living within Dubai's city limits. There are separate buildings designated for families and bachelors. There are security guards manning each building. Some of the disadvantages of this community are insufficient car parking spaces, lack of landscaping and the absence of children's play areas. There are also no convenience stores in the community, except one that is very small. There are hourly shuttle bus services to the adjacent Al Khail Mall. The construction quality of buildings leaves much to be desired, with the paint peeling off walls. Also, there are frequent burst pipes, which result in sewage water flooding the streets. This is very unhygienic.

Property verdict: With sparse landscaping, no retail and few community amenities, Al Khail Gate has the semblance of a few cardboard boxes straddled together. Though the cheap rentals at Al Khail Gate merit comparison to International City, the similarity ends there. With Salwan (property management arm of Dubai Properties Group) enforcing the segregation of buildings for company accommodation and families, a bachelor looking to rent on his own would have to produce an attested marriage certificate to take up space in blocks reserved for families. Here's a caveat before you rent the smaller one-bedroom apartment: the bedroom doesn't have a door. Phase 1 hosts a cramped grocery store. With no option for reserved car parking, finding a berth can be difficult at night. Although touted to be a gated community, it's a ‘free-for-all' entry at the gates. This results in drivers using the community as a short cut to access Al Khail Road from Al Quoz. Car accidents are commonplace within the community limits.

The Gardens 

What's available: One-bedroom apartment spanning 818 square feet (payable in six cheques)

Tenant talk — Violeta Bacatio-Abboud: The Gardens community is great in terms of rent, facilities, the neighbourhood and accessibility. We did experience heavy traffic in the mornings when extensions were earlier built to Discovery Gardens. This has smoothed out now. The district cooling charges and housing fees are added to the tenants' Dewa bill. Community facilities include three large swimming pools, good landscaping, a football pitch, basketball court and tennis court. We are also near the Jebel Ali Medical Clinic and The Cedar's hospital. The proximity to Ibn Battuta Mall gives residents more shopping options. The Nakheel maintenance staff are quite prompt in addressing defects and complaints. I'm pleased to see children playing amid trees, flowers and grass when I return home after a hard day's work.

Property verdict: In jest, one can recall how only divine intervention could help one rent an apartment/villa in The Gardens in 2007-'08 when there was a long waiting list of tenants looking to move into this tropical enclave. Today, Nakheel is seen advertising vacancies in this once sought-after neighbourhood. Proximity to the Winchester School and Delhi Private School, Ibn Battuta Mall and Jebel Ali Hospital ensures The Gardens still remains a popular option on the leasing radar of families. Executives doing the one-hour commute to Abu Dhabi also find it strategically located. On the flip side, there are no shops in The Gardens (you either rely on Geant Hypermarket in Ibn Battuta or the convenience stores further down in Discovery Gardens). Also, traffic is on the increase, especially during rush hour periods.