Property Service Charges in Dubai & DLD Fees (2026 Guide)

Service charges in Dubai are the annual fees property owners pay towards the maintenance, security, insurance and shared facilities of their building or community. They are charged in AED per square foot of built-up area per year and typically run AED 10–30 for apartments and AED 2–6 for villas, with prime towers exceeding AED 60. The owner is liable, not the tenant, and the charge applies even if the unit sits empty. This guide explains what they cover, who pays, how they are calculated and what different communities charge in 2026.

Key Facts:

• General Dubai range: AED 3–30+ per sq ft per year
• Apartments: AED 10–30 per sq ft
• Luxury towers (Downtown, Palm Jumeirah): AED 50–70+ per sq ft
• Mid-market (Business Bay, JLT): AED 13–18 per sq ft
• Villas: AED 2–6 per sq ft
• Highest in Dubai: Burj Khalifa at AED 67.88 per sq ft; The Address Downtown at AED 60.00
• Worked example: a 1,000 sq ft apartment costs AED 15,000 a year at AED 15 per sq ft, or AED 30,000 at AED 30
• Who pays: the owner, including on vacant units
• What it covers: maintenance, common-area utilities, security, building insurance, reserve fund, management fees
• Governing law: Law No. 27 of 2007 on jointly owned property; budgets approved by RERA
• Where to verify: the Mollak system and the DLD Service Charge Index
• Payment channels: DEWA Smart App, Empay UAE App, EasyPay, or direct to the OA/FM, quarterly or annually
• If unpaid: loss of amenity access, RERA escalation, and a DLD lien on the property
• Off-plan: charges begin at handover, not at purchase
• Review cycle: budgets are revised annually after audit and RERA validation

Service charges are set at building level, not per unit. Each owners' association or facility management company submits an annual budget covering operations, management fees and reserve fund contributions. That budget is audited and approved before it can be applied, and no manager can raise fees mid-year without DLD approval. Owners can view the line-item breakdown through Mollak.

This 2026 guide covers the questions buyers ask before committing: what the charge actually pays for, why apartments cost more per square foot than villas, how the figure is calculated on built-up area, and what to expect in specific communities. To look up the approved rate for a particular building, use our Dubai Service Charge Index. For the one-time costs of buying the 4% transfer fee, registration and title deed charges see our guide to DLD charges in Dubai.