Investment tool
Dubai Property ROI & Rental Yield Calculator
Test a property with your own rent, vacancy and cost assumptions, then see exactly how each result is calculated.
Test a property with your own rent, vacancy and cost assumptions, then see exactly how each result is calculated.
By Staff Writer
Last reviewed
6 min read
Rental yield is a way to compare a property’s income with the capital needed to acquire it. The result is only as useful as the rent and cost assumptions entered, so use figures for the exact apartment rather than an area-wide headline.
Estimate rental yield
Enter your own unit-specific assumptions. Values update immediately.
- Gross rental yield
- 7.33%
- Net rental yield
- 5.07%
- Effective annual rent
- AED 104,500
- Operating costs
- AED 25,225
- Net rental income
- AED 79,275
- Total acquisition cost
- AED 1,565,000
The formulas behind the calculator
| Gross yield | Annual rent ÷ purchase price × 100 |
|---|---|
| Effective rent | Annual rent × (1 − vacancy allowance) |
| Operating costs | Service charges + maintenance/other costs + management cost |
| Net income | Effective rent − operating costs |
| Net yield | Net income ÷ total acquisition cost × 100 |
Use property-specific inputs
Check registered rental evidence through the DLD Rental Index (Dubai Land Department, opens in a new tab). Confirm the approved building or project charge through the DLD Service Charge Index (Dubai Land Department, opens in a new tab); DLD explains that an owner can multiply the approved rate by the relevant unit area to estimate the common service fee.
Acquisition costs can include land-registration fees, trustee charges, agency fees, mortgage costs and other transaction expenses. Use the DLD procedure fee calculator (Dubai Land Department, opens in a new tab) and obtain a transaction-specific cost sheet before signing.
How to interpret the result
Gross yield is useful for a quick comparison, but it ignores vacancy and ownership costs. Net yield is the more demanding measure because it uses income after recurring costs and compares that amount with the full acquisition cost entered.
Research the property behind the percentage
Read the off-plan buyer’s guide, compare the Al Furjan and Liwan guides, and review current property presentations. Ask our team for unit-specific comparable evidence rather than relying on an advertised return.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good rental yield in Dubai?
There is no universal threshold. Compare like-for-like properties and account for vacancy, service charges, maintenance, financing and risk.
Is asking rent the same as achievable rent?
No. An asking figure is not a completed tenancy. Check registered evidence and current comparable properties for the exact building and unit type.
Does the calculator include mortgage costs?
No. Add financing separately because rates, fees, loan size and repayment structures vary by borrower.
Sources
- Rental Index (opens in a new tab)Dubai Land Department. Checked 23 September 2026.
- Service Charge Index (opens in a new tab)Dubai Land Department. Checked 23 September 2026.
- Dubai Land Department frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)Dubai Land Department. Checked 7 October 2026.
- Procedure fee calculator (opens in a new tab)Dubai Land Department. Checked 23 September 2026.
This guide has been prepared by SkyBuild Real Estate for general information only. It is not investment, legal, tax or financial advice, and should not be relied on as the sole basis for a transaction decision. Rules, fees and eligibility criteria change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority, and take independent professional advice on your own circumstances. Sources were checked on the dates shown.
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