What property management actually covers
Property management in Dubai bundles together: tenant marketing & screening, lease drafting and Ejari registration, rent collection and disbursement to the owner, maintenance vendor coordination, monthly financial reporting, service-charge / utility management, tenant dispute handling and (when needed) RERA escalation. Higher tiers add quarterly inspections, photo reporting, mid-tenancy renewals, and absentee-owner concierge.
Service tiers and typical fees
| Tier | Annual fee (% of rent) | What's included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leasing only | 5% (one-time) | Find tenant + Ejari + handover keys | Owners who handle their own collections |
| Standard | 7% | Leasing + rent collection + maintenance coordination + monthly statements | Resident landlords, 1-3 units |
| Premium | 10% | Standard + 24/7 tenant support + service charge management + inspections + dispute handling | Absentee owners, 1+ units |
(Indicative ranges. Pricing varies by manager — published per-unit pricing is genuinely useful and rare in Dubai.)
Owner portal — what to expect from a modern PM
In 2026, you should expect login access to: rent collection ledger, monthly statements with payment proof, maintenance request log with photos, service-charge schedule, document vault (Ejari, contracts, insurance), and inspection reports. Anything less is dated.
Eviction process for non-payment
If a tenant misses rent: (1) Issue a 30-day notice via notary, (2) File a case at the RERA Rental Disputes Centre, (3) Hearing typically scheduled 30 to 60 days out, (4) Eviction order issued (if in landlord's favour) within 90 to 120 days from filing. Total: ~5 to 6 months from missed payment to vacant possession in a contested case. Uncontested cases can be 60 days. Worth it for landlords to use a PM with in-house dispute experience.
How to choose a PM company
Six questions to ask: 1. How many units do you currently manage in Dubai? (Look for 500+ for institutional-grade.) 2. Do you publish your fees? (Yes = transparent, no = run.) 3. Can I see a sample monthly statement? (Should be one page, clear, and verifiable.) 4. What's your typical maintenance vendor turnaround? (Under 48h for standard; under 4h for emergencies.) 5. Do you have an in-house RERA dispute team? (Critical for any meaningful tenant escalation.) 6. What's your owner portal like? (See it live before signing.)
Frequently asked
Typical fees in 2026 are 5% of annual rent for leasing-only, 7% for standard management, and 10% for premium full-service. Below 5% is usually a discount-and-disappear operator; above 12% on long-let needs justification.
If you have one or two units and time on your hands — not necessarily. If you have 3+ units, multiple buildings, or value your time at more than AED 200/hr, the standard 7% management fee usually pays for itself in time saved alone (let alone better tenant retention and faster maintenance).
Yes. The lease (and the tenant's Ejari) is registered to you as the landlord — the PM is your service provider, not a party to the lease. Switching is administrative: notify your current PM, notify the tenant of the new PM's contact details, and onboard with the new PM. Most reputable firms can complete the switch in 2 weeks.
Muhammad Adnan founded Al Amman Properties in 2012 after a decade in Dubai's brokerage and property-management space. Under his leadership, Al Amman has closed 500+ sales transactions and built a 2,000-unit management bo…
