Management that answers to the owner.
Most management contracts are written for the manager. Here's what the service should include, what it should cost, and the version Mulki is building.
The shape of it
A good manager makes a property feel like a quiet bank account. A bad one makes it feel like a second job with worse hours. The difference is rarely the fee. It’s what the fee actually buys.
What it costs
| Service | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Full management | 5 to 8% of annual rent |
| Tenant placement only | 5% of annual rent, or one month |
| Renewal handling | AED 500 to 1,500, often included |
| Inspection visit with report | AED 250 to 500, or included |
| Key handling / move-in supervision | AED 200 to 500 |
| Short-let management | 15 to 25% of revenue |
Typical quoted ranges across Dubai agencies and management firms, compiled June 2026. VAT of 5% applies to all fees.
On a JVC one-bed renting at AED 72,000, full management at 6% is AED 4,320 a year plus VAT. Whether that is cheap or expensive depends entirely on what is in it, which is the checklist below.
What to demand
- 01
Itemised maintenance, no hidden markups.
The oldest trick in the industry is a 20% silent margin on every AC callout. Demand original supplier invoices, or a declared coordination fee. Anything undisclosed compounds against your yield for years.
- 02
Inspections you can see, not take on faith.
Twice-yearly inspections with timestamped photo reports. This is what protects your deposit position at move-out and catches the slow leaks, literal and financial, early.
- 03
Renewal strategy, not renewal autopilot.
Every renewal should come with the RERA index position and a recommendation: increase within the bracket, hold to keep a good tenant, or re-let to market. Managers who just roll contracts cost you the rent gap forever.
- 04
Defined response times, in the contract.
Urgent repairs within 24 hours, routine within five working days, written in the agreement with consequences. A manager who won't commit to response times is telling you their real service level.
The Mulki way
Mulki is building property management the way an owner would design it: vetted partners who quote fixed prices through the app, every job logged against your property’s record, photo-documented inspections you can open from anywhere, and a quality guarantee: if work isn’t right, the partner redoes it at their cost.
Because your portfolio already lives in Mulki, the management layer plugs into real data: the rent versus the RERA index at every renewal, the service history when something fails again, the market rent when the unit goes vacant. Management decisions made with the numbers in view, in your name.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does property management cost in Dubai?
- Full management typically costs 5% to 8% of the annual rent, with tenant placement charged separately at around 5% of annual rent or a fixed fee. Below 5% usually means a thin service that forwards problems to you; above 8% should come with genuine extras like furnishing management or short-let handling.
- What does a property manager actually do?
- A complete service covers marketing and tenant placement, Ejari registration, cheque collection and banking, maintenance coordination, periodic inspections with photo reports, renewal negotiation under the RERA index, and handling the move-out, deposit and DEWA closure. If inspections and renewal strategy are missing, you are paying a collection agency, not a manager.
- Is property management worth it for a single unit?
- If you live in Dubai, are responsive, and the unit is nearby, self-managing one unit is realistic. It stops being realistic the moment you live abroad, hold multiple units, or have a tenant paying in multiple cheques. The coordination cost quietly exceeds the fee.
- How do managers handle rent cheques?
- The manager collects post-dated cheques in your name (or theirs, under a documented mandate), banks them on schedule, chases bounces, and accounts to you monthly. Ask exactly whose account rent flows through and how fast it reaches yours. This is where weak managers reveal themselves.
- What are the red flags when choosing a manager?
- Undisclosed markups on maintenance jobs, no written inspection reports, slow vacancy turnaround with no marketing evidence, and contracts that auto-renew with exit penalties. Demand itemised maintenance invoices and a defined response time in writing before signing.
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