What your building really charges you.
Your annual service charge, what it adds up to each month, and whether the rate is fair for your type of building.
A Dubai service charge is your unit size multiplied by the building rate per square foot, set against a RERA-approved budget and billed through Mollak. A 900 square foot apartment at AED 16 per square foot pays AED 14,400 a year. Villa communities run AED 3 to 10, mid-rise apartments AED 10 to 18, and full-service towers AED 18 to 30 or more.
Find your building to pull its real per-sqft rate from DLD, or enter it by hand.
The built-up area shown on your title deed or Mollak invoice.
The per-square-foot rate on your Mollak invoice in the Dubai REST app.
Add it to see what share of your rent the charge takes.
About AED 1,200 a month for your unit.
Of your rent, gone before any other cost.
At AED 16 per square foot, this sits in the range of a mid-rise apartment building. Rates are set per building, approved by RERA, and billed through Mollak. If yours runs well above similar buildings, ask your owners association for the audited budget before you accept it.
Normal ranges
| Building type | AED / sq ft / year |
|---|---|
| Townhouse and villa communities | 3 to 10 |
| Mid-rise apartment buildings | 10 to 18 |
| High-service towers | 18 to 30 |
| Branded residences | 30 to 60+ |
Indicative ranges across common building classes, compiled June 2026. Rates are building-specific, so always verify your own in Mollak via Dubai REST.
Why it matters
- 01
It is the second biggest number after the rent.
On a tenanted unit, the service charge is usually the largest cost you carry. A 10-dirham gap in the rate against a neighbouring building is thousands of dirhams a year, every year you hold.
- 02
It moves your net yield, not your gross.
Two units with the same rent and value can have net yields a full point apart on service charges alone. This is why a high gross yield in a high-charge tower can be worse than a lower gross next door.
- 03
It is checkable in two minutes.
The rate is public to you in Mollak through Dubai REST. Read the rate, not just the invoice, and compare it with the ranges above before you buy or when you review the year.
Ranges are indicative and building-specific. Last reviewed June 2026. General information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How are service charges calculated in Dubai?
- Your unit size in square feet is multiplied by the building rate per square foot. The rate comes from a yearly budget the owners association or manager sets, which RERA reviews and approves, and it is billed through Mollak, usually in two instalments. A 900 square foot apartment at AED 16 per square foot pays AED 14,400 a year.
- What is a normal service charge per square foot in Dubai?
- As a 2026 guide: villa and townhouse communities often run AED 3 to 10 per square foot, mid-rise apartment buildings AED 10 to 18, high-service towers AED 18 to 30, and branded residences higher still. It is a building-level number, so two neighbouring towers can sit far apart.
- Where do I find my service charge rate?
- In Mollak, through the Dubai REST app, where your unit shows the approved rate per square foot, current invoices, and payment history against your title. If a broker or manager quotes a figure that is not in Mollak, the Mollak number is the real one.
- Who pays the service charge, the landlord or the tenant?
- The owner pays the service charge. The tenant pays the 5% housing fee billed through DEWA, which is separate. Trying to pass the service charge to a tenant inside the rent rarely works once you account for what a market rent already is.
- Can the service charge go up every year?
- Yes. The budget is set annually and the rate can move with it, up or down, subject to RERA approval. A rate that looks unusually low often means an underfunded reserve, which shows up later as a one-off special levy for major works.
Mulki reads your service charge from Mollak, and watches it every year.
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