My Dubai Rent: Entrepreneur pays Dh200k for JVT apartment after 20 years in UAE

Rebecca Rees lives in a 'very well-positioned' three-bedroom property

• 

  Rebecca Rees lives in a three-bedroom apartment in Zazen One, JVT. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

• 

  Ms Rees is a communications expert who has lived in Dubai for 19 years

• 

  The living room

• 

  The kitchen

• 

  One of three bedrooms

• 

  Another bedroom

• 

  Ms Rees runs her business from her apartment

• 

  A view from the balcony

• 

  A children's playground

• 

  A swimming pool

• 

  The gym

My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader’s home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don’t like

Business owner Rebecca Rees has spent almost 20 years in Dubai and lived in at least eight rental properties in that time. While she loved her last property, a town house in Jumeirah Village Triangle that she rented for a decade, a landlord dispute led her to move out.

Now, still in JVT, she rents a large three-bedroom apartment that’s both her home and office – and has no plans to buy or move in the foreseeable future.

Dubai rents to ease after handover of 72,000 homes this year

Read More

The National takes a look around.

Where else have you lived in Dubai?

I’ve lived in at least eight properties. I got into this habit that, until 2014, I moved pretty much every year. Sometimes because rents came down massively and I could upgrade.

In 2014, I moved to a town house just down the road in JVT, which I stayed in for 10 years. I absolutely loved it, but for various reasons, two years ago, I moved here.

Tell us about the property you’re in now

It’s an apartment, so very different, but still in JVT. It wasn't an easy decision, until I saw it. I wouldn't have considered an apartment, because I had dogs, and they were used to the garden. Both of those dogs have passed away now, so I took the decision to come here.

A view of Rebecca Rees's apartment in Zazen One, JVT. Antonie Robertson / The National

I love the space. I love the size. It's a three-bedroom. I work at home, so the third bedroom is my office. I've now got a proper second bedroom, which is basically for the parents when they come.

It's very, very modern. There were maintenance issues starting to creep in when I was in the villa. It just became so much hassle and, I thought, I just want an easier life.

How much do you pay in rent?

Just shy of Dh200,000. It’s considerably more than I was paying for the town house. When I left there, my rent was Dh120,000 and the reason I was paying so little is because I'd been there so long, so I was getting a very good deal there.

It's not cheap, but the flip side is I work at home, so I don't have commuting costs. And if this was a two-bed in the Marina or somewhere, it would be a lot more money. It’s all relative.

What facilities do you have?

It's got beautiful facilities. It's got a pool, which I never had in the town house. It's got a beautiful gym.

It's got a residents’ lounge, which is really handy for remote working. I mean, it's just me living here, so noise isn't a problem, but if you are a family and there are kids running around, I'm sure I'd want to escape to these little private offices they've got in the building for people who work remotely. There's a pool table, there's a library.

The residents' lounge in Zazen One, JVT. Antonie Robertson / The National

There's also a dog park on site. It’s dog friendly.

It's like a hotel without the on-site dining. That's the best way to describe it.

The security team are amazing and I like the fact that it's seven floors of accommodation. So it's not high rise. It’s a genuine, small community of people. Most people who live here are owners, so as a result, it’s very much taken care of, really well appointed.

Why did you choose this neighbourhood?

I can walk across the sand to the Springs. It takes me 10 minutes. I drive to Spinneys in the Meadows. It takes me 10 minutes to get on to Al Khail Road.

There was a time, years ago, that JVT was considered remote and inaccessible. But now, it's very, very well positioned.

I love it. I wouldn't want to be down in the Marina or somewhere. It’s too touristy and hectic for me. You do get a few tourists here now, but nothing like you would in the other areas.

What else is around you?

In the immediate area, there are a couple of other buildings. It's residential around me. There are padel and tennis courts nearby.

A view from the balcony. Antonie Robertson / The National

There are lots of convenience stores and pharmacies. There are a couple of hotels, which have got restaurants, so there's a Movenpick and a new one called Hotel Local right opposite me.

How have you made the apartment feel like home?

I haven't bought much in the way of new furniture. In fact, because the town house I had was very large, I did actually offload quite a bit of furniture.

I've invested in new couches. I wanted a different feel here, so nice white leather. It's really bright. I've painted some accent walls. I had curtains fitted, added rugs. I've changed the dining table as well.

Is there anything you’d change about this place?

I miss having a garden, but I can't change that. I'm currently planning a bit of design out on the balcony. It's a very long balcony, it runs the length of the house, but it's narrow, so you can't do a lot with it. I'm just currently thinking I'll put some plant pots out there, and maybe put some fake grass down to make it more of a garden.

Why don’t you want to buy a property?

I should have bought being here so long but I think, for me, like a lot of expats, you sometimes don't know how long you're going to be here.

My original plan was to come for a year, but, yeah, how's that working out? So, I kept saying, I'll give it another year … I think, really, I don't want the commitment, and if I suddenly did have to go, I can just go.

How long do you think you'll be in this property for?

Well, I've no intention of leaving. Put it that way. The landlord is lovely. I'm very, very happy here.

I've no plans to leave Dubai at all. I mean, one day I will, but at the moment I have no plans to leave.

I don't know what's going to happen with rents. There are hints that rents are going to start to come down, maybe stabilise a bit, which would obviously be welcome news for everyone. But I'm prepared mentally and financially to stay here.