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. Click here if you would like to take part in the series and show us why your home is so special.
Briton Andrew Burgess has called Dubai home since 2007 and is in his fourth year renting a four-bedroom house in Dubai’s Villanova community.
The 51-year-old founder of a food app, called Forked Up, pays Dh155,000 a year to lease the home he shares with wife Lucy, nine-year-old son Cyrus, Nancy their nanny, plus rescue pets Jack the cat and dog Harley.
Mr Burgess showed The National around the property.
Please tell us about your home
The house has three bathrooms, a large open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, a maid’s room, one balcony, and a garden. It’s a four-bedroom villa, although the downstairs bedroom has become my office. We’ve also somehow adopted three stray cats that now live in the garden.
Where else have you lived in Dubai?
Before Villanova we lived in Mira, which we absolutely loved. But rising rents eventually priced us out of the area.
Lucy and I lived in Al Barsha before Cyrus was born. When I first moved to Dubai, I lived in Jumeirah Beach Residence, back when it was still being established and felt very different to the bustling community it is today.
Around 2012, I moved to Al Barsha as traffic in and out of JBR became increasingly challenging.
Like many families, we’ve moved as our circumstances and the city have evolved, but each place has marked a different chapter of our lives.
We’ve lived in this villa for around three and a half years. The moment we moved in, it simply felt like home.
Why did you choose here?
Our decision came down to finding the right balance between budget, space and location.
Having previously lived in Mira, we wanted somewhere with a similar feel – a family-friendly community with green spaces, parks and a real neighbourhood atmosphere.
Villanova felt like a natural fit. The villas have a very similar style and layout, with a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living area that has become the heart of our home.
One unexpected bonus is the community has a dog-friendly pub, which means Harley gets to join us occasionally.
What made you opt for this area?
We were looking for a community that worked for our whole family. Villanova offered everything we were looking for without increasing Lucy’s commute to work or making the school run longer. It has a real neighbourhood feel that’s becoming harder to find.
One of the things we love most is the amount of green space. There are parks, walking paths and playgrounds everywhere, so children can still be outside riding bikes and playing with friends. As dog owners, having plenty of places to walk was another big plus.
We’re also well connected with easy access to the major roads, supermarkets, restaurants and shopping malls. Everything we need is within a short drive.
What has been your rental journey?
When we first moved in, I negotiated Dh145,000, paid in a single cheque, and agreed to lock that in for the following three years. It felt like a gamble at the time because rents can move in either direction, but it gave us certainty and stability.
Before, we were in Mira, paying around Dh95,000 a year initially. Over time, our rent increased to Dh150,000. As Dubai’s rental market accelerated, similar villas were being advertised for well over Dh200,000. When our landlord decided to sell, it was time to look elsewhere. For us, it’s still excellent value for money.
How have you made it your home?
We’ve always believed a home should reflect the people living in it rather than just how it looks. Over the years we’ve filled it with furniture, artwork and family photos collected from different chapters of our lives, but it’s really the memories we’ve created that have made it feel like home.
The kitchen and living area has become the heart of the house, where we cook together as a family most evenings, where Cyrus does his homework at the kitchen island, and where friends inevitably end up whenever they visit.
It’s also where our professional and family lives have naturally come together. The downstairs bedroom has been converted into my office. And the kitchen has become the set for our weekly family cooking series; many of the recipes are first tested around the same dining table.
Outside, we’ve turned the garden into another living space. Cyrus has his football goal, I’ve got a golf practice net, and during cooler months it’s where we spend most evenings eating together. We have a barbecue, a smoker, and a flat-top grill.
What amenities do you have?
Almost everything is within walking distance. The community centre has everyday essentials, including a Geant supermarket, butcher, pharmacy, optician, pet shop, coffee shops, a soft play centre, and a handful of local restaurants. There’s very little reason to leave during the week.
The garden gate opens directly on to beautifully landscaped walking paths that link parks and swimming pools throughout. There are playgrounds and football pitches.
You regularly bump into neighbours, stop for coffee or chat while walking the dog. That sense of community is probably the amenity we value most.
We have quick access to Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, making it easy to get almost anywhere. Dubai International Airport is 25-30 minutes away, Al Maktoum International Airport is even closer, and Dubai Hills Mall, Global Village and Mall of the Emirates are all within easy reach.
What would you change about living there?
Honestly, not very much. At this stage of our lives, the house and community suit us perfectly. We have the space we need, a great layout for family life, plenty of outdoor space, and everything close by. If I had to be picky, an extra balcony with a view would always be nice.
We’ve found the quality of life comes more from the community than the property itself. Having parks, walking trails, great neighbours and a safe environment where Cyrus can grow up is far more important than having a bigger house.
Are you planning to stay there?
Renting has given us flexibility to move as circumstances have changed; that’s been valuable.
But after nearly two decades in Dubai, we’re ready to put down more permanent roots when the right opportunity comes along.
We’d definitely like to buy our own home – that’s something we’re hoping to do within the next year or so. Ideally, we’d like to stay in Villanova or somewhere similar in the wider Dubailand area.
There’s no rush though – we’ve learnt that finding the right home is more important than simply buying one. It needs to work for all of us.
What's the next chapter?
Before Cyrus was born, we were considering buying off-plan in Mira. We had the budget and drove to the sales office.
Back then, Dubai seemed to end at Arabian Ranches, and everything beyond felt like the middle of nowhere. Lucy said: “Who in their right mind would ever live all the way out here?”
Fast forward, and when it came time to find our next rental, it was Lucy who suggested Mira.
Buying a home is the next chapter. After almost 20 years in Dubai, this is home.
When we buy, it will be to live in rather than purely an investment.
It’s about putting down permanent roots in the city and country that has given our family so much.
