My Dubai Rent: tenant's cheap two bedroom apartment for Dh38,000 is a bargain

Mohamad Hussein says living on the city's outskirts has its ups and downs

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  Mohamad Hussein rents a two-bedroom unit at the Town Square Hayat Boulevard Apartments in Dubai. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

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  He pays Dh38,000 in rent annually.

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  The sitting room of Mr Hussein's apartment.

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  Mr Hussein in his kitchen.

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  One of the bedrooms in the apartment.

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  The other bedroom in the apartment.

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  A view of the corridor, as seen from Mr Hussein's front door.

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  The gym in the building.

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  The children's play area.

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  The communal barbecue station outside Mr Hussein's building.

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  A view of the mosque and car park, as seen from Mr Hussein's balcony.

My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they pay each month, see who they live with and ask what they like and don't like

Syrian Mohamad Hussein has lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Town Square on Al Qudra Road for the past year.

He moved there because he wanted his own space and a room for his mother, without paying an over-the-top price.

Two-bedroom apartments in the city vary significantly but are typically found in the Dh60,000 to Dh100,000 range - making Mohamed's place something of a bargain.

The 28-year-old, who works as a project manager for an irrigation firm, invited The National into his home to show why it is so special to him.

Where do you live and how much does it cost?

I live in a two-bedroom apartment in Town Square that costs me Dh38,000 [$10,345] a year.

The landlord was looking for Dh40,000 but I got it reduced by Dh2,000 because I was able to pay it in one cheque.

Before that, I shared a studio apartment with a friend in JBR and that was costing me around Dh2,600 a month.

What makes it so special to you?

I really like the vibe of the community here and it is a little more laid-back than a lot of places in Dubai.

You are away from the crowds of the city and I find it much more relaxing.

It is close to my office and my sister lives over the way in the nearby Mira community, so I am close to family here, too.

She is only a five-minute drive away, plus it only takes me half an hour to drive to work.

The facilities are great here. There is a cycle track that goes the whole way around the community.

I rollerblade around it a lot to exercise and I try to swim in the community pool every day.

It is a great place if you want to go for a walk but do not necessarily want to have to drive anywhere to do so.

My mother also comes over from Syria and stays six months with me.

That is why it is important that I have that extra room.

What have you done to make it your own?

I have bought all the furniture and amenities but, to be honest, I don’t spend an awful lot of time here apart from when I’m working from home.

It’s really just a base for when I am not hanging out with friends and family.

When I am here, I spend a lot of time gaming on the PC.

What is the downside to living there?

My friends who live in other parts of Dubai don’t want to have to travel this far out.

That means if I want to hang out with them, I have to spend a lot of time driving.

It’s about half an hour at least into town, maybe more depending on where they want to go.

They would only really come out this far if they wanted to go cycling.

The long drive to the Marina or Downtown can be annoying, so you have to be prepared to deal with that.

I do drive, so thankfully I don’t have to spend a fortune on taxis every day.

A lot of restaurants don’t deliver here either, so that’s another thing you have to learn to deal with living in Town Square.

There aren’t a lot of restaurants here that aren’t fast food, so you have to be careful not to fall into the habit of just ordering from them all the time.

On the plus side, though, it does encourage you to cook a lot more for yourself.