My Dubai Rent: Mum pays Dh48,300 to be 15 minutes from Chanel store

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

Lucy Bradley is a tactical marketeer and mother who has kept her rent in The Greens below average for the Dubai district, partly by knowing her tenancy rights.

The Briton has been in the UAE for 20 years and owns a marketing agency, as well as properties outside the country.

Ms Bradley, 47, pays Dh48,300 for a large “quirky” one-bedroom apartment which she adapted with the help of a professional designer. She shares the unit with her nine-year-old son when he is not staying with his father in an adjacent block.

Ms Bradley took The National on a tour.

Tell us about your home

Mine is a large one-bedroom apartment with one bathroom, a kitchen and a balcony. It also comes with a parking space.

I love being in The Greens, it’s like a little oasis close to everything. I hear the birds singing and my son rides his bike to school.

I moved here in September 2020 during Covid, and picked it up for a bargain. At the time it was Dh39,000.

I didn’t have a rent increase until last year due to the real estate agent missing the deadline. It pays to know the rules.

So you still get value for money?

I consider myself very lucky. Thanks to hiring an interior designer I was able to make my one-bedroom into a cosy two-bed and keep my rent down. It’s a strategic plan to save. A friend of mine has the same apartment and she’s paying Dh68,000.

What's provided the value, in terms of genuinely saving money on rent, is being really clever with the space. Otherwise – even at Dh48,000 for a one-bedroom apartment – it's not really a bargain.

I pay myself a good salary but I've got to be a saver in order to be able to travel and have a nice life.

There are two types of people out here; those that want to look good and those who want to be good. I want to be good and have a saving objective.

Where did you live before?

I moved from a big two-bedroom in Tecom (Barsha Heights). When my son wasn’t around, I was just rattling around in this huge apartment and it didn’t make sense.

I always wanted to get back to The Greens because it’s just so convenient.

Why do you like this area?

It has coffee shops and nice trees. It's a quiet neighbourhood.

You can go outside, go for walks and it's close to my son's school. It is also in walking distance of my office in Tecom and close to my ex-husband.

It's also close to different neighbourhoods and places you can cycle. I like the e-bikes. It's 10 minutes from Mall of the Emirates, and a good 15 minutes away from Chanel. You can be on Sheikh Zayed Road within three minutes.

How else have you personalised your home?

When I took it I wanted to save money and I knew that I could do something with the apartment.

I used an interior designer to divide the room with drapes and make it into a two-bedroom apartment without touching any structural walls.

I've put a load of shelves up, wallpapered and wrapped the kitchen. I'm in the process of wrapping the bathroom too.

I have invested quite a lot in the space and made it into a really nice, cosy home. It's quirky. I've got a big green leg on the wall.

How much did you spend on upgrades?

About Dh15,000-Dh20,000. If I stay another two or three years, I’d be happy. They can’t accelerate the rent. They can only increase it by five per cent next year. Even then, I’m going to argue it.

How have you kept your rent so low for the area?

The real estate company couldn't increase the rent a couple of years ago because they didn't know the rules. It was frozen for two years and they missed the deadline.

Last year, they tried to increase it to the maximum (15 per cent) because there had been no increases. However, I objected and said: “No, because you haven't done it properly for the last two years.” We agreed to meet halfway.

In my 20 years here, I've been to court twice with Rera (Dubai's Real Estate Regulatory Agency) and each time I've won.

Is there anything you would change about the area?

It would be nice if we got our windows cleaned more than once a year.

And less dogs. There are too many that are not picked up after. And I’d love to ban e-scooters from The Greens.

Do you plan to stay in the property?

Yes, I plan to stay for the next few years to take advantage of the investments and work I've done on the place.

At some point we may need to move because my son might want a bigger place. But at the moment, we don't want to move into somewhere where we're begrudgingly paying money to live because that has an effect on your well-being.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer