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
Diya Pardasani chose to live in a three-bedroom apartment in Dubai's Oud Metha district because she felt it offered great value, and more importantly, was close to her children's school.
The Indian, 47, said she struck lucky when she moved in because the rents were reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, a far cry from the situation today when rent prices in Dubai are still rising.
She made the move from the family home in Ras Al Khor in 2021 and has not looked back since.
She invited The National in for a look around her home and to show our readers what makes it so special to her.
Why did you choose to live here?
We had been living in Ras Al Khor for five years but Oud Metha was closer to my children's school and there is great access with buses and the Dubai Metro line.
Whenever I would drop my daughter at school before we moved here, I would always say to myself how nice it would be to live close by.
We decided to take a look at moving to Oud Metha, it seemed like a good idea to move at the time because rents were pretty low due to the pandemic.
I came across this building and it was a three-and-a-half-minute walk to the school.
My son goes to a different branch of the same school, but he is able to take the metro, which stops right beside where he needs to go.
What do you get for your money?
There's a gym in the building but we are also really close to so many restaurants and cafes. There's always a restaurant open near by, even if it's in the middle of the night.
We are within walking distance of a big supermarket and a church too, so there's so much right beside us.
There's a constant flow of people around here so the area always feels really vibrant and alive, even late at night.
Do you feel you get value for what you are paying?
Yes. The first year we were here was fantastic value, then the rent went up by 10 per cent last year and we've now been told it will go up by another 15 per cent next year.
I'm starting to look at the cost more than the benefits as the rent keeps going up. However, when I consider how much more I would have to pay, in today's market, to move somewhere else of a similar size it doesn't seem so bad really.
There's also the fact I am so close to the school, so we are saving in some other ways as well.
Did you look at many other areas before deciding to opt for here?
I did look at quite a few. My priority was access to my children's school. We almost opted for another unit near Al Rigga as it seemed to tick all the boxes, especially with proximity to metro lines.
However, it was going to cost Dh100,000 at the time for three bedrooms, while this place was Dh70,000 and the same size. It wasn't hard to see what made more sense.
Is there anything you would change about where you live if you could?
The only real disadvantage is the traffic around here can get very heavy at times, especially during peak hours.
Otherwise, the advantages of living here far outweigh the disadvantages.
