Taz786

Hi,

If you were a bachelor moving to Dubai for the first time, would you rent your own flat or share a flat/villa initially for around 6 months.

Has anyone had any horror stories of sharing a place? I was considering sharing as usually these places have all bills included, spacious and furnished for around 4-5k per month. Once I am settled in Dubai, I can then move into my own place.

Does anyone see any flaw to the above thought?

Thanks

scrubbedexpat141

I considered this when I was first moving over but I knew I wanted to come for longer than just a couple of years, so I decided getting my own place was a good idea. Mind you, it was a lot cheaper then (my first apartment was 62,500 and it's identical replacement in the same building that I'm now in is 100,000).

I'd be cautious about it like anywhere, you don't want to be living with a or a couple of knobheads. Also keep in mind the local laws with sharing etc (I'm not sure exactly what they are for house shares so wouldn't want to guess).

IF you get a decent room with one or two decent people then it can only be a good thing and opens up one or two avenues of new friends which is always a really good bonus in a new city.

Taz786

My plan is to come to Dubai for a minimum of 3 to 5 years and would like to settle down at some point during that time and therefore would need my own place.

I was thinking to share initially as it provides a stepping stone into Dubai as I won't need a huge investment (agency fees, bills, paying 3 or 4 months rent in advance) along with having a better understanding of other areas.

Plus, there is talk rental prices will come down this year (obviously no-one knows for sure), but it may give me a better deal to wait.

The negative to this idea like you mentioned is unfriendly housemates. I am hoping with these type of arrangements, there is no annual contract and I could move with a months notice.

Millhouse

I would share. There's some great shared villas that will have only western expats in etc.

Instant friends... and enemies of course.

MAV_DXB

I shared for 7 years here, both in Bur Dubai (Al Raffa) and Mirdif.

In Bur Dubai, a 3 bed apartment with a work colleague and 2 females (who shared their own room (yes, they were)). Then a villa in Mirdif with 3 other guys and quite often the spare bedroom was used -also had up to 3 females at times.

Always someone to talk to, go out and socialise with etc.

Taz786

Looks like the general consensus is to share.

Its unfortunate a lot of shared apartments on dubizzle don't have images.

@MAV_DXB - How much did you pay in your shared accommodation? Did you have ensuite, furnished and all bills paid for? Was yours a monthly rolling contract and you could move after giving a months notice?

Tockalosh

I shared for 3 months when I first moved to Abu dhabi with an Ozzie who had a cleaning OCD which was handy as I don't like crap.
I would hate to share with slobs, wake up to a house full of flipper hookers or a fridge stinking of French cheese
On balance it's safer to get your own place

Tockalosh

Of course it helps that I am generally a miserable bastard

Taz786

Haha @ Tockalosh.. I can be a moody git aswell at times. Sharing won't be as bad for me as long as I have my own ensuite bathroom but sharing a kitchen will bring back memories of university days.

There is a big cost saving with sharing initially along with the fact, I can decide the area and type of flat I would like after staying a few months in Dubai. Tough choice

Sabi Star

I thought sharing was not actually allowed for single men in Dubai? (Although of course it is done in labour camps).

DXBtoDOH

Coed sharing is not allowed.

Men can share. Women can share. Just not together

Otherwise certain companies like Emirates would be in the crapper given that most of the male cabin crew share accommodations.

Cypselos

They periodically have a clamp down on "bachelors" sharing in areas where they think they shouldn't, usually when there are 20 of the poor buggers squeezed into a run down villa in a "family neighbourhood"

Taz786

In order to rent a room in a shared apartment/villa, will I need all the information/documents that I would need if I was getting my own apartment. Or is it easier to rent a room initially while the rest of my application gets processed.

Thanks

Cypselos

Sub-letting a room is illegal. It happens a lot, and isn't really a problem, but it's unlikely you'll need any documents so long as your face fits with the people you're sharing with and you can come up with the cash.

Aren't your company putting you up somewhere when you move out - usually the paperwork etc would all be processed in the first month or so while you're in company accomodation so you can find your own place fairly easily in that time frame.

Taz786

The company are putting me in a hotel for a few weeks. Guess I am trying to be pro-active and planning as I know the time will fly past. Plus I am anxious moving to a new place, new culture and don't know how quick the process is there.