Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

Hi all. I would really appreciate some advice as I do not have any idea where to begin!

Ive been offered a post within a hospital at Dubai Healthcare City. Job offer is 40,000 Dirhams basic salary per month, annual flights & health insurance. I really want to take this job, but I am a bit concerned as the company do not assist with relocation expenses / assistance with rent (i.e. Company pay the rent and it is defucted from my salary). Ive been researching and a lot of Estate Agents require a years rent up front, along with comission fees. I have a few questions:

-How do people actually manage to pay such high fees up front if the company do not assist? I dont have the cash to pay this!

-Are options available to pay rent monthly? If so, how do I negotiate this?

-Do people suggest looking for a fully furnished apartment? I will literally have no furniture on arrival.

-Where should I live? Im moving to Dubai alone. Probably wont have a car straight away.

Id really appreciate any help / advice!

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

You can get a room in an apartment with other expats (marina generally) for around 4-6000. They will be basically furnished.

It's a good option as at least you'll make some friends.

As for your questions:

-How do people actually manage to pay such high fees up front if the company do not assist? Some do, some don't. Often a company will assist. If not then get somewhere on more cheques. Or just rent a room.

-Are options available to pay rent monthly? If so, how do I negotiate this? Not often. Generally its between 2 and 4 cheques. More than that isn't too common.

-Do people suggest looking for a fully furnished apartment? I will literally have no furniture on arrival. Most don't. Fully furnished will be more expensive obviously.

-Where should I live? Im moving to Dubai alone. Probably wont have a car straight away. Depends what your priorities are. Most new arrivals get a rental car (they're relatively cheap - 1,500 upwards a month). If not find somewhere on the metro line.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

I'm surprised the employer isn't offering a few weeks or a month in a hotel apartment on your arrival as a way to help you settle into the country. This is generally par for course in this country and I don't know anyone who didn't get some type of temporary accommodation at the beginning. Part of it is pragmatic, without a bank account and residency visa (which you need for the bank account) you can't write rental cheques.

Your options are:

1) find a hotel apartment and pay it directly yourself (monthly). Most expensive option. You may want to consider the WTC hotel apartments as they're right on the metro line and you can take the metro to Healthcare City easily (saves you hassles of traffic and parking):
http://www.theapartments.ae/en/sitepages/home

2) find a temporary flatshare or villa share for a few months. They're quite common. Look on Dubizzle. You need to put in a filter (start at 4,000 AED a month) to weed out the roomshares. This is probably the cheapest option and depending on the situation, allows you to meet other people.

3) Monthly studios are offered for rent in some areas, like Discovery Gardens. I think they go for 5-6k a month and are all inclusive and furnished. You can find them advertised on Dubizzle.

You can live in your temporary place for a few months to save the money to pay your rent in a proper apartment. While many LLs do call for 1 cheque, plenty of others accept up to four cheques for the year. You have a comfortable income for a single person so it won't be difficult to quickly accumulate savings.

Just be aware that in addition to your rent, you'll have to pay 5% deposit, 5% agent's commission, dewa deposit (2k I think) and internet deposit. Depending on where you live, there may also be an a/c deposit. It all adds up.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

When I moved to Dubai a few years ago, i had the same concerns as you. I am assuming its your first time within the region and can assure you its not as scary.

When I initially move to Dubai, the company put me in a hotel for a couple of weeks. This is generally not long enough as to rent a property, as you generally require a cheque book and that occurs once you have your residency as you can't open a bank account initially.

Therefore, after the initial 2 weeks, I found a fully furnished studio apartment which allowed monthly payments (either cheque or cash) and I could move out within 2 weeks notice. I personally loved the location but its not everyone cup of tea and I rented a car through my British license and therefore was mobile. It was only meant to be a short term stay but ended up staying there for over 6 months.

Within my current location, I have to pay a years rent in advance but through 4 cheques. I saved money during the first 6 months and therefore could pay off the first quarter cheque along with additional costs such as estate agency fees, DEWA deposit, etc.

As other have mentioned, Dubizzle is the best place to assist. Your salary is more than sufficient and you should enjoy the experience.

Good luck with the move.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

Hi

I had the same questions. Fortunately I've just come back from a holiday and tagged Dubai so that I can get a feel of it. I relocate is March! I'm looking for a studio as I've noticed they are decent value for now and theb perhaps a 1 bed after I've saved some money. I've been told to look for places with chiller free deals (free A/C) otherwise it could become quite expensive. Getting connected in dubai (broadband and mobile) is pretty straightforward I think and just ensure you take those expenses into consideration. I'm not sure what other costs there would be apart from: rent, utilities, Internet and mobile, travel, food, going out. I am hoping there are expat meet ups/communities out there do you can meet fellow expats from the UK?

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

It depends how much you're looking to spend really. There are some cheap studios about but you may be able to get into a small 1 bed instead. Ideally you should look for something that you won't want to move out of in 12 months time as it gets expensive when you keep moving.

If you do want a studio there's plenty of choice. Generally if you stick to the marina you should get free chiller.

We looked at loads of apartments in the marina. There's some real cr@p out there so if you want any advice feel free to PM me. Avoid jlt. It's not that much cheaper and you'll pay for a.c costs on top. Plus it's boring and there isn't much there (people that live there will disagree). Marina is definitely the place to be so ignore anybody that tells you to look further out like sports / motor city.

Traffic can be bad but it's really not as bad as people make out. The ones that complain are the ones that came here 8 or 9 years ago when it was dead. Compared to the UK it's a breeze. Just avoid driving anywhere near jbr on a Friday afternoon or after 7 or 8 at night and you'll be fine. Hence why living in the marina makes sense as you can walk / tram it everywhere (again the tram is excellent despite people saying it's rubbish). As is the metro.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

The Marina is a hole. Avoid like the plague..... ;):rofl:

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

8 or 9 year ago when it was dead ...........:lol:

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

:rofl:

It is a love it or hate it place.

JLT has better restaurants, much better traffic and none of the tourist hordes. Everything in the Marina is overpriced. Fine for drinks and being seen but not much more than that (I'm looking at you, Pier 7).

Great thing about JLT is that it's easy to walk over to the Marina so you get what the Marina has to offer without having to live there! Although I will concede Marina has nicer apartments compared to JLT and JLT's chiller fees would be a right pain.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

The marina is generally full of the nouveau Dubai wankers who think its where they should be living to fit in with the other nouveau Dubai wankers. Over priced, poorly designed, shoddily built apartments, shocking traffic and little in the way of soul.... Yeah there are some nice apartments, but these cost a bomb and the build quality is still shocking.

JLT is OK but the loop access road and the parking is a pain in the tits, however, at least the residents generally aren't up their own arses.

If I was looking now I'd investigate Downtown, although some of my previous comments apply there too.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

Yes, I lived here for 4 years around that time and compared to now the traffic was way better. Whole new villages have been built in that time. You never had to queue to get off the palm back then.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

Traffic then was shit , less infrastructure , more construction no mass transport.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

Agreed. I came in 2008 so I remember the place well enough. The metro didn't open until 2009. Before it opened, Sheikh Zayed was packed with minibuses ferrying people to Jebel Ali from Deira/Bur Dubai/Sharjah and those guys drove like maniacs and there were a few spectacular accidents :( The same rush hour back up on Sheikh Zayed was there. Defence Roundabout was still under construction and it was a mare navigating around it. I remember going to Deira on a Friday afternoon and being stuck in traffic for two hours just getting out. Or driving into Karama for dinner and taking 45 minutes to go from Jumeirah 1 to Karama.

Things were a bit better out in the Marina / South Dubai end but not by that much compared to today. I remember going out to a site visit and driving on the road that runs behind Mall of Emirates through Barsha towards Tecom/Springs and at 2 PM it was creep and crawl the entire way. JLT in those days took forever to get in/out due to the construction.

After the crash in 2009 the roads cleared up substantially so things were better for a year or so.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

Yeah and if you believe any of the statistics there's something like 1 million additional people living in Dubai. And lots more tourists.

It's definitely worse now that it was 8 or 9 years ago. That was my point.

Re: Job Offer in Dubai - help with accommodation!
 

**** me, what a load of bullshit.

Traffic in the Marina not that bad?
'Marina is definitely the place to be'
'the tram is excellent'
'as is the metro'

Were you paid to lie?