B Bear

... and here's the Landmark review released today in the press showing the decline in Q1 for Dubai apartments by area:

http://blogs.thenational.ae/crane_country/

miuser2

Apologies if this has been discussed anywhere, I couldn't find anything that addressed this particular point.

My prospective Dubai employer is proposing to pay my housing allowance monthly in advance rather than in one go or in 3/4 installments. I am concerned that I will not find many landlords willing to take monthly payment so I will end up having to stump up 2 or 3 months rent myself (also that I will be in a weak bargaining position). Can anyone advise what the current state of play is like? I am in the market for a 3 bed villa, 130-200k range.

Thanks,

MI.

co durham boy

Go back to your employer and tell him what you require , he will be well aware of the rental situation , if you don't all the risk will be with yourself .

Negotiate with him , it's the best option , you've got a better chance with your employer than some 2 bob mickey mouse landlord / rental agent.

miuser2

Thanks for the reply CDB, unfortunately my employer is US based and is not aware of the rental situation, hence my question. I have talked to several agents and they seem to be of the opinion that it's 3 or 4 cheques or nothing, monthly is not a runner, is this definitely the case now?

Ethos83

You are more likely to get 12 cheques with an apartment than for a villa. It *is* possible to find a villa landlord who will accept 12 cheques but your better bet is to find a roomy apartment.

TGFKASE

No disrespect, mate, but how about sending your employer copies of the ads for property, showing that the best you'll get is 3 or 4 cheques. You can then possibly get them to agree to pay you your accommodation allowance quarterly in advance..

Arcadia

With a lot of Etihad staff vacating villas etc soon..they have just all been told that Etihad staff HAVE to live in Abu Dhabi and wont get housing allowance anymore if they continue to live in Dubai. apparently a lot of pilots and senior staff etc bought property in Dubai and used the allowance to repay the housing loan. So might be a whole lot more to rent soon too.

Ethos83

Talk about putting people in a real financial jam....

Tulkyuk

What are peoples thoughts on International City or Silicone Oasis as rental areas?

Ethos83

International city ain't known as International Shitty for nothing. The place is built right next to a sewage treatment plant and periodically gets flooded with raw sewage. Yep.

During the boom when even studios in Int'l city were fetching 60K AED there were a fair amount of Westerners holed up there. But times are a'changin and the place is now mostly a low income preserve. Lots of companies are renting units for their workers, shacked up four to a room.

Silicon Oasis is supposedly more reputable.

If you are looking for someplace cheap, consider Discovery Gardens.

Tulkyuk

Thanks for that - I will be working in Silicone Oasis, so what are peoples suggestions for rental in the area and is it as bad as some people say for driving over there, as if its ok then i should think anywhere commutable will be fine.

co durham boy

Drivings shit , even if you drive 10 yards , there's not a day goes by in the middle east that i don't get shocked by the standard of driving or lack of any kind of standard in fact.

Pigs don't fly they say, but they certainly drive out here..........!

Tulkyuk

So how do most people get about then??