Paying for the maintenance and upkeep of common areas is one of the numerous fees the Dubai residents are subjected to under the service charges. This includes prevention of criminal acts, cleaning, gardening, and utility services. Usually, the service charges are calculated based on the size of the property and they are paid annually or quarterly.
What Do Service Charges Cover?
In Dubai, service charges include various services and facilities that are aimed at maintaining the quality of life of residential building and the community members. Including, but are not limited to:
Security: There are two ways residents are protected; either through security agents or surveillance system installation for surveillance and protection.
Maintenance: Regular maintenance and repairs for the most common parts of the residential buildings; such as hallways, lobbies, and parking spots.
Cleaning: Cleaning of areas intended for community use inside the residence such as lobby and corridor.
Landscaping: This includes taking care of outdoors such as gardens, parks, and playgrounds.
Utilities: Common spaces are equipped with water, electricity and gas by the residents respectively those who are using them.
How Are Service Charges Calculated?
Service charges in Dubai, as it is the usual practice, are mainly calculated based on the size of the property i.e. the Unit Factor. The Unit Factor is calculated by the developer and is based on the unit area in square feet. This factor is then multiplied by the total area of each property to calculate the service charge for each unit property.
There can be various ways to calculate service charges. The equal sharing method makes every unit pay the same amount, no matter how many square feet each unit is. On the other hand, according to the pro-rata method, bigger consumers pay more on account of the consumption load that is higher than the small ones.
What Factors Affect Service Charges?
Plenty of different factors play a vital role in determining S in Dubai, depending on:
house/flat size—When we talk about apartments size, of course, the higher is the size, the higher will be the expenses made for luxury services. Basically, fix the house sizes and deal with the added luxury spaces to bring the services to charge up.
the recipient address’s amenities—Units with additional amenities like swimming pools, workout gyms, or walkways will require additional service charges due to the maintenance cost to keep them in good condition.
the location of the property—The real estate situated in the prime residential areas is supposed to have higher service bills with a view to the maintenance of the surrounding structures.
the age of the building—It’s more expensive for older buildings than for new ones as the older ones normally do need more repair and maintenance job leading to high service charges.
How to Manage Service Charges
Residents can minimize and control service charges in Dubai by following the following measures:
Recognize the fee’s breakdown and find services covered by it.
Always keep yourself updated with the recent variations in service charges and handle any anomalies inform and in advance.
Enroll in resident groups or committees to assert their influence as far as service charges’ disbursement is concerned.
Keep in regular contact with the property management company or the developer, who will be able to ensure that any questions and concerns regarding the service charges you have, are properly handled in a timely manner.
Set aside a certain amount of money every month to fund the service charges as part of the whole living cost in Dubai.
Summing up, tackling the resolutions for Dubai property services always necessitates a full grasp over the basics of the ways these fees are calculated. The objective is to specifically break down what these charges cover, reveal the basis of their calculations, and establish a step in the right direction of their effective management.
