21/07/2026
Everyone talks about rental yields.
Very few people talk about service charges.
And that can completely change your investment returns.
When buying a property, most investors compare the purchase price, expected appreciation, and rental income.
But here's a question that doesn't get asked often enough:
How much will it actually cost to own the property every year?
Service charges are the annual fees paid to maintain the building and its shared facilities, including the swimming pool, gym, landscaping, security, concierge, elevators, and all the common areas.
And here's the important part...
Not every building has the same service charge.
Two apartments with similar prices and rental yields can deliver very different net returns simply because one has significantly lower annual ownership costs.
For example, Meriva by Ellington has a projected service charge of around 18 AED per square foot per year.
That's the type of number every investor should understand before making a decision, because it's part of calculating the true cost of ownership.
The smartest investors don't just ask:
"How much does it cost to buy?"
They also ask:
"How much does it cost to own?"
Because that's what gives you the complete investment picture.
