My Dubai Rent: Family pay Dh200,000 for four-bedroom villa in swanky suburbs

In a series exploring the Dubai rental market, a resident family has shared details of their home and housing costs. Catherine McEvoy, an events company owner, lives with her husband and two daughters in a four-bedroom villa within Layan, a Mediterranean-themed gated community in Dubailand, paying an annual rent of Dh200,000. Having moved to the UAE 14 years ago and to Dubai in 2014, the family continues to rent for the flexibility it offers rather than buying property. Their villa features four bedrooms, a maids' room, four bathrooms, open living areas, and a spacious garden to which they even relocated mature trees from their previous home. According to the family, key benefits of the area include proximity to schools, improving infrastructure in Dubai, community facilities such as a pool and gym, and included maintenance contracts. The community is managed by Dubai Properties, offering tenants greater security. The family also owns a property investment in the South of France, balancing flexible renting in Dubai with long-term property ownership elsewhere.