Many expatriates pinpoint the Khalidiya, Manasir and Corniche areas as their first choices, but there is “next to nothing available there”, said Rebekah Savage, who works for Foundation Property Management, an Abu Dhabi-based company.
The annual rent for two-bedroom flats on the Corniche and in Khalidiya – highly desirable areas – ranges from Dh235,000 (US$64,000) to Dh250,000, depending on the quality of the unit, according to a study published last month by Asteco, a UAE-based property services company.
Rents in more “affordable” areas start at Dh120,000 for a two-bedroom flat in Musaffah to about Dh225,000 for similar sized accommodation in Hamdan Street, Airport Road, Khalifa Street and Salam Street.
One option available to residents is looking in the suburbs that line the Abu Dhabi to Dubai motorway, towns such as Shahama and Al Rahba.
Other towns experiencing a growing influx of expatriate professionals include Al Falah and Shamkha, which are about 40km beyond Abu Dhabi on the motorway to Sweihan.
Located tens of kilometres from hospitals, supermarkets, and petrol stations, residents living in Shamkha, Shahama and Al Falah, including Mrs Zikic, say services and basic amenities in these towns are seriously lacking.
If the owner fails to occupy the unit within three months of the tenant vacating and does not provide a reasonable excuse, or if he leases the unit to a new tenant, the rent committee will allow the previous tenant to reoccupy the unit and will penalise the owner.
