Abu Dhabi sets 3% of annual rent as fee for companies and expats

Expatriates living in Abu Dhabi will have to pay three per cent of their annual rent as housing fees, a senior government official has confirmed. Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Dr Abdullah Al Beloushi, Executive Director of Land and Property at the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport said that this new fees have been implemented recently. “This is a new fee and we have started implementing it. It will include all residential and commercial properties in Abu Dhabi,” he added. For example, if the annual rent of an apartment or an office was Dh100,000, the housing fee would be Dh3,000 a year, which has to be paid in 12 monthly installments to Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). The fee will be part of the user’s monthly bill, thus making it easier for tenants to pay. The decree, issued by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, states that the annual fee will be a minimum Dh450.  UAE nationals are exempted from paying this fees. Emirates247