There is a vehicle for every two people in Dubai, according to a recent study provided by the Roads and Transport Authority, which puts Dubai’s vehicle density as the highest in the region and one of the highest in the world. This is why finding a parking space in Dubai feels more like hitting the jackpot.
Thankfully, there are hundreds of thousand of underground parking spots for residents in buildings. But what happens when someone owns more than one car? How can they guarantee having sufficient parking bays for both of their cars? And do they have the right to claim additional parking spaces?
Parking space / number of bedrooms
There is a standard procedure when it comes to allocating parking spaces to tenants:
- Tenants renting apartments from a studio to a 2BR get one parking space.
- Tenants renting apartments from of more than 2BR get two parking spaces.
Exceptions:
- Certain areas, such as Dubai Marina, allocate only one parking space per apartment due to the high density of the population and the limited number of parkings in a building.
- Other areas in less developed communities, such as Arjan, offer more than one parking space for every apartment. This is due to the large number of parking spaces available in comparison to the number of apartments and occupiers.
Renting / renting out parking spaces
Additional parking spaces can be rented, and in some instances, rented out. However, annually renting a parking space can be quite expensive (36,000AED/a year on average), so tenants are advised to try to negotiate the possibility of having two parking spaces with the landlord. If you were unable to reach an agreement with the landlord, try to look for a development or a building that is willing to negotiate this, or at least offer visitors’ parking pass. Don’t take the matter lightly, not having a parking space for your car can turn into a daily nightmare. If, however, the landlord does agree to give you an additional space, make sure to include a clause in the contract stating so. Renting spaces from other tenants: Some tenants result to a less formal way of solving the problem by renting extra parking spaces from their fellow tenants. Some tenants who don’t own vehicles, offer to rent out their allocated parking bays to others. The average rent is between 5,000AED and 7,000AED per year. But remember, this will not be an official contract between the two parties, so you might be taking a risk if you’re paying upfront. To avoid unwanted implications, tenants are advised to inform their landlords if they are planning to make some extra money by renting out their parking spaces.
Buying parking spaces:
According to Dubai Land Department laws, in free hold areas only property owners can buy a parking space. This means that a tenant who’s renting an apartment in a freehold area cannot buy a parking space for personal use. If someone wishes to buy an additional parking space along with a property, they must keep in mind that the parking space has to be registered and included in the title deed and an extra 4% from the total amount must be paid as a registration fee to the DLD. On the other hand, in non-freehold areas, parking spaces cannot be bought at all. They can, however, be rented as seasonal parking spaces. The cost of a seasonal parking cards are:
- Category A: 700AED for three months, 1300AED for six months, 2,500AED for one year.
- Category B: 450AED for three months, 800AED for six months and 1,500AED for one year.
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