More than half of UAE residents surveyed by Time Out in the UAE are looking to pay less rent in their next home rental agreement.
Time Out’s Social Distancing Survey, completed by more than 1,000 adult residents of the UAE in May, asked respondents whether they were expecting to pay less, the same or more in their next home rental agreement.
Of 1,090 responses, 54% said they expected to pay less, while 26% said they expect to pay the same. Just three percent of respondents said they expect to pay more.
The remaining respondents said the question did not apply to them.
Of those who said they expected to pay less rent, 68% said they would look to renegotiate their current rental agreement, while 29% said they would move properties to pay less. Of the three percent who chose “other”, common responses included relocating to their home countries, or moving in with friends or family in the UAE.
In recent months, property listings sites in the UAE such as PropertyFinder reported increased searches for villas with private pools, with the lockdown period and suspension of public leisure facilities, along with the new norm of working from home, cited as presumed factors.
Time Out’s Social Distancing Survey, which collected responses from adults living across the Emirates, ran for the month of May, and covered a number of topics, including the impact of the pandemic on personal finances, rent, family life, dining habits, shopping habits, staycations, travel and leisure.
For more from Time Out’s Social Distancing Survey, click here.
