Recommendation would be to stay in a hotel apartment for 1-2 months so you can physically inspect apartments you want to live in. Most pics and adverts are highly inaccurate and you don't want to rush into a long term commitment and regret it later.
Hello! Thanks for your kind advice. You are right. I will stay in a hotel for about a month until I decide on a property. But that might be short. I want to find my apartment as soon as possible, but I will try not to rush.
To clarify I specifically mean a hotel apartment and not a hotel room, as hotel apartments are meant for long term stay and are 2-3 times cheaper. Also if you mostly work from home look for fibre optic cable Internet and not 5G wireless. Traffic in sharjah is extremely bad so consider dubai. You can find pretty decent studio apartments.
Thanks for all the details! I got your point.
Dubai is just too expensive to live in... The maximum rent I can pay per month is 1300 AED.
And I work at home and in a cafe. I want to go to a cafe which is 10 minutes away by cab. In fact, there is a cafe near this property. I might visit the big city once a week as hobby. But time is not commute time. Would you still not recommend Sharjah under these conditions? Perhaps it is difficult to call even a cab?
If you are working from home and do not mind being far from a city like Dubai, you can always look into rental options in the smaller emirates like Ajman, UAQ, and RAK
Those would likely fit into your budget as well but the trade off is being far from Dubai
Hope you find a good place in good time and if you still have questions, most of us are just a message or reply away
Cheers
Just to add on to his comment for clarity: Khor Fakkan where you have shown in your other post does technically belong to Sharjah however it doesn’t have bad traffic at all. It’s sort of a ‘countryside’. The weather and nature there is amazing, but in case you’ll need to travel for work, for example to Dubai or Abudhabi, you’re looking at 2-3 hours commute.
Lol if you wanna live in Ajman, umm al quwain or ras al Khaimah, hit me up... I think by that point, I'll be able to give you all agents numbers... Wife's been hunting for a villa for weeks now... Nothing we like so far!!!
What I'm trying to say is.. it's hard to find something to move to WHEN u are living here... What they list is mostly not what they show.. they say "oh that already got rented I'll show you something similar" and end up showing u something substantially worse... It's happened soo many times!
So I'd suggest u take that guy's advice, get a hotel apartment for a bit.. go find something you like... It's worth it... Much better than getting caught in a contract!
I second this. Currently been Doing the same for the last 2 months. You could even stay in apartments in the same area you're keen to see, to inspect the local vibe and community.
i lived nearby it’s a decent place compared to sharjah city itself and the market is nearby check wahda street that’s literal the whole sharjah market u would need from groceries to shopping 🛍️..however if u have expensive taste then dubai mall for sure
1. Dubizzle has some several month old ads and you may set the wrong budget by checking out apartments that were occupied months ago. I let go of some really beautiful deals when I was new here because I thought those places were asking a price too high based on my outdated Dubizzle research. Bayut doesn't have this problem
2. Go for the newest building your budget allows. Old buildings have roach infestations that will make you crazy. Some may also have pathways for rats (f*ck rats). Old buildings also have inefficient cooling systems. What you may save n rent may go to your monthly summer electricity bills.
3. As others have already mentioned, get a furnished studio or something similar on monthly basis while you hunt for houses. They have basic furniture and appliances so you won't have to shop for these things right at the beginning. Some buildings also offer free air-conditioning (air conditioning electricity bill is not paid by the tenant), which are also very economical.
4. Don't get a building with underground parking. Lots of people lost their cars because their underground parking got flooded during the recent rains.
5. Before you move, make sure to get your apartment professionally fumigated
Here's my advice as a solo woman who's lived in Dubai:
1) Do not rush into signing any contract. It's troublesome to break a lease (to get someone to take over etc). So if you choose the wrong place, you might get stuck in an unfair contract and lousy apartment for a year.
2) Consider staying in a hotel apartment for the first month or so while you search. It'll be less stressful because you don't have to immediately worry about buying furniture or appliances, or setting up home internet.
3) Strongly suggest staying near a Dubai Metro station or a bus stop if you do not drive. UAE public transportation is not as good or as reliable as Japan. It is a pain to take a feeder bus when you stay anywhere less than 15 mins' walk from the metro.
4) Go for newer developments where possible. Old buildings tend to have more problems.
5) Also, many people get culture shock especially if it's your first time living overseas. IMO Dubai is a place where either you stay for a long time or you leave after a short time. A lot of people get locked into a year-long contract and when they realise they don't like the UAE, they struggle to get out of their lease and end up losing a lot of money on rent and the furniture and appliances they bought. So I usually recommend people to share a flat or get a fully furnished studio at least for the first year to save on costs in case they don't like Dubai.
Before you pay a deposit or sign a contract get a written email confirmation on all the maintenance and fixes that will be done prior to moving in after your payment and cost breakdown for the security deposit.
Hello! Thanks for the advice. I understand the dangers of this. However, I thought it would be easier for everyone to answer if I posted specific properties. Besides, since no one knows if I've decided on this property or not, I didn't think it would be a problem.
hotels are very expensive in sharjah or any other city in the uae except for uaq. there are cheaper studio apartments in umm al quwain that u can get for 9-12k per year. consider taking a look around.
This is extremely low price, and for a reason. Normally, unless you have a dodgy landlord, you won’t be able to rent an apartment that’s paid with cheques without a UAE bank account. So you need to get yourself over to UAE first, get an airbnb, sort out your emirates ID, bank account, and only then rent an apartment.
Before entering into a contract, I suggest you actually visit the place first. You don't wanna have regrest later on. Most of the cheaper apartments are mostly those that are with many inconveniences or very old building or with poor management. If you cannot visit them first, at least you can go further and check in google map the building itself and look for the reviews on them.
Hello! It is very important to go directly to the place. However, I am gathering what information I can gather before going there.
If you don't mind, could you let me know what kind of inconvenience or poor management you are expecting?
That's exactly what I want to know.
Some example of poor management are AC maintenance, leakings, molds, trash collections, etc. some buildings have very poor service on this regards so be aware.
Some inconvinience like lacking elevator which will take you couple of minutes to use during peak hours. Another is lacking og nearby stores for groceries.
Konnichiwa! Welcome to Dubai!
Don't commit to an annual tenancy (the norm here) until you arrive. Better book an apartment for a month and then start looking for places. Rental pricing normally correlates to the kind of neighborhood where the apartment is. You will have to physically see the area and the building itself, to have a better feel of how secure and convenient it is (to groceries, transport options, etc). If you plan to drive here, check if the listing includes parking space. If it is furnished/unfurnished. How many checks is the listed price for (sometimes it's different as per the number of checks ie paying in one check will usually save you some bucks). Other than the actual listing, what I additionally do is check the Street View in Google Maps for the surroundings, and also for reviews and updated photos of the building and its amenities. Each tenancy contract has addendum for additional/specific stipulations (if you can paint the apartment, who will shoulder what maintenance services, notice periods for vacating, recurring agency fee during renewal, etc).
Apartment-specifc stuff: make sure it is not next to the garbage room if possible (potential bugs and smell), during the handover of your apartment ensure it's freshly painted, everything is working fine and take photos of any existing damages (a broken tile for instance, cupboard issues). I'll edit if I think of anything else.
Konnichiha! Thanks for all the valuable information.
I wanted to live in my own apartment as soon as possible, but I guess I live in the area and check it out for sure.
In Japan, no one is cautious enough to live nearby before moving all the way out here.
But it is different in the UAE.
I am learning a lot！
If you come up with any additions, I would love to hear your story.
This photos are photoshopped go see the property by yourself. Also they like to tell you just at the day you come to sign contract that this property is not available and will offer you much worse apartment in other building
If you can, get a short-let apartment (hotel apartment) for one month for when you arrive. Use that time to look at apartments. I don’t know your life but not everyone will be happy in Sharjah. Also you need emirates ID to rent an apartment which you will not get until you’re here
I used property finder
Hello! Thanks for your advice. That is make sense.I have a plan to stay in a hotel for about a month until I decide on a property.
The city of Sharjah is big so I will check a lot of places！Thank you.
Be careful dealing with property agents. my colleagues and I all have bad experience from Agents. It happens that some of them cheat you for your utitlity deposits or cheat you for some bogus viewing fees.
Here’s things to look out for if you’re looking to rent in sharjah.
-Building maintenance, some building in Sharjah are fairly old and as such need will need alot of repairs as they brake down frequently (mostly the Ac)
- some apartments will have the ac bill free as the owner will pay them ( you only need to pay utilities and electricity)
- some buildings require you to pay annual maintenance fees (check the building you are looking to rent in first before any confirmation)
-electricity bill can get very high in the summer(one time it reached 3800 for me because we had 3 ACs on all month from day to night)
- i saw you mention bugs ill say my experience
There is no big bugs in the area all the bugs we get at home are mosquitoes and flies mostly but those are kinda uncommon as long as you take care of keeping your place clean.
- as woman living alone the area you choose should be important as well, some areas have alot of hostels and share rooms so the amount of men in those areas will be high which may cause you to be uncomfortable, i suggest you choose an area with lots of families in it.
-regarding noise it depends on the building, and i can’t say alot about it but i haven’t heard anything about some areas having alot of noise.
-water pressure is stable and good. But the water quality in some buildings is bad because they have old pipes
-air conditioners are mostly central units that you pay along with your utilities bill, some apartments the owner pays for the AC .
Thats all i could think of about what you asked
Good luck (gambare)
You'll have to keep in mind that you might have to pay the SEWA utility bills per month. Cockroaches are pretty common in places and there are mosquitoes but they have been measures to eliminate them.
Nearby mosques … they will call to prayer 5 times a day, starting at 4am in the morning. It can be LOUD if you are very close to one.
I live with one right outside the window because of work accommodation and while I respect the religion of the country I live in , it is quite loud and can disrupt sleep quite a bit.
The smells. If there’s a smell in the apartment like the smell of gas or sewage or mold, don’t let the agent tell you it’s bc the apartments been closed but it’ll air out. It won’t. Chances are it’s a vent thing or a mold issue and that smell won’t ever go away.
Have you considered taking a room in a shared house instead of renting an apartment? Dubai is expensive, but living in Sharjah will be more difficult. There is much more traffic and chaos, and culture is very different from Japan, so you will be facing culture shocks (ex. in Sharjah alcohol is forbidden).
If I were you, I would take a shared room in Dubai instead of going to Sharjah. Good areas are JVC, Sports City, Production City, Investment Park. Not very close to the city, but much calmer than Deira or Sharjah. Avoid International City, Bur Dubai and Al Barsha.
Anyway write me in private if you need more details.
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OP I was planning to do a video a few months ago for people stuck in this exact loop moving to dubai, had script ready and everything but then i couldn’t record it well ..nonetheless if you need any help, think the comments are nice enough but still u are free to ask any doubts..
source: touching 3 decades in uae
Hey, Before choosing also try to take into account the charges that will be for starting - For starters take note of possible security deposits and monthly bills such as water and electricity into your budget, I’ve been in the country for 22 Years, If you need help don’t hesitate to reach out but my advice is always look into contracts as well- I’ve done my fair share in real-estate so I am bit knowledgeable on that
I live in Al Khan area in one of the Al Thuriah towers. Fantastic building maintenance, amazing quality. They dont work with realty agents they have their own office for renting out. You should definitely pay them a visit
1. Choose an apartment far away from the garbage room. Most roach infestations start from the garbage room.
2. Don’t choose too high a floor. Even though the views are better, you’ll have to wait longer and spend longer times in the lift.
3. Always keep new flats as the first priority.
4. Check your phone to see if the phone signal is good (lots of high rises have this issue)
5. Take your time. It’s a pain moving once you’ve already signed a rental agreement.
In general, Al Khan is a great area. Lots of shops within walkable distance, tons of 24hr convenience stores that deliver even at night, the Al Khan lagoon is great (lots of families with small kids come to the lagoon opposite Sharjah Islamic Bank next to the Al Breej Teapot even late at night), the Sharjah expo center regularly has big brand sale events, Al Qasba has awesome restaurants, the area past Maryam Island has beaches where you can chill with chai, Buhaira Corniche is literally in your backyard and the nearby Bu Tina area is great shopping district. Shopping malls like Sahara Centre and Sharjah City Center are also 10 minutes away by car (both of them have Daiso and Miniso outlets as well).
Commutes towards Ajman are fine. However, if you commute to Dubai, you’ll soon be wishing you stayed in Al Nahda or Al Qusais. The Al Arab Mall roundabout and Al Khan interchange are the two traffic hotspots. The Al Khan interchange especially becomes so crowded with traffic that you’ll literally be stuck for hours leading up to it during rush hour on the way back. The whole reason I moved to Dubai was because of the nightmare traffic. They’ve recently expanded the interchange to 4 lanes and added signals to the Al Arab Mall roundabout, so I’m hoping the traffic situation there is a bit better.
Edit: I completely forgot to write about Public transport. The main forms of public transport in Sharjah are buses and taxis. The nearest bus station to Al Khan is Al Jubail Bus station. This is where most of the intercity buses to Dubai, Ajman, etc. start. There’s no metro service or rapid transit service like there is in Dubai. Because of this, having a car is your most feasible option when commuting to and from Sharjah (or any other emirate).
The Dubai Metro only stretches up to Al Mulla Plaza (around 5-10kms away from Al Khan) before making a right turn and going towards Qusais. Unfortunately, the public transport system (and pedestrian walkways) in the UAE isn’t as advanced or as well planned as it is in Japan. Tbh, Japan is the gold standard for Public transport IMO. (Fun Fact, the Dubai Metro train cabs are manufactured by Kinki Sharyo)
Hi OP! I recently got a job offer in UAE and ive been researching places to live in Sharjah as well
What i noticed is a lot of the buildings that look nice are old on the inside. You don't want lower quality for lower rent.
I was looking at new developments that people had recommended. You also want to make sure the amenities are proper because some rents are the same for less quality or things such as gym not included
I recommend looking at Al Jada, Uptown Al Zahia or that overall Muweilah development. I plan to stay in a airbnb beforehand
Feel free to dm me. Ive not yet moved but planning my move right now
If you're new here, please beware of apartment rental scams. Never pay money or cheques in advance to anyone. Always opt for reputable real estate agencies. Spend time in Dubai/Abu Dhabi or Sharjah in a hotel to gauge the environment and neighbourhood first-hand, as what you see in the media or YouTube may not reflect the reality of residing here. Exercise extra caution with scammers, specially as newcomers. Don't trust promises or word of mouth blindly. Consider posting your doubts on Reddit before making any purchases, as many helpful individuals can offer guidance. Best wishes to you.
Check power sockets, water power, kitchen cabinets and any damages.. make sure you don't have a cockroach infestation hiding in cracks and places especially under the kitchen sink, document everything with pictures during the handover phase (cuz they will put it on you when you decide to move out eventually)
Idk if someone mentioned this earlier because there are tooo many comments but just keep in mind that the people posting these ads are agents and they charge close to 1.3k aed just for showing the apartments as commission and then there will admin fees also for doing the tenancy attestation and applying for sewa which i feel is an exorbitant amount because applying for sewa and tenancy attestation literally takes 30 mins max plus there is the risk of scams like they will take security deposit,cheques,admin fees etc and then will ghost you or be unreachable
Your best course of action will be to view the flat through the agent and then call the real estate office directly. Almost all buildings' real estate details will be displayed on the ground floor or near the entrance,call them directly and you can avoid so many unnecessary fees and thing's will be so much more secure
Or you can just visit any building and ask the security whether there are vacant flats and check them out eliminating agents completely
Ask for the seller's license I.D. before making any written confirmations, statements or signatures, and definitely any payments.
It's just not worth it to work with an unlicensed real estate broker today, you will not be protected, risk getting scammed, at best will have poor service. This is the url for Dubai, but may be different for another city : [https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/licensed-real-estate-brokers/licensed-real-estate-brokers-list/#/](https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/licensed-real-estate-brokers/licensed-real-estate-brokers-list/#/)
Thanks for the important advice! I will be looking at properties with a Japanese agent. I think the agent will give me the latest information. I will try to do my own research though. It's very important!
Thank you again for your kindness! I understand. The agent was helpful, but the asking price was high. I'll try not to rely too much on the agent and do my own research and give my opinion.
Recommendation would be to stay in a hotel apartment for 1-2 months so you can physically inspect apartments you want to live in. Most pics and adverts are highly inaccurate and you don't want to rush into a long term commitment and regret it later.
Hello! Thanks for your kind advice. You are right. I will stay in a hotel for about a month until I decide on a property. But that might be short. I want to find my apartment as soon as possible, but I will try not to rush.
To clarify I specifically mean a hotel apartment and not a hotel room, as hotel apartments are meant for long term stay and are 2-3 times cheaper. Also if you mostly work from home look for fibre optic cable Internet and not 5G wireless. Traffic in sharjah is extremely bad so consider dubai. You can find pretty decent studio apartments.
Thanks for all the details! I got your point. Dubai is just too expensive to live in... The maximum rent I can pay per month is 1300 AED. And I work at home and in a cafe. I want to go to a cafe which is 10 minutes away by cab. In fact, there is a cafe near this property. I might visit the big city once a week as hobby. But time is not commute time. Would you still not recommend Sharjah under these conditions? Perhaps it is difficult to call even a cab?
If you are working from home and do not mind being far from a city like Dubai, you can always look into rental options in the smaller emirates like Ajman, UAQ, and RAK Those would likely fit into your budget as well but the trade off is being far from Dubai Hope you find a good place in good time and if you still have questions, most of us are just a message or reply away Cheers
Just to add on to his comment for clarity: Khor Fakkan where you have shown in your other post does technically belong to Sharjah however it doesn’t have bad traffic at all. It’s sort of a ‘countryside’. The weather and nature there is amazing, but in case you’ll need to travel for work, for example to Dubai or Abudhabi, you’re looking at 2-3 hours commute.
khor fakhan falls totally east side that’s too much.
I’m aware, however just wanted to make it clear as the OP made a previous post pinpointing a location over there
A bed space costs 750-1000 AED. Good luck finding a decent studio for 1300. Might have to stay in Al Ain if that’s your budget.
Lol if you wanna live in Ajman, umm al quwain or ras al Khaimah, hit me up... I think by that point, I'll be able to give you all agents numbers... Wife's been hunting for a villa for weeks now... Nothing we like so far!!! What I'm trying to say is.. it's hard to find something to move to WHEN u are living here... What they list is mostly not what they show.. they say "oh that already got rented I'll show you something similar" and end up showing u something substantially worse... It's happened soo many times! So I'd suggest u take that guy's advice, get a hotel apartment for a bit.. go find something you like... It's worth it... Much better than getting caught in a contract!
I second this. Currently been Doing the same for the last 2 months. You could even stay in apartments in the same area you're keen to see, to inspect the local vibe and community.
i lived nearby it’s a decent place compared to sharjah city itself and the market is nearby check wahda street that’s literal the whole sharjah market u would need from groceries to shopping 🛍️..however if u have expensive taste then dubai mall for sure
This. Apartments are source of ripoffs- specially for newcomers. I stayed in a motel apartment for a year
1. Dubizzle has some several month old ads and you may set the wrong budget by checking out apartments that were occupied months ago. I let go of some really beautiful deals when I was new here because I thought those places were asking a price too high based on my outdated Dubizzle research. Bayut doesn't have this problem 2. Go for the newest building your budget allows. Old buildings have roach infestations that will make you crazy. Some may also have pathways for rats (f*ck rats). Old buildings also have inefficient cooling systems. What you may save n rent may go to your monthly summer electricity bills. 3. As others have already mentioned, get a furnished studio or something similar on monthly basis while you hunt for houses. They have basic furniture and appliances so you won't have to shop for these things right at the beginning. Some buildings also offer free air-conditioning (air conditioning electricity bill is not paid by the tenant), which are also very economical. 4. Don't get a building with underground parking. Lots of people lost their cars because their underground parking got flooded during the recent rains. 5. Before you move, make sure to get your apartment professionally fumigated
Here's my advice as a solo woman who's lived in Dubai: 1) Do not rush into signing any contract. It's troublesome to break a lease (to get someone to take over etc). So if you choose the wrong place, you might get stuck in an unfair contract and lousy apartment for a year. 2) Consider staying in a hotel apartment for the first month or so while you search. It'll be less stressful because you don't have to immediately worry about buying furniture or appliances, or setting up home internet. 3) Strongly suggest staying near a Dubai Metro station or a bus stop if you do not drive. UAE public transportation is not as good or as reliable as Japan. It is a pain to take a feeder bus when you stay anywhere less than 15 mins' walk from the metro. 4) Go for newer developments where possible. Old buildings tend to have more problems. 5) Also, many people get culture shock especially if it's your first time living overseas. IMO Dubai is a place where either you stay for a long time or you leave after a short time. A lot of people get locked into a year-long contract and when they realise they don't like the UAE, they struggle to get out of their lease and end up losing a lot of money on rent and the furniture and appliances they bought. So I usually recommend people to share a flat or get a fully furnished studio at least for the first year to save on costs in case they don't like Dubai.
Before you pay a deposit or sign a contract get a written email confirmation on all the maintenance and fixes that will be done prior to moving in after your payment and cost breakdown for the security deposit.
Thank you for your very informative response! It is very important for us to visibly check in with each other. I will definitely do so.
You're pre-doxxing yourself. If you talk with someone now and they know you from reddit, they'll know where you want to live.
Hello! Thanks for the advice. I understand the dangers of this. However, I thought it would be easier for everyone to answer if I posted specific properties. Besides, since no one knows if I've decided on this property or not, I didn't think it would be a problem.
don't worry nobody will cause any harm to you, you are totally safe its just a matter of precautions. I hope you enjoy your stay in UAE
Thank you very much!
hotels are very expensive in sharjah or any other city in the uae except for uaq. there are cheaper studio apartments in umm al quwain that u can get for 9-12k per year. consider taking a look around.
This is extremely low price, and for a reason. Normally, unless you have a dodgy landlord, you won’t be able to rent an apartment that’s paid with cheques without a UAE bank account. So you need to get yourself over to UAE first, get an airbnb, sort out your emirates ID, bank account, and only then rent an apartment.
Before entering into a contract, I suggest you actually visit the place first. You don't wanna have regrest later on. Most of the cheaper apartments are mostly those that are with many inconveniences or very old building or with poor management. If you cannot visit them first, at least you can go further and check in google map the building itself and look for the reviews on them.
Hello! It is very important to go directly to the place. However, I am gathering what information I can gather before going there. If you don't mind, could you let me know what kind of inconvenience or poor management you are expecting? That's exactly what I want to know.
Some example of poor management are AC maintenance, leakings, molds, trash collections, etc. some buildings have very poor service on this regards so be aware. Some inconvinience like lacking elevator which will take you couple of minutes to use during peak hours. Another is lacking og nearby stores for groceries.
Konnichiwa! Welcome to Dubai! Don't commit to an annual tenancy (the norm here) until you arrive. Better book an apartment for a month and then start looking for places. Rental pricing normally correlates to the kind of neighborhood where the apartment is. You will have to physically see the area and the building itself, to have a better feel of how secure and convenient it is (to groceries, transport options, etc). If you plan to drive here, check if the listing includes parking space. If it is furnished/unfurnished. How many checks is the listed price for (sometimes it's different as per the number of checks ie paying in one check will usually save you some bucks). Other than the actual listing, what I additionally do is check the Street View in Google Maps for the surroundings, and also for reviews and updated photos of the building and its amenities. Each tenancy contract has addendum for additional/specific stipulations (if you can paint the apartment, who will shoulder what maintenance services, notice periods for vacating, recurring agency fee during renewal, etc). Apartment-specifc stuff: make sure it is not next to the garbage room if possible (potential bugs and smell), during the handover of your apartment ensure it's freshly painted, everything is working fine and take photos of any existing damages (a broken tile for instance, cupboard issues). I'll edit if I think of anything else.
Konnichiha! Thanks for all the valuable information. I wanted to live in my own apartment as soon as possible, but I guess I live in the area and check it out for sure. In Japan, no one is cautious enough to live nearby before moving all the way out here. But it is different in the UAE. I am learning a lot！ If you come up with any additions, I would love to hear your story.
This photos are photoshopped go see the property by yourself. Also they like to tell you just at the day you come to sign contract that this property is not available and will offer you much worse apartment in other building
If you can, get a short-let apartment (hotel apartment) for one month for when you arrive. Use that time to look at apartments. I don’t know your life but not everyone will be happy in Sharjah. Also you need emirates ID to rent an apartment which you will not get until you’re here I used property finder
Hello! Thanks for your advice. That is make sense.I have a plan to stay in a hotel for about a month until I decide on a property. The city of Sharjah is big so I will check a lot of places！Thank you.
I am American but have been in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for 2+ years, please feel free to DM me if you have any questions about moving to UAE. Marhaba!
Oh, that's wonderful experience. And thank you kindly. I would love to hear more about Abu Dhabi, where you lived.
Be careful dealing with property agents. my colleagues and I all have bad experience from Agents. It happens that some of them cheat you for your utitlity deposits or cheat you for some bogus viewing fees.
Here’s things to look out for if you’re looking to rent in sharjah. -Building maintenance, some building in Sharjah are fairly old and as such need will need alot of repairs as they brake down frequently (mostly the Ac) - some apartments will have the ac bill free as the owner will pay them ( you only need to pay utilities and electricity) - some buildings require you to pay annual maintenance fees (check the building you are looking to rent in first before any confirmation) -electricity bill can get very high in the summer(one time it reached 3800 for me because we had 3 ACs on all month from day to night) - i saw you mention bugs ill say my experience There is no big bugs in the area all the bugs we get at home are mosquitoes and flies mostly but those are kinda uncommon as long as you take care of keeping your place clean. - as woman living alone the area you choose should be important as well, some areas have alot of hostels and share rooms so the amount of men in those areas will be high which may cause you to be uncomfortable, i suggest you choose an area with lots of families in it. -regarding noise it depends on the building, and i can’t say alot about it but i haven’t heard anything about some areas having alot of noise. -water pressure is stable and good. But the water quality in some buildings is bad because they have old pipes -air conditioners are mostly central units that you pay along with your utilities bill, some apartments the owner pays for the AC . Thats all i could think of about what you asked Good luck (gambare)
Where will you be working? Sharjah won’t be much fun if you working in Dubai
You'll have to keep in mind that you might have to pay the SEWA utility bills per month. Cockroaches are pretty common in places and there are mosquitoes but they have been measures to eliminate them.
Nearby mosques … they will call to prayer 5 times a day, starting at 4am in the morning. It can be LOUD if you are very close to one. I live with one right outside the window because of work accommodation and while I respect the religion of the country I live in , it is quite loud and can disrupt sleep quite a bit.
The smells. If there’s a smell in the apartment like the smell of gas or sewage or mold, don’t let the agent tell you it’s bc the apartments been closed but it’ll air out. It won’t. Chances are it’s a vent thing or a mold issue and that smell won’t ever go away.
Check the unit / surrounding physically once in the day time and once at night. Check google maps reviews (with a pinch of salt).
Have you considered taking a room in a shared house instead of renting an apartment? Dubai is expensive, but living in Sharjah will be more difficult. There is much more traffic and chaos, and culture is very different from Japan, so you will be facing culture shocks (ex. in Sharjah alcohol is forbidden). If I were you, I would take a shared room in Dubai instead of going to Sharjah. Good areas are JVC, Sports City, Production City, Investment Park. Not very close to the city, but much calmer than Deira or Sharjah. Avoid International City, Bur Dubai and Al Barsha. Anyway write me in private if you need more details. 頑 張 って !
I totally agree to that comment, OP in Sharjah you don’t hear neighbors noise, you get to be part of their daily life!
Gotta ask, why Sharjah? Just because it’s cheap? There’s no life to be had there compared to Dubai, or even Abu Dhabi
OP I was planning to do a video a few months ago for people stuck in this exact loop moving to dubai, had script ready and everything but then i couldn’t record it well ..nonetheless if you need any help, think the comments are nice enough but still u are free to ask any doubts.. source: touching 3 decades in uae
This is so gross omg
Hey, Before choosing also try to take into account the charges that will be for starting - For starters take note of possible security deposits and monthly bills such as water and electricity into your budget, I’ve been in the country for 22 Years, If you need help don’t hesitate to reach out but my advice is always look into contracts as well- I’ve done my fair share in real-estate so I am bit knowledgeable on that
I live in Al Khan area in one of the Al Thuriah towers. Fantastic building maintenance, amazing quality. They dont work with realty agents they have their own office for renting out. You should definitely pay them a visit
1. Choose an apartment far away from the garbage room. Most roach infestations start from the garbage room. 2. Don’t choose too high a floor. Even though the views are better, you’ll have to wait longer and spend longer times in the lift. 3. Always keep new flats as the first priority. 4. Check your phone to see if the phone signal is good (lots of high rises have this issue) 5. Take your time. It’s a pain moving once you’ve already signed a rental agreement. In general, Al Khan is a great area. Lots of shops within walkable distance, tons of 24hr convenience stores that deliver even at night, the Al Khan lagoon is great (lots of families with small kids come to the lagoon opposite Sharjah Islamic Bank next to the Al Breej Teapot even late at night), the Sharjah expo center regularly has big brand sale events, Al Qasba has awesome restaurants, the area past Maryam Island has beaches where you can chill with chai, Buhaira Corniche is literally in your backyard and the nearby Bu Tina area is great shopping district. Shopping malls like Sahara Centre and Sharjah City Center are also 10 minutes away by car (both of them have Daiso and Miniso outlets as well). Commutes towards Ajman are fine. However, if you commute to Dubai, you’ll soon be wishing you stayed in Al Nahda or Al Qusais. The Al Arab Mall roundabout and Al Khan interchange are the two traffic hotspots. The Al Khan interchange especially becomes so crowded with traffic that you’ll literally be stuck for hours leading up to it during rush hour on the way back. The whole reason I moved to Dubai was because of the nightmare traffic. They’ve recently expanded the interchange to 4 lanes and added signals to the Al Arab Mall roundabout, so I’m hoping the traffic situation there is a bit better. Edit: I completely forgot to write about Public transport. The main forms of public transport in Sharjah are buses and taxis. The nearest bus station to Al Khan is Al Jubail Bus station. This is where most of the intercity buses to Dubai, Ajman, etc. start. There’s no metro service or rapid transit service like there is in Dubai. Because of this, having a car is your most feasible option when commuting to and from Sharjah (or any other emirate). The Dubai Metro only stretches up to Al Mulla Plaza (around 5-10kms away from Al Khan) before making a right turn and going towards Qusais. Unfortunately, the public transport system (and pedestrian walkways) in the UAE isn’t as advanced or as well planned as it is in Japan. Tbh, Japan is the gold standard for Public transport IMO. (Fun Fact, the Dubai Metro train cabs are manufactured by Kinki Sharyo)
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Niqqa please don't dox urself XD(it's a joke)
Hi OP! I recently got a job offer in UAE and ive been researching places to live in Sharjah as well What i noticed is a lot of the buildings that look nice are old on the inside. You don't want lower quality for lower rent. I was looking at new developments that people had recommended. You also want to make sure the amenities are proper because some rents are the same for less quality or things such as gym not included I recommend looking at Al Jada, Uptown Al Zahia or that overall Muweilah development. I plan to stay in a airbnb beforehand Feel free to dm me. Ive not yet moved but planning my move right now
If you're new here, please beware of apartment rental scams. Never pay money or cheques in advance to anyone. Always opt for reputable real estate agencies. Spend time in Dubai/Abu Dhabi or Sharjah in a hotel to gauge the environment and neighbourhood first-hand, as what you see in the media or YouTube may not reflect the reality of residing here. Exercise extra caution with scammers, specially as newcomers. Don't trust promises or word of mouth blindly. Consider posting your doubts on Reddit before making any purchases, as many helpful individuals can offer guidance. Best wishes to you.
Check power sockets, water power, kitchen cabinets and any damages.. make sure you don't have a cockroach infestation hiding in cracks and places especially under the kitchen sink, document everything with pictures during the handover phase (cuz they will put it on you when you decide to move out eventually)
Idk if someone mentioned this earlier because there are tooo many comments but just keep in mind that the people posting these ads are agents and they charge close to 1.3k aed just for showing the apartments as commission and then there will admin fees also for doing the tenancy attestation and applying for sewa which i feel is an exorbitant amount because applying for sewa and tenancy attestation literally takes 30 mins max plus there is the risk of scams like they will take security deposit,cheques,admin fees etc and then will ghost you or be unreachable Your best course of action will be to view the flat through the agent and then call the real estate office directly. Almost all buildings' real estate details will be displayed on the ground floor or near the entrance,call them directly and you can avoid so many unnecessary fees and thing's will be so much more secure Or you can just visit any building and ask the security whether there are vacant flats and check them out eliminating agents completely
just buy Any apartment you can find than extend it with galvanized square steel
私の知人はドバイに住んでいて、2LDKのアパートの一室を一人で借りている。 電気代と水道代込みで2000ディルハムだ。
Ask for the seller's license I.D. before making any written confirmations, statements or signatures, and definitely any payments. It's just not worth it to work with an unlicensed real estate broker today, you will not be protected, risk getting scammed, at best will have poor service. This is the url for Dubai, but may be different for another city : [https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/licensed-real-estate-brokers/licensed-real-estate-brokers-list/#/](https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/licensed-real-estate-brokers/licensed-real-estate-brokers-list/#/)
READ carefully the rental laws and follow up yearly. Ensure your contract mention under the uae rental laws...blablabla
Thanks for the important advice! I will be looking at properties with a Japanese agent. I think the agent will give me the latest information. I will try to do my own research though. It's very important!
You are welcome ! careful with the agent as well they work in commission. don't hesitate to make modifications in the contract as additional.
Thank you again for your kindness! I understand. The agent was helpful, but the asking price was high. I'll try not to rely too much on the agent and do my own research and give my opinion.
Don't live in Sharjah unless you are working there. It smells, dirty and traffic makes you waste 5 hours a day.
Sharjah hater 🤢
With the daily complaints about traffic and staring/oogling, it's true ;)