Improved utility connections jolt northern emirates property market

Overall Sharjah apartment rents were mostly unchanged during the first three months of this year; however, there were isolated falls of up to 5% in certain areas compared with the final quarter of 2011, as new buildings entered the market.

 The new supply resulted in a noticeable increase in viewings and enquiries in both Sharjah and Ajman, according to the Q1 2012 report from leading UAE property management firm Asteco. 

Rents in Sharjah fell between 2% and 5% from the fourth quarter of last year for studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments in areas such as Al Majaz, Al Qasemeh, Al Nahda and Al Khan. 

“While rents fell for apartments in some areas of Sharjah, there were no changes to rents for villas, which could indicate stabilisation in this sector of the market,” commented Elaine Jones, CEO, Asteco Property Management.

“Last year there were ongoing problems with connection to electricity, water and sewage, which slowed the pace of supply across the Northern Emirates. Activity is now picking up, especially in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, as electricity connections improved for residential buildings,” added Jones. 

The average yearly rent for a three-bedroom villa in Sharjah ranged between AED70,000 and AED77,500 in the first quarter of this year, while rents for a three-bedroom apartment ranged between AED30,000 and AED63,000. 

Sharjah was the most expensive northern emirate for studio apartment rentals while Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain were the cheapest. 

Rental rates for a one-bedroom apartment in Ajman, the second most expensive emirate, were unchanged from the fourth quarter. 

While activity picked up in Ras Al Khaimah, rents fell by between 4% and 6% in the first quarter as landlords continued to compete to fill their buildings. 

Rents for a two-bedroom apartment in Ras Al-Khaimah ranged between AED25,000 and AED33,000 while a three-bedroom apartment cost between AED30,000 and AED45,000. 

In Fujairah most of the buildings that received FEWA connections comprised two-bedroom apartments, which have provided small families with more choice at competitive rates. 

The number of transactions for office space in Sharjah was minimal during the first quarter and average yearly office rental rates were unchanged quarter-on-quarter. Rents ranged between AED484 per square metre to AED592 per square metre.