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ILLUSTRATIVE ONE-BEDROOM CASE STUDY

Downtown Dubai case study

A higher room-rate assumption paired with a larger building-cost allowance.

Why guests choose this area

Downtown Dubai places guests close to Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Dubai Opera, making it a convenient base for sightseeing, shopping and evenings out. This concentration of attractions gives visitors a clear reason to choose a short stay in the area. Apartments with attractive views and convenient access to the district’s landmarks can stand out to city-break travellers.

A furnished one-bedroom apartment near central attractions.

Downtown Dubai case study

Bedrooms: 1 · Available nights: 365

Average nightly rate (AED)

650

Booked nights

241

Occupancy (%)

66.0

Estimated annual revenue · AED

156650

Modelled annual costs · AED

98862

Annual cost breakdown

Management fee · 20% of room revenue AED 31,330

VAT on management · 5% of fee AED 1,567

Platform fee allowance · 15.5% AED 24,281

VAT on platform fee · 5% allowance AED 1,214

Utilities & internet AED 13,200

Cleaning & linen · net allowance AED 4,200

Maintenance reserve · 3% of room revenue AED 4,700

Building service charges AED 15,000

Holiday-home permit allowance AED 370

Insurance allowance AED 1,200

Guest supplies & consumables AED 1,800

Total modelled costs: AED 98,862

ESTIMATED OWNER BOTTOM LINE · AED / YEAR

57788

AVERAGE PER MONTH · AED

4816

Room revenue less all displayed costs. Before mortgage or rent, setup, furnishing, major capital works and owner income taxes.

What sits behind these estimates?

Revenue: Average nightly rate × booked nights. Room revenue is stated before platform and management deductions, excluding guest-funded cleaning charges, guest accommodation VAT and Tourism Dirham. Booked nights vary between cases; actual revenue is seasonal.

Management: 20% of gross room revenue is used as an explicit modelling assumption, plus VAT at 5% of that fee. Your signed proposal determines the actual commission basis and inclusions. These examples use the Standard plan, not the Flexible plan.

Platform costs: An Airbnb single-fee example of 15.5% of room revenue is used, plus a separate 5% VAT allowance on that fee with no input-tax recovery assumed. Actual booking channels, fee structures, tax treatment and the inclusion of cleaning charges in fee calculations can change the total.

Cleaning and linen: Normal turnover cleaning is assumed to be covered by guest cleaning charges; both matching guest charges and turnover costs are excluded. The displayed net allowance covers linen replacement, deep cleans and unrecovered cleaning. Any shortfall in guest-funded cleaning reduces the owner’s bottom line.

Property costs: Utilities, insurance, consumables and service charges are example budgets, inclusive of any unrecovered taxes. The maintenance reserve is 3% of room revenue. The one-bedroom permit allowance is AED 370. Actual invoices and building charges must replace these assumptions for a property-specific estimate.

Bottom line: Gross room revenue minus all displayed annual costs. This is a recurring operating surplus, not investment yield or after-tax profit. Mortgage payments, rent where applicable, acquisition costs, furnishing, initial setup, major capital works and owner income taxes are excluded. The monthly value is annual surplus divided by 12, not a prediction for any specific month.

Reference sources:Airbnb service fees · DET holiday-home permit fees · UAE standard VAT rate. These sources support fee assumptions; they do not validate the illustrative revenue forecasts.

About this estimate

Prepared 6 October 2026. Modelled assumptions, not actual client results or guaranteed returns. Average nightly rate × booked nights gives room revenue. The monthly bottom line is annual operating surplus divided by 12; actual income is seasonal.

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