What to consider before renting retail spaces in Dubai?

Dubai is an exotic city with a beautiful landscape and infrastructure. In the past few decades, Dubai has developed a lot in terms of infrastructure and technology. This is because of the strong and stable economy of Dubai. That is another reason people from all over the world come to Dubai for better careers and earning opportunities. Apart from this, many big-shot celebrities and politicians have Dubai on their lists as their favourite holiday destination. Many non-residents have invested in buying various commercial and residential properties in Dubai. The prices of these properties have increased over time, and thus, the economy of Dubai continues to remain strong and stable. Also, Dubai is quite popular among people as a vacation destination. So, a majority of its economy is dependent on tourism also. Especially the expensive brand showrooms and labels with outlets in all the prime locations in Dubai attract many tourists daily. This is the reason is why starting your own business in Dubai can be a very good idea.

But not every startup can afford its own office or retail space. For this reason, many people go for retail spaces for rent in Dubai. So, in this article, we will discuss what things a person should consider before renting any retail space in Dubai.

Renting a retail store

Buying a retail store in Dubai is a massive commitment and requires a huge investment. So, it is advisable to go for retail spaces for rent in Dubai. Most big and small businesses rent retail stores or take them on a lease for a few years. This saves them the cost of buying the whole property and provides the flexibility to pay for it every month. All tenants should perform their due diligence to ensure that their money is spent properly on the right property, starting with the cost of renting in the first place.

So, if you are indeed going to rent a property in Dubai, here are the things you must consider before doing so:

1. Location of the Property

Not just in the case of Dubai, but anywhere in the world, if you are looking to rent a retail space, you must consider the property’s location first. Especially in Dubai, the rent of the properties is location-specific and varies from place to place, irrespective of the nature of the business.

There is a greater rent in Dubai Marina, for example, than there is anywhere else in Dubai. Because of the strong demand in the area, landlords must give incentives to attract tenants. So, before going for retail spaces for rent in Dubai, you must research the location. While conducting the research, you must consider two main things.

Is the location having enough relatable footfall for my business? For example, if you open a food joint, are people going to be attracted to your joint? If you open a food joining in an area with plenty of malls, it might not be a very good idea because most food joints are already in the mall.
Secondly, you have to consider the market competition in your area. For example, if you open a perfume store in an area where already big brands have their outlets, then most people will go for those brands rather than your local perfume. In case of this, your business might not flourish as much and might even have to suffer losses.

So, choosing the location based on the business you are setting up is very important before getting retail spaces for rent in Dubai. In other words, make sure you know what to expect from the location of your rental property.

2. Size of the Property

Another thing worth considering before renting a space in Dubai is the size of the retail store. Depending on your business, the size of the retail space also needs to be accurate. Most of the retail spaces available for rent in prime localities of Dubai are quite expensive. So, to avoid paying so much, most people go for smaller retail stores. But if you do this, your retail space may become quite congested and cause a commotion, which looks ugly and local. Also, if you are renting an apartment and have a small family, you can accommodate in a small rented apartment to save money.

3. The terms and conditions of rent

You must always ensure that you have read the terms and conditions of the landlord before signing the rent agreement. There are always specific terms and conditions when you go for retail spaces for rent in Dubai. So, it is always advisable to get your rent agreement checked by a lawyer before signing it. Some conditions might cause trouble later on, so you must check on the T&Cs before signing the agreement.

4. The furniture and stationery

Before renting retail space in Dubai, you must check with the owner if the space is furnished or semi-furnished. Depending on what furniture is already available, you can decide whether you need to buy anything else or not. If the retail space has nothing, you might want to look for another place with some furniture or vice versa, depending on your starting business. It will also give you an idea of how much money you need in your spare to buy some good furniture for your store. Also, this will give an idea of whether the rented retail space has the scope to fit the furniture of your choice. If the landlord does not provide any furniture for the property, you have to rent it separately. This is a good idea if you want to customize the look and style of your home.

5. The add-ons

Most landlords and retail store owners do not provide extra facilities like air conditioning, water supply, washrooms, changing rooms, electricity connection, etc. If you are going for retail spaces for rent in Dubai, you must consider all these things and check with the landlord. They might charge more for them if they offer you all these facilities. But if not, you have to manage your expenses to make these facilities available to your customer. This is crucial because it is Dubai, not some local street market shop. The customers you will get are high-ended elite people, so your retail store needs to look classy and comfortable accentuated with all the basic amenities. These things are all optional. This means that if you choose to rent an apartment with basic facilities, you will have to pay a lower rent. So, if you don’t want these facilities, you can save money by opting out of these amenities.

6. The cost of living in Dubai

Before starting any business or even considering renting retail space in Dubai, you must consider your own cost of living in Dubai. Dubai is an expensive country, so the cost of living, including your rented apartment, can be much higher. If your business runs successfully, you can recover all this money with a profit. Otherwise, you might end up spending all the money you have earned just on the cost of living in Dubai. This is why you must have enough savings to cover your daily expenses because the cost of living in Dubai is much higher than in other middle-eastern countries.

7. Research and analysis

This is finally the most important step. Research and analysis are the first steps in starting any business. You must research the scope of your business or startup before going for retail spaces for rent in Dubai. If your research is weak, you might lose more than you can earn. However, Dubai has a very good scope for any kind of business. Still, the business you need to set up can be different. You must consider the following things while researching –

Do I have enough capital investment to make?
Do I have a monetary backup?
Do I need to have insurance?
Do I need to take a loan?
Will my business be able to attract the required footfall?
What is the competition in the market?
My retail store is located in a prime locality that can attract a good crowd.

There can be many more such questions that you might need to find an answer to before investing in renting retail space in Dubai. You can consider the surveys done by others or conduct your own research and survey to find an answer to these questions before investing.

Conclusion

Thus, going for a retail store for rent in Dubai can be a good idea if you aim to expand your business overseas. But you must also bear with the consequences and must carefully analyze the outcomes of your investment. Apart from all these points mentioned above, many more things can be considered. If you are a novice, consider taking advice from someone who already rents a retail store in Dubai.