Short-term rentals in Business Bay — arbitrage & buying

Rent to operate, or buy to operate?

Rental arbitrage

Start with annual short-term revenue after modelled operating costs, then subtract the annual lease. Compare break-even occupancy with your own occupancy scenario and replace the registered rent benchmark with your actual contract.

Buy to short-term let

Compare modelled operating revenue with the supported purchase benchmark. Add acquisition, furnishing, service charges and financing costs before assessing your own return. A missing buy yield means insufficient sales evidence; rental economics can still be shown.

These scenarios assume 80% occupancy and self-management. Surplus excludes furnishing, deposits, permits, owner service charges and finance. Sampled asks are not achieved bookings; building-level rental benchmarks may pool project contracts. Check landlord permission and current DET holiday-home requirements before operating.

Median short-term yield: 11.80%; Assumes 80% occupancy
Median AED/night/sqft: 0.94AED
Median premium vs lease: 1.7×

Buildings in Business Bay

Sorted by modelled revenue relative to the registered lease. Each row selects the bedroom with the highest ratio in that building; it is a screening scenario, not a forecast.

Building	AED/night/sqft	Premium	After lease / yr	Break-even occupancy	Buy yield
Capital Bay A · 2 bed	0.96	2.4×	AED 167,827	36.64%	19.19%
The Scala Tower · 1 bed	0.89	2.4×	AED 109,881	37.23%	15.50%
Regalia · 1 bed	1.16	2.2×	AED 110,739	38.44%	15.32%
Capital Bay B · 2 bed	0.89	2.2×	AED 141,366	39.26%	17.26%
Aykon City (2) -Tower C · 2 bed	1.16	2.2×	AED 122,685	38.69%	14.91%
Bayz Tower · Studio	1.39	2.2×	AED 72,820	38.29%	17.03%
Ag Tower · 2 bed	0.77	2.1×	AED 140,222	41.08%	13.83%
Ontario Tower · 2 bed	0.98	2.1×	AED 115,147	41.15%	17.65%
Upside Living · Studio	1.58	2.1×	AED 92,321	40.14%	11.80%
Vera Tower · 1 bed	1.31	2.0×	AED 73,454	41.96%	13.31%
Peninsula Five - 2 · 1 bed	1.36	2.0×	AED 134,096	42.13%	Insufficient sales evidence
Avanti Tower · 2 bed	0.94	2.0×	AED 134,934	43.24%	Insufficient sales evidence
Zada Tower · 1 bed	1.35	2.0×	AED 73,231	42.46%	14.46%
MAG 318 · Studio	1.43	2.0×	AED 71,601	42.40%	13.82%
Amna Tower · 2 bed	0.83	1.9×	AED 136,568	44.52%	10.57%
Elite Business Bay Residence · 2 bed	0.78	1.9×	AED 111,195	44.86%	Insufficient sales evidence
DAMAC Towers by Paramount (D) · 1 bed	0.90	1.9×	AED 93,652	45.14%	14.71%
Millennium Binghatti Residences Business Bay · 2 bed	0.83	1.9×	AED 119,754	45.81%	12.40%
Merano · 2 bed	0.92	1.9×	AED 86,384	45.68%	13.41%
Peninsula One · Studio	1.58	1.9×	AED 68,045	44.81%	12.09%
Peninsula Three · Studio	1.37	1.8×	AED 61,921	45.62%	11.41%
Mayfair Residency · 1 bed	0.83	1.8×	AED 56,858	47.08%	12.98%
The Paragon by IGO · 1 bed	1.18	1.8×	AED 80,897	46.29%	12.92%
DAMAC Towers by Paramount (B) · 1 bed	0.84	1.8×	AED 80,982	47.98%	12.65%
15 Northside - Tower 1 · 1 bed	1.14	1.8×	AED 76,590	47.37%	11.02%
Hamilton Residency · 1 bed	0.83	1.8×	AED 54,145	48.48%	12.01%
Trillionaire Residences by Binghatti · Studio	1.20	1.7×	AED 64,297	47.83%	12.06%
Binghatti Canal · 2 bed	0.95	1.7×	AED 120,689	48.63%	11.90%
Paramount Tower Hotel & Residences · 2 bed	0.96	1.7×	AED 114,728	49.52%	10.86%
The Sterling West House · Studio	1.12	1.7×	AED 53,646	49.27%	10.49%
Prive by DAMAC (A) · Studio	1.22	1.7×	AED 47,304	50.04%	12.02%
Prive by DAMAC (B) · Studio	1.22	1.7×	AED 47,278	50.06%	11.87%
15 Northside - Tower 2 · 1 bed	1.18	1.6×	AED 62,919	50.88%	11.47%
Peninsula Five - 3 · Studio	1.10	1.6×	AED 50,154	52.16%	9.12%
Sol Bay · 1 bed	0.75	1.6×	AED 55,695	53.13%	7.55%
Peninsula Four · 1 bed	1.00	1.6×	AED 71,747	53.48%	9.24%
Peninsula Two · 1 bed	0.98	1.5×	AED 50,943	53.78%	8.77%
Noura Tower · 1 bed	0.86	1.5×	AED 55,872	54.87%	10.40%
The Sterling East House · Studio	1.19	1.5×	AED 40,086	54.61%	10.36%
Park Central · 1 bed	0.71	1.5×	AED 34,827	56.81%	12.36%
The Pad · 1 bed	0.92	1.4×	AED 41,006	57.65%	8.73%
Reva Residences · 1 bed	0.99	1.4×	AED 31,839	57.80%	10.68%
Urban Oasis · 2 bed	0.86	1.4×	AED 62,608	58.31%	9.05%
The Residences at Business Central · 1 bed	0.56	1.4×	AED 32,087	59.86%	9.36%
DAMAC Towers by Paramount (A) · 2 bed	0.61	1.4×	AED 56,444	60.57%	9.18%
Ahad Residences · 1 bed	0.84	1.3×	AED 39,997	61.62%	8.42%
Marquise Square Tower · 1 bed	0.82	1.3×	AED 33,965	62.70%	8.59%
Water'S Edge · 1 bed	0.57	1.2×	AED 20,660	67.13%	8.70%
Majestine · 1 bed	0.59	1.2×	AED 20,919	67.24%	8.72%
Peninsula Five - 1 · 3 bed	0.83	1.2×	AED 45,442	70.34%	7.63%
J One - 2 · 1 bed	0.69	1.1×	AED 7,436	75.62%	Insufficient sales evidence
J One - 1 · 1 bed	0.61	1.0×	AED 5,663	76.66%	7.49%
Terraces Marasi Drive · 2 bed	0.48	1.0×	AED 10,478	76.88%	4.61%