How do I calculate the net rental yield on a Dubai property?

Net yield = (annual rent - annual costs) / total purchase cost x 100. Deduct service charges (the biggest cost, roughly 10-25 AED/sqft), management fees (5-8% of rent), maintenance and a vacancy allowance, and include the 4% DLD fee in your cost base, plus agency commission only if you are buying on the SECONDARY MARKET - on off-plan and direct-from-developer purchases the developer covers our fee, so there is none to add. A headline '8% gross' often nets around 6-6.8%. Not financial advice.