Townhouses in Dubai: What You Get and Where to Find Them

Townhome and townhouse are the same thing in Dubai. A townhouse is a house of two or three floors that shares side walls with its neighbours, and "townhome" is just the American word for it. Listings here mostly say townhouse, so if you are searching for townhomes you are searching a slightly smaller pool than exists. Search both, and also "town house".

What is a townhouse in Dubai?

A house of two or three floors, sharing side walls with its neighbours, with its own front door and usually a small garden. It sits between an apartment and a detached villa on price, space and privacy, and for most Dubai families it is the sensible middle.

Townhouse or villa: what is the difference?

In Dubai a townhouse is attached to its neighbours and a villa generally stands alone, although some villas are semi detached. Our longer comparison is in townhouse or villa, which is better.

Where are the townhouses in Dubai?

Almost all of the stock is in master communities built around the format rather than scattered through the city: Dubai Hills Estate, Arabian Ranches, Town Square, Damac Hills, Tilal Al Ghaf, The Valley, Al Furjan and Jumeirah Village Triangle. Each has a different price floor and, more importantly, a different amount still to be built.

What do 2 and 3 bedroom townhouses look like?

Three bedroom townhouses are the most searched size, and they are the usual family choice. Many include a maid's room and a small garden. Two bedroom townhouses are rarer and usually sit in the smaller clusters of the communities above. Four and five bedroom units are larger and often sit at the end of a row. Browse 3 bedroom townhouses for rent in Dubai, 4 bedroom townhouses for rent or 3 bedroom townhouses for sale.

What you gain and lose against an apartment

• More space per dirham, usually markedly so, because you are further out.
• Lower service charges, because there is no tower lobby, lift or pool deck to fund. Confirm the figure rather than assume it.
• Worse liquidity. A tower apartment has a broad buyer pool. A specific townhouse in a specific community has a narrow one, and that shows when you sell.
• More of your own maintenance. Your garden, your air conditioning, your roof.
• A longer commute, which is the real price and the one people underestimate.

What to check

• End or mid terrace. An end unit with a larger, more private plot commands a real premium and holds it better. Establish what you are paying for the position.
• Which phase of the community, and what is still to be built behind you.
• The school run, driven at 7.45 on a weekday.
• The community fee and what it covers, particularly landscaping and shared pools.

Which communities have townhouses for rent?

Townhouse communities for rent include Dubai Hills Estate, Al Furjan, Meydan, Damac Hills 2 and Damac Lagoons, and many more. Annual contracts are normal. Read how Ejari and tenancy contracts work before you sign.

More detail in our guide to buying a Dubai townhouse, and the off-plan houses we broker if you are buying new. See what is available to rent.

You can browse 3 bedroom townhouses for rent in Dubai. In Al Furjan you can browse townhouses for rent in Al Furjan. To buy, browse 3 bedroom townhouses for sale in Dubai. For new launches, see off-plan townhouses.