You’ve just moved to the UAE. The apartment’s sorted, the visa’s stamped — and then the maintenance calls start. A leaking tap. An AC that rattles. A move that needs movers. And here’s the quiet problem: in your first year, you have no idea what any of it should cost. So you pay whatever the first quote says — and a lot of the time, that quote is double the going rate.
We work with vetted home-services professionals across all seven Emirates through TaskRight , so we see the real numbers every day — both the fair prices and the spots where new residents get quietly overcharged. Here are the seven that catch
people out most, and what you should actually be paying in 2026.
1. AC servicing and maintenance
Fair price: AED 100-250 to service a single split unit. An annual maintenance contract (two visits) for a typical apartment runs AED 00-1,000. A gas top-up is AED 150-300. Where you overpay: “emergency” call-outs billed at AED 400+, or being told you need a full gas refill (AED 500+) when a routine service would have fixed the airflow. In UAE heat, AC is the service you’ll use most — so it’s worth knowing the going rate before you call. It takes two minutes to check current AC repair and servicing rates in Dubai and compare against
your quote.
2. Move-in deep cleaning
Fair price: a deep clean for a one-bedroom apartment is AED 400-700. Hourly cleaning runs AED 30-45 per hour, usually with a three- to four-hour minimum.
Where you overpay: agencies quoting AED 1,000-1,500 for a standard apartment “because it’s a deep clean.” A deep clean is more thorough, not triple the price.
3. Plumbing repairs
Fair price: a call-out is AED 100-200. Fixing a leaking tap or mixer is AED 150-350. Clearing a blocked drain is AED 200-400.
Where you overpay: AED 600-800 for a 30-minute cartridge or washer swap. Small plumbing jobs are cheap — it’s the padding that isn’t.
4. Handyman and minor electrical
Fair price: AED 100-250 for a handyman visit covering small jobs — mounting a TV, fitting shelves, changing light fixtures.
Where you overpay: inflated “packages” or per-item charges that quietly stack to AED 500+ for an afternoon’s work. Ask for one price for the whole list before anyone starts.
5. Pest control
Fair price: a one-off apartment treatment is AED 150-350. An annual contract with three to four visits is AED 500-900.
Where you overpay: AED 700-1,000 for a single “premium” spray. Unless
you have a serious infestation, a standard treatment does the job.
6. Painting
Fair price: repainting a one-bedroom apartment is AED 800-1,500 including labour and standard paint. A studio is less; a villa scales up with the area.
Where you overpay: per-room quotes that total nearly double a whole-flat price, or premium-paint upsells you never asked for. Get the quote as one number for the full job.
7. Local moving
Fair price: a studio or one-bedroom move within the same emirate is AED 400-900, including basic loading. Add AED 150-400 if you want them to pack for you.
Where you overpay: AED 1,800-2,500 with vague “packing and handling”
line items — or the classic where the price jumps once your furniture is already on the truck. Agree the full price in writing first.
How to stop overpaying — in any category
Three habits save first-year residents thousands:
- Get two or three quotes. The first number is rarely the fair one, and sellers know newcomers won’t shop around.
- Ask for a fixed price in writing before work starts — not “starting from,” an actual total.
- Use verified professionals. A vetted, reviewed pro has a reputation
to protect; a random number off a flyer does not.
None of this means going cheap. It means paying the fair rate for good work — and after year one, you’ll never overpay for a service call again.
