If you search for The Lakes Dubai, you will find a three-bedroom villa priced at “AED 2.6 million to AED 4.2 million” on one page and “AED 7.3 million to AED 10.95 million” on another. Annual rent for the same house type is quoted at AED 165,000 on one broker guide and AED 330,000 on the next. Neither page is necessarily lying. They are measuring different things, on different dates, in a community of only about 600 villas where one upgraded plot can move an “average” by millions.
Published: 7 October 2026
This guide takes the figures published by Property Finder, Engel & Völkers, Provident Estate, BSO, Bayut, Propsearch, FAM Properties and Exclusive Links, puts them side by side with their publication dates, and explains which numbers you can use and which you should not. It then breaks The Lakes down cluster by cluster, runs the gross-yield arithmetic, and shows you how to check a specific villa against official Dubai Land Department (DLD) records. Every figure below is attributed to its source and dated where the source gave a date. Where no reliable public figure exists, we say so rather than guess.
What is The Lakes Dubai?
The Lakes is an Emaar-developed, gated villa community inside the Emirates Living master development, made up of roughly 600 detached and attached villas across six sub-communities. Property Finder describes six neighbourhoods and 600 villas in 12 typologies; Engel & Völkers says “roughly 600 villas across six gated sub-communities”; Propsearch lists the six names as Deema, Forat, Ghadeer, Hattan, Maeen and Zulal, and reports 18 numbered sub-communities in total (Deema 1 to 4, Hattan 1 to 3, and so on).
A few points the sources agree on:
- Developer: Emaar Properties.
- Home types: villas and townhouses from three to seven bedrooms. FAM Properties lists “family freehold homes from 2 to 5 bedrooms” from AED 3.27 million, which is a good example of how different sites define the community’s range.
- Position: FAM Properties places the community between the Montgomerie and Emirates golf courses and adjacent to Emirates Hills.
- Community amenities: Engel & Völkers and Propsearch both point to The Lakes Club (gym, pools, squash and tennis courts, dining) and to community pools, play areas and barbecue areas.
- Age: FAM Properties gives a January 2003 launch and lists the Ghadeer phase as completed in January 2009. Treat these as broker-sourced dates, not an Emaar statement.
The sources do not agree on the sub-community list. FAM Properties names four established communities (Deema, Forat, Maeen, Zulal) plus Ghadeer and does not mention Hattan, while the others include Hattan. The practical lesson: always confirm the exact cluster and plot of the villa you are looking at, because the cluster is the single biggest price driver.
Do not confuse this with Jumeirah Lakes Towers. “The Lakes” is a villa community in Emirates Living. Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) is a separate tower district with apartments and offices. If you want that one, see our Jumeirah Lake Towers area guide. Everything in this article refers to the villa community only.
Why The Lakes Dubai prices disagree so much
Portal prices disagree because they measure different things: asking prices, registered sales, stale guides, and villas of very different sizes and conditions. Here is how the published sale figures for a three-bedroom villa compare:
| Source | 3-bed villa sale figure | Date or basis stated |
|---|---|---|
| BSO area guide | AED 2.57M to AED 4.2M | Published 15 January 2025; described as “indicative ranges rather than fixed market prices” |
| Bayut (MyBayut guide) | AED 3.7M to AED 4.2M average, by cluster | Last updated 13 June 2022 |
| Provident Estate | Averages around AED 5.4M | Undated guide |
| Property Finder | AED 7.3M to AED 10.95M in sample listings | Current listings, October 2026 |
| Engel & Völkers | Average AED 8,700,833 | As of December 2025 |
The gap between the lowest and highest row is more than three times. Four things explain most of it.
1. Age of the guide. The Bayut guide dates from June 2022 and the BSO guide from January 2025. Dubai villa prices have moved a lot since then, so older guides understate today’s asking levels. They are useful for seeing how far the market has travelled, not for budgeting.
2. Asking price versus registered sale price. Property Finder’s page reports an average asking price of AED 9,730,769 across 56 listed villas, with a range from AED 5.9 million to AED 54.9 million. That is what sellers hope to achieve. Registered DLD transactions, shown on feeds such as Propsearch (updated 22 September 2026), include sales like a 3,741 sq ft three-bedroom villa on 30 September 2026 at about AED 4 million (roughly AED 1,070 per sq ft). Asking and registered figures can sit far apart, and a single registered record may be an unrenovated unit, a different layout or a data-entry quirk. Propsearch’s own feed even shows a three-bedroom villa recorded at 976 sq ft, which tells you to check the area basis of any per-square-foot number.
3. Per-square-foot figures use different areas. Exclusive Links quotes about AED 1,030 per sq ft; Property Finder quotes AED 2,240 per sq ft (up 9.76% year on year on its figures). The community is a mix of built-up area and generous plots, and some feeds divide by plot area while others use built-up area. Never compare two per-square-foot numbers until you know which area each used.
4. Upgraded plots and corner plots sell in a different league. Our guide to The Meadows makes the same point for the neighbouring community: two houses that look identical from the street can differ by millions because one has been extended, re-landscaped or sits on a larger plot. In a 600-villa community, a handful of such homes can swing an average.
The Lakes Dubai villa prices by cluster (October 2026)
On Property Finder’s cluster averages, Hattan is the premium tier, Deema and Maeen sit in the middle, and Ghadeer, Zulal and Forat are the most accessible. These are average asking prices by sub-community, based on small numbers of listings, so read them as a ranking and an order of magnitude, not a valuation.
| Sub-community | Average asking price (AED) | Average annual asking rent (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Hattan 1 | 29,000,000 | 1,363,161 |
| Maeen 5 | 13,150,000 | Not published |
| Deema 3 | 11,750,000 | Not published |
| Maeen 1 | 11,581,000 | 347,605 |
| Deema 1 | 10,750,000 | 398,667 |
| Deema 2 | 10,350,000 | Not published |
| Deema 4 | 10,318,750 | 386,907 |
| Ghadeer 2 | 7,358,125 | Not published |
| Zulal 1 | 7,256,250 | 280,121 |
| Forat | 6,250,000 | Not published |
Figures: Property Finder sale and rental pages for The Lakes, October 2026. “Not published” means the portal did not show a cluster average for that cell, not that no rentals exist.
What each tier looks like in practice:
- Hattan (premium, larger homes). Sources describe four- to seven-bedroom detached villas. Hattan 1 is reported as completed in 2006 with villas of roughly 4,742 to 5,260 sq ft, and a Hattan 2 listing example had 6,124 sq ft built-up on a plot of nearly 8,000 sq ft. Hattan 2 villas are the ones marketed with golf-course views, but not every villa has them. The view depends on the street and the individual plot, so check each listing.
- Deema and Maeen (mid-tier). Property Finder’s four-bedroom page shows an eight-listing sample from AED 6.7 million to AED 15.5 million, with built-up areas from about 2,763 sq ft (Maeen 4, AED 6.7 million) to 7,345 sq ft (Deema 2, AED 13.5 million).
- Ghadeer and Zulal (accessible end). A Ghadeer four-bedroom of about 2,864 sq ft was listed at AED 7.7 million and a Zulal 3 four-bedroom of about 3,575 sq ft at AED 12.5 million in the same sample. That Zulal listing shows why a cluster label alone does not fix the price: condition and finish matter as much as the sub-community.
For buyers weighing The Lakes against other Emirates Living communities, the broad ladder from our published guides runs from townhouses in The Springs (a typical asking price around AED 4 million in that guide), through The Meadows (entry for a three-bedroom around AED 8.5 million), to Emirates Hills (three-bedroom villas from about AED 11 million to AED 18.5 million). The Lakes sits between The Springs and Emirates Hills, with enormous spread inside it.
What do villas rent for in The Lakes Dubai?
On current listings, three-bedroom villas in The Lakes ask roughly AED 249,000 to AED 570,000 a year, and four-bedrooms roughly AED 290,000 to AED 1.3 million or more. Those are Property Finder’s stated ranges (three-bedrooms 2,200 to 4,700 sq ft; four-bedrooms 3,100 to 6,300 sq ft). Its rental summary shows 73 villas listed with an average asking rent of AED 245,000 per year.
The rental sources disagree too:
| Source | 3-bed annual rent | 4-bed annual rent | Date or basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSO area guide | AED 165,000 to 190,000 | AED 230,000 to 240,000 | Published 15 January 2025 |
| Provident Estate | From AED 290,000 | From AED 400,000 | Undated “starting” rents |
| Engel & Völkers | AED 330,373 average | AED 501,619 average | December 2025, year-to-date |
| Property Finder | AED 249,000 to 570,000 | AED 290,000 to 1,300,000+ | Current asking rents, October 2026 |
Two practical takeaways. First, the lowest figures (BSO) are about nine months old at publication and well below every later source, so do not use them to set a rent. Second, Property Finder’s rental page shows a revealing split: new rentals average AED 490,804 a year, while renewed rentals average AED 335,972. New tenants moving into a villa pay materially more than sitting tenants whose leases are renewed. If you are buying a tenanted villa, ask for the current Ejari (the registered tenancy contract) and see what the existing tenant actually pays.
Rental growth is also contested. Exclusive Links reports rent per square foot rising from AED 64 in 2024 to about AED 75 by late 2025 (8.2% growth), while Property Finder’s current villa listings average AED 109 per sq ft. Again, the gap is a measurement difference (registered rents against asking rents), not necessarily a contradiction.
FAM Properties also lists registered five-bedroom rental contracts with very different terms in the same weeks of 2026: AED 387,500 a year for 6 months (September 2026), AED 750,000 a year for 5 months (August 2026) and AED 1.2 million a year for 24 months (August 2026). Short-term and multi-year leases are not comparable on an annual-rent line, and anyone quoting you an “average” should say what they have included.
Gross rental yield in The Lakes Dubai: sources range from 3% to 5.5%
Published yield claims for The Lakes range from roughly 4% to 5.5% on broker guides, but dividing Property Finder’s own cluster averages gives lower figures of about 3% to 4.7%. The published claims:
- Engel & Völkers: Lakes properties average “4%-5.5%” gross yield (October 2025 data).
- Exclusive Links: “approximately 4% to 6%” depending on property type and condition.
- Bayut’s guide (June 2022): between 5.17% and 5.54% by sub-community, which reflects 2022 prices and rents.
- Property Finder’s community page figure of 4.5%, as cited on Propsearch’s page.
Now the arithmetic using Property Finder’s October 2026 cluster averages (asking rent divided by asking price, before service charges, vacancy and costs):
| Sub-community | Average asking rent | Average asking price | Implied gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hattan 1 | AED 1,363,161 | AED 29,000,000 | about 4.7% |
| Zulal 1 | AED 280,121 | AED 7,256,250 | about 3.9% |
| Deema 4 | AED 386,907 | AED 10,318,750 | about 3.7% |
| Deema 1 | AED 398,667 | AED 10,750,000 | about 3.7% |
| Maeen 1 | AED 347,605 | AED 11,581,000 | about 3.0% |
This is a rough check, not a market yield: the rent and the price come from different small sets of listings, so a single high-spec villa distorts either side. The direction is still informative. At today’s asking prices, most mid-tier clusters work out below the 4% to 5.5% marketing range, because prices have risen faster than rents since the 2022 guides were written. Buy The Lakes primarily for family living, space and the established gated setting; treat yield as a secondary benefit unless you are buying at a registered price well below the asking average.
Before you model any return, add the costs of buying. The DLD transfer fee is 4% of the property price, plus agency and other fees. Our guide to Dubai property buying costs sets these out line by line.
Service charges in The Lakes Dubai: why we are not quoting a figure
We could not find a verified, Lakes-specific service charge rate in public sources, so we are not publishing one. Several 2026 service-charge guides cover Dubai by area and developer, and none we checked lists The Lakes. Generic ranges for villa communities (a few dirhams per square foot) would not be a fact about this community, and using them could mislead your budget.
Here is how to get the real number:
- Open the DLD Service Charge Index, available through the DLD website and the Dubai REST app.
- Select the project and property use type, and choose the year.
- Multiply the approved rate per square foot by the area shown on the title deed.
- For a resale, ask the seller for the latest service charge invoice and confirmation that nothing is outstanding.
Service charges in Dubai are set per project and registered through the Mollak system, which is why the rate differs between communities. Our explainer on service charges in Dubai communities walks through how they are calculated and what to do if an invoice does not match the index.
Location, schools and who The Lakes Dubai suits
The Lakes suits families who want a gated, mature villa community close to Dubai Marina and Sheikh Zayed Road rather than a new-build district. Engel & Völkers quotes these typical drive times: Dubai Marina about 7 minutes, Palm Jumeirah about 10 minutes, Downtown Dubai about 20 minutes and Dubai International Airport about 25 minutes, with metro stations 8 to 10 minutes away by car. It lists Dubai International Academy at about 5 minutes, and Emirates International School within about 10 minutes. These are broker-quoted figures; test the drive at the hours you would travel.
It is a good fit if you want:
- A detached or semi-detached family home with a private garden in an established community.
- Freehold ownership. Emirates Living communities are sold freehold, but confirm the title type for the exact property with DLD. Our guide to freehold vs leasehold areas in Dubai explains how.
- Proximity to Marina, Media City and the golf courses without paying Emirates Hills prices.
It is a weaker fit if you want the highest possible yield, a new-build warranty and modern layouts, or a lower entry price. In those cases, look at townhouse communities such as The Springs or the lower-priced end of Arabian Ranches, and browse the full list on our area guides page.
How to check the real price of a villa in The Lakes Dubai before you offer
Check registered DLD sale transactions for the same sub-community and bedroom count, not the headline average. A practical sequence:
- Identify the exact sub-community and plot. Hattan 2 is not Zulal 2, and an upgraded corner plot is not a standard one.
- Pull recent registered sales for the same cluster and bedroom count from the DLD records published through portals, and ignore any entry whose area basis you cannot confirm.
- Compare against current asking prices in the same cluster. A large gap tells you how much negotiating room, or how much upgrade premium, the seller is counting on.
- Check the condition and plot. Extensions, finishes and the plot size are not captured in an average.
- Check the tenancy. If the villa is let, confirm the Ejari and the actual rent.
- Check the service charge through the DLD Service Charge Index.
If you are buying from overseas, our guide to how to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner covers the process end to end.
The Lakes Dubai FAQs
How many villas are in The Lakes Dubai?
Property Finder and Engel & Völkers both describe roughly 600 villas across six sub-communities. Propsearch reports 18 numbered sub-communities within those six names.
Who developed The Lakes?
Emaar Properties. It sits inside the Emirates Living master development alongside The Meadows, The Springs and Emirates Hills.
What is the average price of a villa in The Lakes Dubai?
It depends on the source and date. Property Finder shows an average asking price of AED 9,730,769 across 56 listings (range AED 5.9 million to AED 54.9 million) in October 2026, while older guides quote far lower averages. Always compare like with like by cluster and bedroom count.
Which Lakes cluster is the most expensive?
Hattan. Property Finder lists Hattan 1 at an average asking price of AED 29 million and an average asking rent of about AED 1.36 million a year, far above the other clusters.
Which cluster is the most affordable?
Forat (AED 6.25 million average) and Zulal 1 (about AED 7.26 million) are the lowest cluster averages on Property Finder, with Ghadeer 2 at about AED 7.36 million. Individual listings can break the pattern.
What do three-bedroom villas rent for?
Recent sources range from roughly AED 249,000 to AED 570,000 a year on current asking rents, with Engel & Völkers reporting an average of AED 330,373 (December 2025). Property Finder shows renewals averaging about AED 336,000 and new rentals about AED 491,000.
What is the rental yield in The Lakes Dubai?
Broker guides claim 4% to 5.5%, but dividing Property Finder’s October 2026 cluster averages gives about 3% to 4.7%. Check actual registered rents and purchase prices before you rely on any single figure.
What are the service charges?
We could not verify a Lakes-specific rate, so we do not quote one. Use the DLD Service Charge Index, available on the DLD website and the Dubai REST app, and multiply by the title-deed area.
Is The Lakes the same as Jumeirah Lakes Towers?
No. The Lakes is a villa community in Emirates Living. Jumeirah Lakes Towers is a separate tower district.
Can foreigners buy in The Lakes Dubai?
Emirates Living is a freehold area, so foreign buyers can generally own, but confirm the title type for the specific villa with DLD before you pay a deposit.
Talk to Sanaya before you make an offer
At Sanaya Real Estate we buy, sell, rent and manage property in Dubai, and can help you compare registered transactions against asking prices for the cluster you are considering, so you offer on evidence rather than on a portal average. Our team also assists with mortgage services and Golden Visa applications where a purchase qualifies.
Message Sanaya on WhatsApp: +971 50 436 5316
Or contact our team directly to discuss buying, selling, renting or managing a villa in Dubai.
If you rent in The Lakes, this guide to the UAE rent increase rules and the RERA rental index explains how much a landlord can legally raise your rent and how to dispute an unfair hike.
Because portal asking prices often sit above what banks will lend against, it is worth reading what happens to your mortgage when a bank valuation comes in lower than your purchase price.
