'Chiller free' apartments are a hot topic in Dubai. Are they worth it?

If you’ve new to town, you must be feeling a little confused. What’s yalla? What does khalas mean? Why should I care if my apartment is chiller free or not?

Don’t fret, we got you. Yalla means let’s go, khalas means finish and you should definitely care about the chiller status of your apartment. The term "chiller" pertains to the cooling system used to maintain frosty temperatures in buildings, especially when you’re talking about a city that’s essentially a desert.

What does chiller free even mean?

In the context of Dubai real estate, "chiller free" refers to apartments where the cost of air conditioning is included in the rent or maintenance fees paid by the landlord or building management, rather than being an additional expense borne by the tenant.

This means you won’t get a monthly bill for AC cooling but will most likely be paying higher rent and maybe a negligible charge for the fan's energy consumption (if outlined in your tenancy agreement and/or building management is relying on its own chilling system), included in your Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) bill.

Taha Ismail, a property consultant at Aeon & Trisl gives an example: "For instance, let's say an Emaar building has a service charge of 25,000 AED, which is your landlord's responsibility to pay. So you could say 6000 AED from that will be for your AC."

Apartments that are not chiller free might be rented at a lower rate but the cooling costs will be on you on a monthly basis, which will fluctuate depending on your usage and the season. You will be paying DEWA for running the fans in your apartment as well as a district cooling supplier for the "cooling" consumed.

But does going chiller free really save you money? Or is it more about the convenience of having one less bill to pay? We find out.

Long story long, it depends on your lifestyle

While it can be tempting to hear the word free and want to jump on the bandwagon, it seems like it’s not so simple.

"Chiller free apartments don't necessarily mean that the chiller is absolutely free. These costs are usually added to either your service charge or your rent, so it really depends on a person's lifestyle,” shares Mohammed Makhdoom, a real estate agent based in Dubai.

Say for instance, if you work full-time and are out of the house 9-10 hours a day, the difference between the two might not matter. However, if you work from home and like to have the AC on full blast 24/7, it could become a considerable amount. Whatever you might not pay as a monthly bill, you’ll end up paying in your monthly rent.

Mohammed confirms this.

“You have people working 8-12 hour shifts. For them, their chiller usage is minimal and it doesn't make much sense for them to pay that sum in service fees or rent.”

“On the other hand, we have a big chunk of the population that works from home and/or has their own business. For them, it's a no-brainer to go for a chiller free apartment. It's also better for them as they won't have fluctuating utility bills, so they can budget their monthly costs more accurately, and with less unpredictability,” he adds.

"Chiller free" apartments don't necessarily mean that the chiller is absolutely free. These costs are usually added to either your service charge or your rent, so it really depends on a person's lifestyle.

However, there’s also a notable difference in the availability of chiller free units. If you take Property Finder and search for a 1 bedroom apartment in Dubai for rent, 6,425 properties show up. If you further filter it for chiller free units, you’re left with just 1,006 units to choose from.

It depends on a number of factors, explains Mohammed.

“High-rise towers, more modern and upscale developments tend to offer chiller free options as part of their amenities to attract tenants. Areas like Downtown, Dubai Marina and Dubai Hills are known for having a good supply of chiller free apartments due to newer infrastructure.”

"Personally, my advice would be to definitely try to go for a chiller free apartment as the weather in Dubai, as you know, is super warm. Regardless of how much you try to save on your chiller bill, it won't make that much of a difference. I'd rather come home to a cool apartment than come home, switch it on, and wait for it to cool to save a buck."

However, Hunter Newman from McCone Properties says it's not a make or break in his experience.

"I’d say it really boils down to what the client needs in regards to what their priority is. Ideally, we’d push for chiller free but typically if they love the unit, I’ve found it isn’t a huge deal as people typically look to pay a couple of hundred dirhams more for something like bills if the unit is justified in their liking."

Taha concurs: "Even if you were to leave it on for a whole month while you're away, the bill still shouldn't exceed 600 AED for a 1-bedroom apartment."

What do tenants say?

The jury’s still out on this one.

People in Dubai have plenty to say about the chiller free debate, and their stories are as varied as the city’s skyline.

Sana*, a digital nomad, works from her swanky chiller-free studio in the heart of Downtown. She loves that she can blast the AC all day without breaking a sweat, literally or financially.

On the flip side, there's Kal*, who opted for a non-chiller-free apartment in Deira to save on rent. He swears he’s mastered the art of "strategic cooling," using the AC only when absolutely necessary. He says he pays no more than 250 AED per month, even in peak summer. While people like Sana and Amira*, who also chose not to reveal her full name, relish their predictable bills, Kal enjoys the game of outsmarting the heat and cheaper monthly rent.

Each has their own take, but one thing’s clear: whether it’s the ease of all-inclusive cooling or the thrill of beating the system, Dubai’s residents are living their best lives, chill or no chill.

*Names changed or shortened to protect anonymity