Welcome to Abu Dhabi, a city where tradition meets modernity, and where your choice of apartment plays a pivotal role in your experience of the city. In this guide, we will explore the rich tapestry of apartment types available in Abu Dhabi, ranging from luxurious residences to cozy studios and spacious family homes. Your apartment choice is not merely about the space you inhabit but the lifestyle and conveniences that it offers. Whether you’re a solo adventurer, a family seeking comfort, or a corporate traveler looking for convenience, this blog will help you navigate the options, understand their unique characteristics, and make an informed decision. Join us on this journey through Abu Dhabi’s diverse apartment market, and discover the perfect home for you or your family.
The kinds of apartments in Abu Dhabi
Here is a list of the kinds of apartments in Abu Dhabi followed by a short description of each one.
- Luxury apartments
- Duplex apartments
- Triplex apartments
- Penthouse apartments
- Townhouse apartments
- Full floor apartments
- Hotel apartments
- Skypod apartments
- Furnished apartments
- Semi-furnished apartments
- Upgraded apartments
- Serviced apartments
- Villa Studio apartments
- Shared apartments
- Partitioned apartments
- Offplan apartments
Luxury apartments
These apartments are characterized by the luxury finishes they display and are generally developed by well-known developers like Aldar. Other common characteristics of this kind of apartment usually include things like sea views and resort-like in-complex amenities such as a podium-top garden area, in-community retail and F&B areas, and sports facilities. Some luxury apartments are also characterized by large spaces and smart home technology.
Duplex apartments
Duplexes are simply apartments with two floors that are interconnected by a staircase. The idea here is that the apartment is spacious and generally includes at least two bedrooms.
Triplex apartments
Like duplex apartments, triplex apartments connect three floors together. Generally, each floor is self-contained and can function as its own unit.
Penthouse apartments
Penthouse apartments are apartments that are found on the top floor of a building. These apartments are usually unique and different from other apartments in their vertical row. Penthouse apartments are usually characterized by luxury features and usually include spacious balconies, and sometimes pools with whole deck areas.
Townhouse apartments
This one’s a bit tricky. Not to be confused by duplexes, triplexes, or even townhouses, these apartments are usually the size of a generic townhouse but are simply located on the ground floor (usually) of an apartment building and have other apartments above them, and in some cases below them.
Full floor apartments
This apartment is characterized by its extreme size. Occupying a whole floor (as the name implies) is what sets this apartment type aside. Usually accessible by a private elevator key, this is another kind of luxury apartment. It’s also worth noting that some penthouses are full-floor apartments.
Hotel apartments
Hotel apartments are just like normal hotels except they are more affordable and are generally relied on for longer stays. Compared to an average hotel suite, these apartments include most of the daily requirements of an average house and are therefore fully furnished. Moreover, residents of this kind of apartment do not have to engage in any form of a long-term contract and can opt-out at any time.
Skypod apartments
Another type of luxury apartment, skypods are characterized by 180 degrees of glass walls. This kind of apartment is usually found in really high-end towers and on high floors. The glass walls are supposed to display the magnificent views that the apartment enjoys.
Furnished apartments
Furnished apartments are apartments that include beds, furniture, and kitchen devices such as fridges and washing machines. Furnished apartments also usually include vacuums, irons, and basic cleaning equipment like a broom. Furnished apartments rent for much higher than unfurnished apartments in Abu Dhabi.
Semi-furnished apartments
Semi-furnished apartments usually include only basic furniture like cabinets, beds, and sometimes furniture. These are more expensive than unfurnished apartments but cost less than fully-furnished ones.
Upgraded apartments
Upgraded apartments are usually apartments that stand out from the usual standard design. This can include things like luxury finishes, different tiling, extra space, and or unique rooms such as powder rooms or walk-in closets.
Serviced apartments
Similar to a hotel apartment, this kind of apartment offers affordable prices with flexible stay periods. What distinguishes this kind of apartment however is the amount of service it offers. These services can include a simple routine room cleaning service, and sometimes meals and even laundry services.
Serviced apartments should not be confused with hotel apartments. All serviced apartments could be considered hotel apartments but not all hotel apartments are serviced.
Villa Studio apartments
Studio apartments in villas are quite common in some areas of Abu Dhabi. This is where a villa is transformed into an apartment building simply by equipping the bedrooms of this villa with a kitchen fit-out, whereupon it then serves as a studio apartment due to its new structure which already includes a built-in bathroom. It is worth noting that these kinds of studios are not fully legal if the landlord is not made aware of such arrangements.
Shared apartments
Due to Abu Dhabi’s high rental costs, a good portion of its working class relies on shared apartment options to keep their rental costs low. These apartments are similar to university dorms and are usually rented on a bed-space basis. This means that tenants will be renting part of a furnished room where they are allotted a bed and have access to furniture and a wardrobe. The number of tenants sharing a single room varies depending on how large of a room it is. But generally, there is a shared kitchen in the apartment, and usually two bathrooms which can all be accessed through a shared corridor.
It is important to note that technically this kind of setup is also not entirely legal when the landlord is not aware of such an agreement.
Partitioned apartments
Similar to shared apartments these follow the same basis, but instead rooms are divided into smaller rooms by partitions made of gypsum boards. This gives each tenant their own private space but however, is known to accommodate just a little more space than that of a bed. It’s important to note that residents of a partition will easily hear their fellow partition dwellers from their partitioned room and that’s because, in reality, they are all sharing one room.
Offplan apartments
Off-plan properties are properties that are yet to be built but are currently being sold. This happens by virtue of displaying the marketing materials the developer of such a project produces to prospects. These media materials usually entail realistic videos and images of what the project will look like once complete. These images and media are designed to be as close to reality as possible.
Overall characteristics of Abu Dhabi apartments
Most Abu Dhabi apartments have one thing in common and that’s their small size. Due to the high value of properties in this emirate, rental apartments are made affordable by cutting down on size and space. Furthermore, there are a lot of high-rise buildings in Abu Dhabi, and therefore apartments usually enjoy great city views. Finally, some apartments are equipped with a majlis which is a common feature of an Arab home.
A few tips for choosing the right apartment
Location, location, location. I’ve lived in many places in Abu Dhabi. By far the most deciduous fact when it came to my overall satisfaction with an area was its location. There’s only so much you can do indoors. The options you have at a near distance when you step outside are what makes or breaks an Abu Dhabi apartment in my opinion.
Al Khalidiya was my favorite for that reason. It was near the beach, had an endless list of known and lesser-known fast food brands at walking distance, a mall nearby, the beach was a two-minute walk away, and parks were everywhere. Choose a place that compliments your lifestyle. I prefer being outdoors so a place near the beach and parks was heavenly.
Moreover, you want to take into consideration the reputation of the developer of the complex you decide to rent or buy an apartment in. This will dictate the level of maintenance the complex facilities will experience and the overall quality and safety of the living experience in that apartment. Go for properties from trusted and leading developers like Aldar to avoid taking any risks.
Finally, you wanna choose a place where the rental fees are going to be suitable for you.
Apartment options available in Abu Dhabi today
Click on the following link to view apartments for sale in Abu Dhabi.
Click here for a range of rental apartments in Abu Dhabi.
For 1-bedroom apartments for rent in Abu Dhabi click on the previous link.
For 2-bedroom apartments for rent in Abu Dhabi click on the preceding link.
For 3-bedroom apartments for rent in Abu Dhabi click on the previous link.
