Dubai is a beautiful, highly modern city in the United Arab Emirates. It’s known for iconic landmarks, such as (currently) the world’s tallest skyscraper and (so far) the world’s only seven-star hotel, Burj Al Arab, and the man-made island with luxury hotels and beachfront villas, The Palm Jumeirah. It’s a dream travel destination for many, and some are lucky to call it home.

If you’re one of those called to live in Dubai for work or other reasons, it’s time to learn about the residential AMC (annual maintenance contract) and other things to ensure your experience as a Dubai resident is as smooth as possible. Take heed of these three tips that some Dubai tenants and homeowners say they wish they had known earlier.

1.Get a residential annual maintenance contract.

An annual maintenance contract is a plan you can get from a maintenance company in Dubai. It’s effectively a maintenance company retainer agreement that ensures your home will get periodic essential inspections, and you’ll get repair and replacement support for your home year-round.

How does it work? You pay an annual fee to your preferred home maintenance provider. Typically, this will get you the following:

• Quarterly air conditioner inspection and maintenance: Your maintenance provider will assess, clean and disinfect your air conditioner and air conditioning systems every three months. They will troubleshoot and resolve any issues that come up during an inspection and anytime during the year.

• Annual electrical inspection and maintenance: Technicians will check for loose wiring, overloaded circuits and other potential fire hazards.

• Annual plumbing inspection and maintenance: Technicians will inspect your plumbing to detect water pressure problems, hidden leaks, faulty fixtures, and clogged drains.

• Ad hoc repairs: During inspection rounds, technicians will repair or replace faulty parts as needed. Small parts and consumables may be replaced for free (subject to terms). You’ll pay for any major replacement hardware (e.g., replacement air conditioner), but the labour is free. They will also repair any issues that come up throughout the contracted year.

• Emergency repair commitment assurance: If your pipes burst in the middle of the night or the power goes out and cannot be fixed with a circuit breaker reset, you can call your AMC provider for emergency services and get a technician within a few hours. The emergency service commitment means you can call 24/7/365.

An AMC ensures your home will run smoothly. It prevents issues from turning into major problems that are likely costlier and more complicated to fix. Theannual maintenance contract benefits are undeniable, so even businesses choose to obtain commercial maintenance contracts for their places of business and operations.

Do you need an AMC if you’re a tenant? If your landlord doesn’t have an AMC, yes. It’s convenient to have a maintenance company on speed dial for emergency repair needs.

2.Do not turn off your air conditioner.

This is a lesson some Dubai residents learned the hard way. When you must leave your home in Dubai for several days, especially for long periods, do not turn off the air conditioner.

Leave your AC on. Set it at a higher temperature setting (how about 28 °C?) than you’re used to — but it (and the fan) must be on. Homeowners who turned their AC off before leaving for a vacation or business trip returned to find they had to spend a considerable sum getting mould out of their walls, clothes and furniture.

Yes, some report no mould problems after an extended absence from their Dubai homes. However, are you willing to take the chance that you’ll escape unscathed? Leaving the AC off when you leave is particularly risky if you live near the water, as the humidity in waterfront properties can be particularly high.

Here are other cautionary steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of mould infestation in your home while you’re away on vacation or a work trip:

• Open all the interior doors to encourage the cool, dry air from the air conditioner to circulate throughout.

• Empty your fridge of perishables.

• Make sure there are no leaks and damp spots in your house.

• Leave the curtains (not the windows) open for sunlight to come in.

Remember, mould thrives in damp, dark and cold places. Therefore, you want curtains open for sunlight to come in; leaving the windows themselves open may be risky if external humidity becomes too high. The AC will take care of the dampness with its dehumidifying function. Don’t leave the temperature too low (too cold); that’s a sure way to get an astronomically high energy bill, and it increases the risk of condensation, which means dampness and mould.

One last thing: Before leaving, ensure your AC is in good condition. This is why a residential annual maintenance contract with regular AC inspections is important. Old or defective AC coils and clogged condensate drain lines can lead to condensation dripping into your home instead of outside.

3.Think hard before you install that swimming pool.

Before you get that swimming pool installed, consider that the water would evaporate much quicker in the summer, requiring more frequent topping up, frequent chemical adjustments to maintain water quality, and a higher water (and electricity) bill.

A swimming pool must also be properly maintained to ensure it has the correct acidity (to prevent accelerated corrosion) and that there are no leaks that would be expensive to repair. You should also have it cleaned daily.

There are also seasonal issues. In the summer, the water can get too hot to be usable. At least you’ll have warm water in the cooler evenings, eh? In the winter, the water can be too cold to be comfortable, and heating it will be expensive.

If you have a solid plan to counter all that, go ahead and get that swimming pool. It will be an excellent addition if you like swimming for fitness and recreation. Otherwise, consider using your community pool. Most developments in Dubai have swimming pools for the exclusive use of its residents.

Tips for Tenants and Homeowners in Dubai

Dubai is a beautiful city that many people from all over the world call home. If you’re one of them, make sure to get a residential AMC for home maintenance and repairs, always leave the air conditioner on when you’ll be gone for extended periods, and understand that it’s not easy to maintain a swimming pool in Dubai.