How to Use the Baytwise Calculators
A complete walkthrough of the mortgage, rental yield and affordability calculators — what each field means, a worked example, and mistakes to avoid.
Calculating your monthly mortgage payment
- 1. Enter the property price and area. Property price in AED drives the loan amount and DLD fee; the area in square feet is used only for the optional per-square-foot service charge.
- 2. Set your down payment. The Central Bank of the UAE sets minimum down payments based on residency status and whether the property is your first purchase — typically 20% for UAE nationals and 20-25% for expats on a first property. The calculator shows the resulting loan-to-value (LTV) as you type.
- 3. Adjust the interest rate and loan term. These two sliders move the monthly payment the most. A longer term lowers the monthly payment but increases total interest paid — the amortization table below the results shows exactly how much.
- 4. Add UAE-specific fees. Toggle on DLD registration fee (4% in Dubai), agent commission (typically 2%), insurance, and service charges so the total shows your real upfront and ongoing cost, not just the loan.
- 5. Read the results. You get the monthly payment, total interest over the term, a principal-vs-interest chart, and a full year-by-year amortization schedule you can export to PDF or Excel.
Worked example
A AED 1,500,000 apartment in Dubai with a 20% down payment (AED 300,000) leaves a loan of AED 1,200,000. At 4.5% interest over 25 years, that comes to roughly AED 6,670 per month before fees. Adding the 4% DLD fee (AED 60,000) and a 2% agent commission (AED 30,000) brings your total upfront cash need to about AED 390,000.
Working out your return on an investment property
- 1. Enter the purchase price and expected annual rent. This gives your gross yield — rent divided by price — before any costs are deducted.
- 2. Add service charges, maintenance and vacancy. Net yield subtracts these recurring costs, which is why it is almost always lower than the gross figure advertised by agents.
- 3. Include your financing details, if any. If you are buying with a mortgage, the calculator projects cash flow, break-even point and cash-on-cash return over the loan tenure alongside the mortgage payoff schedule.
- 4. Compare against UAE benchmarks. The results panel shows how your yield stacks up against typical Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah averages so you can judge whether a deal is above or below market.
Finding out what you can afford
- 1. Enter your monthly income and expenses. Include existing debts (car loans, credit cards, personal loans) — UAE banks cap total monthly obligations at a set percentage of income, known as the Debt Burden Ratio (DBR).
- 2. Set your down payment, job type and residency status. These determine which minimum down payment and LTV rules apply to you.
- 3. Review the constraint analysis. The calculator shows which limit — DBR, salary multiple, or LTV — is actually capping your maximum property price, so you know what to change if you want to qualify for more.
- 4. Compare tenures. The 15/20/25/30-year comparison table shows how a longer tenure raises your maximum affordable price by lowering the monthly obligation.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting the DLD fee and agent commission — these are due upfront in cash, on top of your down payment, not financed into the loan.
- Comparing gross rental yield between properties instead of net yield, which accounts for service charges and vacancy.
- Assuming the advertised interest rate is guaranteed — banks quote final rates after reviewing your credit profile and the property.
- Ignoring service charges when budgeting monthly costs — these are billed annually per square foot and can be substantial on larger units.
Ready to run your own numbers?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to create an account to use the calculators?
No. Every Baytwise calculator runs entirely in your browser — there is no sign-up, no login and no data sent to a server. You can close the tab and your inputs are gone, which is why the PDF and Excel export options exist for anyone who wants to keep a copy.
Why does my monthly payment look different from my bank’s quote?
Banks price mortgages using their own credit assessment, fees and sometimes a different day-count convention. Baytwise gives you a fast, transparent estimate using the interest rate and term you enter, but the exact figure a bank offers depends on your income, credit history and their internal underwriting — always confirm with a licensed lender before signing anything.
What is the DLD fee and is it always 4%?
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) transfer fee is 4% of the property price in Dubai, plus a fixed admin charge, and is paid on top of your down payment — it is not financed into the mortgage. Other Emirates use different registration fee structures, so adjust the fee fields in the calculator if you are buying outside Dubai.
Can I compare more than one mortgage scenario at once?
Yes. Use the Loan Comparison tool to place up to three different combinations of price, down payment, rate and term side by side, so you can see the trade-offs before committing to one scenario.
How is rental yield different from affordability?
The Rental Yield Calculator tells you the return an investment property generates from rent after costs. The Affordability Calculator works in the opposite direction — it takes your income and expenses and tells you the maximum property price a bank is likely to approve. Use affordability first if you are buying to live in, and rental yield first if you are buying to invest.