Discovery Gardens | Service fees cut

Owners of properties at Discovery Gardens in Dubai will see their service charges significantly reduced, the developer Nakheel said yesterday.

The company is reviewing its budget for providing services such as security and the upkeep of the project’s communal areas, a Nakheel spokeswoman said. The move followed “recent reductions in the cost of services”.

When the review was complete, she said, “it is expected that a revised budget will be issued incorporating significant savings which will be passed on to all unit owners”. She did not indicate, however, when Nakheel would complete the review or how much fees could fall.

The announcement follows complaints from many of the project’s property owners that the annual charge was not reflected in the standard of building care.

At a reported Dh30 (US$8.17) per square foot, the fee is among the highest of any project in Dubai and about three times the cheapest rates, despite Discovery Gardens being built to cater to housing demand from middle- to low-income groups. Situated near Ibn Battuta Mall, the project has an expected population of more than 50,000.

The owner of a one-bedroom flat that typically measures 1,000 sq ft, has to pay Dh30,000 a year. Nakheel argues that unlike many other developments, the Discovery Gardens fee includes the cost of running a central air-conditioning system, known as district cooling, which accounts for a third of the charge.

Read the complete story here: The National Newspaper