'Buying in Dubai, renting in Delhi': Reddit post debates if its a smart housing hack or a risky bet

With Delhi’s skyrocketing real estate prices making homeownership feel like an uphill battle, some investors are exploring unconventional strategies to balance financial and emotional needs. One such investor, posting on Reddit, has devised a plan: buy property in Dubai, rent it out, and use the proceeds to pay rent in India—essentially “owning” a home without directly purchasing one in Delhi.

“Delhi’s property rates are so stupidly high that I’ve been turned off by the whole process,” the investor wrote. “I can afford to pay upfront, but at ₹5-7 crore, the value for money seems extremely poor.”

Instead, a relative suggested investing in Dubai, where property prices are often lower, and rental yields higher, the post said. The numbers seem to support the idea. The investor outlines a plan to buy a ₹5 crore (AED 2.2M) property in Dubai, which would qualify them for the UAE’s Golden Visa and yield an estimated 5-8% in rental income. 

After taxes, this translates to ₹1.7-2.56 lakh per month—enough to cover rent for a similar property in Delhi (₹1.05 lakh) while still leaving a surplus.

“If the numbers work out, I’ll own a property in Dubai, pay my rent in Delhi, and still have ₹1-1.5 lakh left over,” he explained.

But is this strategy foolproof? Most Redditors who are involved in the discussion seem to agree. "You will own it (villa), including land 100%, digitally registered with 0% taxes. New villas comes with 1 year warranty and 25 year insulation warranty," a user said describing UAE as a quite progressive country. "Vehicles are cheap, EVs are encouraged, we installed EV charger recently and planning to install solar. Remodeling and villa maintenance is quite cheap. I can build a new floor for around 130k AED," he added.