Upper House JLT Dubai

Upper House, now marketed as UH by Ellington, is Ellington Properties' first residential scheme in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT), built in partnership with DMCC, the free-zone authority that runs the community. It is two 31-storey towers, East and West, with 754 homes — studios and one to three-bedroom apartments looking over Jumeirah Islands and the Dubai Marina skyline. Launch prices ran from AED 750,000 (about Rs 1.93 crore) for a studio to AED 3.3 million for a three-bedroom, on a 20/50/30 plan.

It launched for a Q1 2026 handover, and that date has passed. Construction began in May 2023, the West Tower was topped out by January 2026 and the East Tower was completing its structure, and the latest date printed is Q1 2027. So this is a nearly built building sold mostly as resale, not a launch, and the page is written for that buyer.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

These are the launch figures Metropolitan and several agency pages carry, and the rates use the smallest size in each range. The source listing gave no price. The one-bedroom is the value on paper at about AED 1,529 per sq ft, roughly a fifth below the studio's rate, which is the usual Dubai pattern of small units carrying the premium.

What a buyer pays today will be higher. Bayut shows 136 resale listings in the building, and resale in a nearly finished Ellington tower is priced off the launch list plus the rise since 2023. No source we checked gives a JLT average per square foot, so we do not print a comparison; DLD transactions for the tower settle what a unit is worth now.

Payment plan and total cost

20% on booking, 50% through construction, 30% at handover — a 70/30 plan with nothing owed after the keys. Worked on the AED 750,000 launch studio:

With both towers at or near the top, most construction instalments have fallen due. A resale buyer pays the seller what they have put in plus any premium, then the remaining 30% at handover, and the 4% DLD fee on the full price. Ask the seller for the developer's statement of account so you know exactly what has been paid.

No service charge has been published. Ask for the first DLD-approved budget before settling on a rent figure. For how Dubai plans compare, see Dubai property payment plans.

Location and connectivity

JLT is a grid of towers set around man-made lakes on the inland side of Sheikh Zayed Road, opposite Dubai Marina and JBR, with Jumeirah Islands and Emirates Hills to the south. Residents have lakeside cafes, supermarkets, schools and offices within walking distance, and the Dubai Metro Red Line runs along Sheikh Zayed Road with stations serving the community. Al Khail Road is the other route to Downtown and the airports.

JLT is a finished community, which is the main difference from most off-plan schemes: there is no wait for the neighbourhood to arrive. Upper House's upper floors look over Jumeirah Islands and the Marina skyline. None of the sources we found gives drive times from the site, and we do not guess them.

At the north-east end of JLT, DMCC's Uptown district is getting Ellington's second scheme here, Mercer House, two towers with a 45,000 sq ft beach club and keys due in Q3 2027. For the wider market see apartments for sale in JLT and the JLT area guide. Everything we track in the emirate is on all Dubai projects, and the wider list is on the projects page.

Amenities and specifications

Ellington's list is aimed at people who live in the building: a 37-metre lap pool, a kids' splash pad, padel and urban basketball courts, a barbecue area, a podcast room, a fitness studio with a climbing wall, a yoga studio, a clubhouse with a records lounge and a space for artists in residence. The developer puts the project value at AED 1.2 billion and the construction value at AED 715 million.

Not published: the fit-out and appliance schedule, parking per unit, the service-charge budget and the escrow bank. Final specification as per the sale and purchase agreement.

About the developer

Ellington Properties, founded in 2014, is a design-led Dubai developer with delivered buildings in Jumeirah Village Circle, Downtown Dubai, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Dubai Hills Estate and Arjan. Belgravia Heights in JVC entered handover in December 2022, Ellington House in Dubai Hills Estate handed over through 2025, and in May 2026 it began handing over Ellington House II and Arbor View.

One 2026 review puts Ellington's typical slippage at two to four months. Upper House is running later than that on the latest printed date, about a year past launch, so it is the scheme to watch against the brand's record. The DMCC partnership is the other half of the picture: the community's own authority has a stake in the building finishing.

For Indian buyers

Ownership. JLT is freehold and open to every nationality, resident or not, with the title deed issued in your name by the Dubai Land Department. The UAE charges no annual property tax and a residential sale does not attract VAT, so the government cost is the 4% DLD transfer fee — AED 30,000 on the launch studio — plus the AED 40 Oqood fee.

Remittance and Golden Visa. The Liberalised Remittance Scheme allows USD 250,000 per person per financial year. The launch studio's AED 750,000 is about USD 204,000, and with the DLD fee about USD 212,000, so one person can fund it inside a single year's allowance even at a resale premium of up to about AED 130,000. It misses the AED 2 million Golden Visa threshold by AED 1.25 million; the two-bedroom at AED 2.1 million clears it by AED 100,000. See our Golden Visa property guide.

Yield and tax. Agency projections for Upper House run 6% to 8% gross. Metropolitan puts the JLT average one-bedroom rent at AED 150,000 a year as of August 2025, which would be about 11% on the AED 1.37 million one-bedroom — above any projection, so plan on 6% to 8% and take the service charge off first. Rent and any capital gain are taxable in India for an Indian tax resident, with credit for tax paid abroad where it applies; the UAE levies none on either.

Pros

• An entry at about AED 1,870 per sq ft for an Ellington finish, with the one-bedroom near AED 1,530
• Both towers are at or near structural completion, so the build risk is mostly behind the project
• DMCC, the authority that runs JLT, is the developer's partner
• The 2 BHK at AED 2.1 M clears the Golden Visa line; the studio sits inside one person's LRS allowance
• JLT is an established rental market, so a unit can let soon after handover
• An amenity list aimed at residents rather than show: lap pool, padel, climbing wall, podcast room

Cons

• The Q1 2026 handover has passed; the date now printed is up to a year later
• The prices here are launch figures; current asks from the 136 resale listings on Bayut will be higher
• 754 homes in two towers means competing resale and rental stock in the same building
• No service charge published
• No source prints the DLD project number or the escrow bank
• Unit counts disagree between 377 and 754 — the developer's 754 covers both towers

Who this is for

• Investors who want an Ellington apartment in JLT with the build nearly done
• Indian buyers whose budget is one person's LRS allowance — the studio fits inside it
• Golden Visa buyers who can take a two-bedroom at AED 2.1 M or more
• End users working in JLT, DMCC or Dubai Marina

Who should look elsewhere

• Anyone who needs a fixed handover date — this one has already moved
• Buyers expecting the launch price; most stock is now resale
• Yield buyers who will not run the numbers without a published service charge
• Anyone who will not check the tower, the paid-in amount and the DLD project number before paying

Our verdict

Upper House is Ellington's cheaper way into JLT, and at launch it was priced like it: about AED 1,870 per sq ft on the studio and roughly AED 1,530 on the one-bedroom, with DMCC as partner and 754 homes in two 31-storey towers. The build risk is now mostly behind it, with the West Tower topped out and the East Tower finishing its structure by January 2026. The weaker point is the date. It launched for Q1 2026 and later pages print up to Q1 2027, so the building is about a year late on the latest record. Buyers today meet resale stock rather than the launch list, and with 754 homes and 136 resale listings on Bayut there is choice, which is useful for price but means competition when the time comes to let or sell.

A reasonable buy for an investor or end user who wants a nearly built Ellington apartment in JLT and prices it against DLD transactions rather than the launch list. The studio suits an Indian buyer working inside one LRS allowance; the two-bedroom is the Golden Visa unit. Not for anyone who needs a fixed date or expects launch prices. Confirm the tower, the paid-in amount and the DLD project number before paying.

Talk to Realty Hunting for the current price list, the developer's latest payment plan and a site-visit plan.

Run this project's numbers yourself. The calculator opens on the price and unit size above; change the currency, the rent or the mortgage and it recalculates the fees, the cash you need on day one and the net rent.

FAQs

What is the price of Upper House?

At launch, studios of 401 to 462 sq ft started at AED 750,000 — about Rs 1.93 crore or USD 204,000. One-bedrooms started at AED 1.37 million, two-bedrooms at AED 2.1 million and three-bedrooms at AED 3.3 million. With the towers nearly built most stock is resale, so check current asks against DLD transactions.

Is Upper House the same as UH by Ellington?

Yes. Ellington now markets the scheme as UH by Ellington. It is two 31-storey towers, East and West, with 754 homes; propsearch lists the towers separately, and some pages quote 377 units, which is about half the total.

When is the handover?

It launched with a Q1 2026 date, which has passed. Later pages print Q4 2026 and Q1 2027. The West Tower was topped out by January 2026, so the building is close, but get the date in writing and check each tower on the Dubai REST app.

What is the payment plan?

20% on booking, 50% through construction and 30% at handover. On a AED 750,000 studio that is AED 150,000, AED 375,000 and AED 225,000, plus AED 30,000 of DLD transfer fee — about AED 780,000 before service charges. Most construction instalments have now fallen due.

Does it qualify for a Golden Visa?

The studio does not: AED 750,000 is AED 1.25 million short of the AED 2 million threshold. A two-bedroom at AED 2.1 million clears it by AED 100,000, and every three-bedroom clears it.

What rental yield can I expect?

Agency projections for Upper House run 6% to 8% gross. Metropolitan puts the JLT average one-bedroom rent at AED 150,000 a year as of August 2025, which would be about 11% on a AED 1.37 million one-bedroom — above any projection, so plan on the 6% to 8% and subtract the service charge.

Who is DMCC and why does it matter?

DMCC is the free-zone authority that owns and runs JLT, and it is Ellington's partner on Upper House. The developer puts the project value at AED 1.2 billion and the construction value at AED 715 million.

Can an Indian buyer purchase here?

Yes. JLT is freehold for every nationality and the title deed is issued in your name by the Dubai Land Department. The studio's USD 204,000 fits inside one person's LRS allowance of USD 250,000 a year, including the DLD fee.

Compare with other Dubai projects

More by Ellington: Ellington Belgravia (from AED 820,000, ready), Ellington Arbor View (from AED 860,000, ready) and Mercer House (from AED 1.15 M, handover 2027).

A similar budget elsewhere in Dubai: Binghatti Haven (from AED 750,000, off-plan), Livel Residenza (from AED 750,000, handover 2026) and Pearlz Apartments (from AED 750,000, ready).

Read next: Off-Plan Property in Dubai: How It Works · Dubai Property Payment Plans: 1% Monthly, Post-Handover and More · Property in Dubai Under AED 1 Million: What It Buys. Every Dubai project we track is listed on the Dubai section.