Buyer's guide · Dubai · Updated October 2026
Dubai is one of the more regulated property markets in the region, and most of that regulation exists to protect the buyer. You do not need to read the statutes. You do need to know these ten things before you sign or transfer anything.
The Real Estate Regulatory Agency is the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department (DLD). It licenses brokers and developers, approves off-plan projects and their escrow accounts, approves service charges, and publishes the rental index. The DLD itself registers ownership and issues title deeds. If a transaction is not registered with the DLD, you do not own the property.
Law No. 7 of 2006 allows non-GCC nationals to own freehold title in areas designated by the Ruler, with no residency requirement. Motor City, Dubai Marina, JVC, Business Bay and Dubai Hills Estate are all designated freehold areas. Outside those areas, foreign ownership is limited to long leases or usufruct rights.
Every agent must hold a RERA broker card with a Broker Registration Number (BRN), and every brokerage an Office Registration Number (ORN). Mine are BRN 81623 and, for Vibgyor Real Estate, ORN 1881. You can verify both in the Dubai REST app in under a minute. Every property advert must also carry a DLD permit number; no permit number means the listing has not been approved.
Under Law No. 8 of 2007, every off-plan project must have a DLD-approved escrow account, and buyers' payments must be paid into it. The developer can only draw funds against verified construction progress. Never pay an off-plan instalment into any account other than the project's registered escrow account, and never pay in cash.
Law No. 13 of 2008 requires every off-plan sale to be entered in the Interim Real Estate Register, known as Oqood. An unregistered off-plan contract is void. Registration is what gives you a legally recognised interest in the unit before the title deed exists, so ask for the Oqood certificate, not just the sales agreement.
The same law, as amended, sets out what a developer may retain if a buyer stops paying, scaled to construction progress: broadly up to 40% of the unit value once the project is more than 60% complete, up to 25% below that, and up to 30% of amounts paid if construction has not started. Termination has to go through the DLD, with notice. If the developer cancels or abandons the project, RERA oversees refunds from escrow.
RERA contracts are standardised. Form A is the seller's listing agreement with their broker. Form B is the buyer's agreement with theirs. Form F is the Memorandum of Understanding, the binding sale contract between buyer and seller, usually secured with a 10% deposit cheque held by the broker. Form I governs commission sharing between two agents. If you are asked to sign something else in place of Form F, ask why.
The DLD charges a transfer fee of 4% of the purchase price, by market practice paid by the buyer, plus small administration and title deed fees. Add the registration trustee fee, agency commission, and, if you are financing, mortgage registration of 0.25% of the loan plus bank and valuation fees. A realistic all-in budget is 6 to 8% above the price. Transfers complete at a DLD registration trustee office, with payment by manager's cheque.
Law No. 6 of 2019 on jointly owned property requires every building's annual service charge budget to be audited and approved by RERA, and collected through the Mollak system into a regulated account. You can look up the approved rate per square foot for any building. This is the single most important number for your net yield, and it is public.
Under the same 2019 law the developer remains liable for structural defects for ten years from the completion certificate, and must repair or replace defective installations, such as mechanical, electrical and plumbing works, for one year from handover. Snag properly at handover and log every defect in writing inside that first year.
Tenancies are governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Every lease must be registered in Ejari. Rent increases at renewal are capped by Decree No. 43 of 2013 according to how far the rent sits below the RERA rental index. To recover the property for sale or your own use, you must serve twelve months' notice through a notary public or registered mail. Disputes go to the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre.
This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Laws, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current position with the Dubai Land Department, GDRFA or a licensed conveyancer before you act. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
Questions
Open the Dubai REST app or the DLD website and search the broker's name or BRN, and the brokerage's ORN. A licensed agent will also put a DLD permit number on every advert. Peter Rodrigues is BRN 81623 with Vibgyor Real Estate, ORN 1881.
It is protected if, and only if, you pay into the project's DLD-approved escrow account and the sale is registered in Oqood. Those two things are what the law gives you. Developer quality and delivery record are a separate question, and the one I spend most time on.
The law splits it, but market practice in Dubai is that the buyer pays the full 4%. Some developers waive or absorb part of it on off-plan launches as an incentive. Treat that as a discount and compare the net price, not the headline.
Only by following the DLD procedure: formal notice through the DLD, a 30-day cure period, and then retention limited by law according to construction progress. A developer cannot simply keep your money and resell the unit.
Form F is RERA's standard Memorandum of Understanding for a secondary-market sale. It records the price, deposit, transfer date, who pays which costs and any conditions such as mortgage approval. Once signed by both parties it is binding.
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