Dubai property for sale: off-plan and resale apartments and villas

Off-plan

Dubai off-plan property

Buying Dubai off-plan means signing a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with a developer and paying in stages while the project is built. The Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), part of the Dubai Land Department, regulates developers, and the main protections come from the escrow law and the interim register.

• Developers must pay buyer money into a project-specific escrow account under Law No. 8 of 2007, and if RERA revokes a project the developer must return all payments received from purchasers.
• The SPA must be registered on DLD's Interim Real Estate Register through the Oqood system within 90 days of signing, so confirm your registration rather than relying on the contract alone.
• Developer payment plans, often including construction-linked and post-handover stages, vary by project and are set out in the SPA.
• If a buyer defaults, after a 30-day DLD notice the developer may terminate and retain up to 40% of the unit value where the project is at least 60% complete, or up to 25% where construction has started but is below 60%.
• Selling before completion is an Oqood-to-Oqood transfer that needs a developer No Objection Certificate, may carry a developer admin fee, and pays the 4% DLD fee again on the resale price.
• Construction timelines can slip, so check the escrow account and the project's status with DLD before you pay and at each stage.

Secondary market

Resale property in Dubai

Buying resale in Dubai means a completed apartment or villa with an issued title deed, bought from its owner. The process runs through standard RERA forms and finishes at a DLD-approved Real Estate Registration Trustee office, where the new title deed is issued.

• Buyer, seller and agents sign the DLD/RERA Contract F (Form F), the memorandum of understanding that fixes price and terms.
• A security deposit, commonly 10% of the price, is typically held when Form F is signed.
• The seller obtains a developer NOC confirming there are no outstanding service charges before transfer.
• If the seller has a mortgage, DLD requires a bank liability letter, manager's cheques to settle the debt and a mortgage release before the sale completes.
• You can inspect the unit, check the title deed and any registered mortgage, and if it is tenanted it already produces rent.
• Budget for the 4% DLD fee, the trustee office fee and, where an agent is used, a customary 2% commission plus VAT on top of the price.

Buying costs in Dubai

DLD transfer fee

4% of the price, officially split 2% buyer and 2% seller under the DLD schedule, but in practice usually paid in full by the buyer. DLD also lists AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees.

Trustee office fee (ready sale)

AED 2,100 where the property is under AED 500,000 and AED 4,200 at AED 500,000 or more, plus title deed and map fees of AED 100-250.

Mortgage registration

0.25% of the mortgage value, plus an administrative fee.

Agency commission (resale)

Customarily 2% of the price, paid by the buyer, plus 5% VAT. It is not set by law.

VAT

The first supply of a new residential building within 3 years of completion is zero-rated and later residential sales are exempt; commercial property is standard-rated at 5%. VAT at 5% applies to agency and most service fees.

Annual costs

There is no annual property tax. Dubai Municipality's housing fee (5% of annual rental value, collected through the DEWA bill) applies to tenants and to expatriate owners who live in their unit.

Service charges vary by building and community; ask for the current figures before you commit.

Dubai Golden Visa through property

Under the federal ICP rules, owning one or more properties in the UAE with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000, registered in your name, qualifies for 10-year Golden residence. Off-plan units count where they are bought from an approved local developer authorized by the competent authority, and mortgaged property counts where the loan is from an approved local bank. Health insurance for the investor and family is required throughout.

In Dubai the application runs through DLD. A mortgaged property needs a bank no-objection letter showing the amount paid and the balance, and DLD lists total fees of AED 9,884.75 for the 10-year permit, including AED 4,020 in DLD fees.