Written by Hammad Roshan — CEO, Tahani Real Estate Brokers LLC, Dubai.
RERA-licensed brokerage · ORN 25557 · LinkedIn
RERA-licensed brokerage · ORN 25557 · LinkedIn
Updated 6 November 2026. Official sources checked on this date.
Before accepting an off-plan home in Dubai, reconcile the sale agreement, current project record, inspection findings and itemised bills. A completion estimate, a key collection appointment and title registration are separate matters. This checklist helps organise the evidence; it does not promise a completion date or determine a dispute.
Open DLD’s Project Status Enquiry and search by the project name or number. DLD also provides Project Status (Mashrooi) in Dubai REST. Save the dated status and available inspection, developer and escrow details. Ask the developer to explain any mismatch with its latest written update.
Read the agreement’s anticipated completion date, extension clauses, payment milestones and notice procedure. Keep the contract, amendments, receipts and correspondence together. Plan for the practical effect of delay on accommodation, finance and moving dates without treating forecast rent or resale proceeds as certain.
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 regulates project escrow accounts. It does not establish the former guide’s claimed typical compensation of 2% of the property value per month. Do not budget for that payment as an automatic entitlement. Ask a qualified lawyer to assess the contract and circumstances before claiming compensation, cancelling or changing payments.
DLD’s development and complaint FAQs distinguish project cancellation from an investor’s request to end a contract. They also exclude contractual compensation and refund claims from the regulatory violation-complaint channel. Confirm the appropriate route for your facts rather than assuming a complaint cancels the agreement.
Obtain a quotation from an appropriately qualified inspector for the actual unit and scope. There is no inspection or repair price quotation established by this guide. Ask who will arrange and pay for correction rather than assuming the buyer must absorb the cost.
Article 14 of the escrow law requires the escrow agent to retain 5% of the account’s total value after the developer obtains the completion certificate, with release one year after units are registered to purchasers. This is a project-account provision, not a general instruction allowing a buyer to withhold 5% of a payment.
Request a dated statement showing the contract balance, earlier payments, registration amounts, service charges, utility deposits and separately billed services. Reconcile each line with its source and avoid paying the same registration item twice.
Ask the developer or registered trustee to confirm the unit’s initial off-plan registration, the completed-title process, required identity and finance documents, outstanding amounts and the applicable service charges. Keep registration evidence with the receipts. Do not assume a universal 14-day title deadline or a flat 4% plus AED 580 handover bill.
The DLD completed-property sale service describes that specific registration route and its itemised fees; it is not a substitute for the developer’s off-plan completion statement. Our buying-cost guide helps separate registration, agreed commission and financing costs.
Bring a checklist of the missing documents and disputed line items to the developer or trustee. For a prospective purchase, compare current published listings or tell Tahani your requirements. Keep passports, title documents and account details out of public inquiries.
Primary sources reviewed 6 November 2026: DLD Project Status Enquiry and FAQs, Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 and DEWA’s move-in service, linked above. The law’s official English edition states that the Arabic text prevails. Terms and charges can change; obtain transaction-specific advice and quotations.
Looking for property in Dubai? Tell us your specific requirements and we'll match you with live listings: speak with us →
No universal 2% monthly entitlement is established by the escrow law cited here. Have the sale agreement, notices and facts assessed by a qualified lawyer before relying on compensation or cancellation.
Use DLD’s Project Status Enquiry by project name or number, or Project Status (Mashrooi) in Dubai REST. Save the dated result and reconcile it with the developer’s written update.
Compare the unit with the agreed specifications. Record dated photographs, each defect’s location, the responsible contact and the proposed correction and reinspection dates. Obtain an inspection quotation for the actual unit.
DEWA labels these residential security deposits: AED 2,000 for a flat and AED 4,000 for a villa. Activation charges are separate. Its move-in page says an owner’s deposit is refunded upon sale only.
No. Ask the developer or trustee which registration service and additional charges apply, and reconcile prior payments. Handover, initial off-plan registration and completed-property title issuance are different steps.
DLD’s FAQs distinguish regulatory complaints from contractual claims and exclude compensation, refunds and contractual disputes from that complaint channel. Ask for the appropriate dispute route and qualified legal advice.