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Dubai property rules register
60 rules on owning, buying, renting and holding a visa through property in Dubai, each quoted word for word from its source.
Updated 3 November 2026 - 60 rules, 7 where sources disagree
Written by Home Guide Dubai research desk
36 primary sources
Each rule has its own page with the exact words of its source and the date we last read it. The link never changes. Search by any word, or filter by topic and status.
Showing 60 of 60 rules
| Rule | Topic | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where foreigners can own property Non-UAE nationals may own freehold, or hold usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years, only in areas the Ruler designates. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Freehold conversion: Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Jaddaf Owners of 457 plots on Sheikh Zayed Road and in Al Jaddaf may convert to freehold for all nationalities. The fee is 30% of DLD's valuation. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| DLD is the only registrar of property rights Only the Dubai Land Department can register property rights and long-term leases in Dubai. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| The property register is conclusive What the DLD register records is binding on everyone unless proved to be fraud or forgery. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| The title deed is proof of ownership A DLD title deed is absolute evidence of the property rights it records. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Broker commission is not fixed by law No official rate exists; the broker's fee is whatever the written brokerage agreement says, or prevailing practice. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| A broker must show a registration number Every licensed broker carries a card with a register number that must appear on all their correspondence. |
Ownership | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| The 4% sale registration fee DLD charges 4% of the sale price: 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer, unless the contract moves it. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Registration trustee fee on a sale The trustee charges AED 4,000 plus VAT on a sale of AED 500,000 or more, and AED 2,000 plus VAT below it. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Title deed fee Issuing a title deed costs AED 250, plus a map fee and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Mortgage registration fee Registering a mortgage costs 0.25% of the loan, plus AED 250 and AED 20, with a trustee fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Mortgage release fee Releasing a mortgage costs AED 1,000, plus AED 250 for the new deed, AED 20, and AED 300 plus VAT at the trustee. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Gift transfer between close family Gifting a property to a parent, spouse or child costs 0.125% of DLD's valuation, with a minimum of AED 2,000. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| DLD valuation fee for a home A DLD valuation of an apartment or a villa with its land costs AED 4,000 plus AED 20, issued instantly for residential units. |
Fees | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| VAT on a residential purchase A new home's first sale is zero-rated, later residential sales are exempt, and commercial property carries 5%. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Early mortgage settlement fee cap Banks may charge at most 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is less, before VAT, to settle early. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Bank liability letter fee cap Banks may charge at most AED 85 before VAT for a home loan liability letter, and AED 150 for an NOC. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| The 5% municipality housing fee Tenants, not owners, pay Dubai Municipality 5% of the annual rent through the electricity bill. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Mortgage loan-to-value caps Expatriates may borrow up to 80% of a first home under AED 5 million, 70% above, 60% for a second property, and 50% off-plan. |
Fees | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Golden Visa property threshold The property Golden Visa needs real estate worth at least AED 2,000,000, wholly owned, with a local-bank mortgage allowed. |
Visas | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Golden Visa term for property investors The regulation, ICP, GDRFA and DLD give ten years; the federal portal's summary table still says five for real estate. |
Visas | Sources disagree | 26 September 2026 |
| What the AED 2 million is measured on GDRFA tests total value today, certified by DLD; DLD's own page tests the purchase value at the time of purchase. |
Visas | Sources disagree | 26 September 2026 |
| Bank letter for a mortgaged Golden Visa property A mortgaged property qualifies, but DLD's page describes the required bank letter in two different ways. |
Visas | Sources disagree | 26 September 2026 |
| Lien on a Golden Visa property GDRFA places a lien on the property for the whole ten-year term, and the property may not be sold during it. |
Visas | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Golden Visa and time abroad Golden Visa holders are exempt from the rule that voids a residence visa after 180 days outside the UAE. |
Visas | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Golden Visa sponsorship of children The regulation allows children of any age; DLD's Dubai page adds an undertaking that adult children are unmarried. |
Visas | Sources disagree | 26 September 2026 |
| A valuation certificate for the Golden Visa GDRFA accepts a valuation from a DLD-licensed office; a private service centre's page says a valuation is not accepted. |
Visas | Sources disagree | 26 September 2026 |
| Golden Visa fees GDRFA lists AED 1,640 of permit lines; DLD's bundle is AED 9,884.75 including medical, Emirates ID and residency confirmation. |
Visas | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Property visas moved to GDRFA in 2026 Since 11 April 2026 the Golden, Retiree and Property Residency services are being moved into GDRFA Dubai's system. |
Visas | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Two-year property visa: no minimum value A sole owner can get the two-year Taskeen visa regardless of property value; a co-owner needs a share of AED 400,000. |
Visas | Confirmed | 23 September 2026 |
| Two-year property visa fee DLD quotes AED 10,212.50 for the two-year visa; the partner service centre quotes AED 10,545. |
Visas | Sources disagree | 23 September 2026 |
| Two-year property visa and time abroad No official page says whether the 180-day absence rule applies to the two-year property visa. |
Visas | Not confirmed | 23 September 2026 |
| Residence visas and 180 days abroad An expatriate's residence visa is voided automatically after more than 180 continuous days outside the UAE, with listed exemptions. |
Visas | Confirmed | 23 September 2026 |
| Unregistered off-plan sales are void An off-plan sale not entered in DLD's interim register is void. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Off-plan contracts: 90 days to register The developer must register an off-plan sale in Oqood within 90 days of signing, at 2% from each side. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| What a developer can keep if a buyer defaults If a buyer stops paying, the developer may keep up to 40% when over 60% is built, and 25% below that. If work never started, the buyer gets it all back. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| One escrow account per off-plan project A developer must open a separate escrow account for each off-plan project before selling. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Escrow money is safe from developer creditors Buyer payments in a project's escrow account cannot be seized by the developer's creditors. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| The 5% escrow retention The bank keeps 5% of the escrow account for a year after units are registered in buyers' names. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| If an off-plan project fails The escrow bank must act with DLD to complete the project or refund depositors. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Penalty for taking off-plan money Misappropriating money paid for a development carries jail, a fine of at least AED 100,000, or both. |
Off-plan | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| How much rent can rise No increase if rent is within 10% of the index average; then 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% as the gap passes 20%, 30% and 40%. |
Renting | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| 90 days' notice to change a lease Either party must give at least 90 days' notice before expiry to change a tenancy's terms, including the rent. |
Renting | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Tenancy contracts must be registered Every tenancy contract and amendment must be registered, through Ejari. |
Renting | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Ejari registration fee Registering a tenancy costs AED 177.75 through the app or DLD website, or AED 220 at a trustee centre. |
Renting | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| The 2025 Smart Rental Index Since 2025 the rent index compares a unit with its own building, area and building class. |
Renting | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Which decree sets the rent bands The bands are in Decree No. 43 of 2013; DLD's own January 2025 release cites them as Decree No. 34. |
Renting | Sources disagree | 26 September 2026 |
| Who decides rent disputes The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, not RERA, has exclusive jurisdiction over landlord-tenant disputes, free zones included. |
Renting | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Service charges need RERA approval A building's management company cannot charge owners anything RERA has not approved. |
Service charges | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Service charge budgets must be audited RERA may approve a service charge budget only after a certified auditor has approved it. |
Service charges | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Service charge money is ring-fenced Service charges sit in a separate bank account per building, deposited within 7 working days, safe from the manager's creditors. |
Service charges | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Unpaid service charges stay with the unit The management company holds a lien on a unit for unpaid charges, and the unit cannot be sold until they are paid. |
Service charges | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Three-year fixed service charge budgets Since December 2025 management companies can seek approval of a three-year fixed budget through Mollak. |
Service charges | Confirmed | 26 September 2026 |
| Property adverts need a permit Every property advert must carry an official permit; advertising without one is fined at least AED 50,000, doubled on repeat. |
Advertising | Confirmed | 23 September 2026 |
| QR code on every property advert Since 15 April 2023 every property advert, print or audio-visual, must carry the Trakheesi QR code. |
Advertising | Confirmed | 23 September 2026 |
| Advertising permit fee A standard advertising permit costs AED 1,000, a project launch AED 5,000, plus AED 20, issued in one working day. |
Advertising | Confirmed | 23 September 2026 |
| No income tax on individuals The UAE levies no income tax on individuals; rent and gains on personally held property are not taxed in the UAE. |
Tax | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| The UAE tax residency tests You are UAE tax resident if your home and main interests are here. Or if you spend 183 days here in 12 months. Or 90 days, with a permit and a home or job. |
Tax | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Tax residency certificate fee A natural person without a tax number pays AED 50 to apply plus AED 1,000, in advance and non-refundable; processing takes 10 business days. |
Tax | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
| Personal rental income and corporate tax An individual's real estate investment income is outside UAE corporate tax at any amount, as long as no licence is needed. |
Tax | Confirmed | 16 October 2026 |
No rule matches. Try a shorter word, or clear the search.
Where the authorities disagree
On 7 points, two official or official-facing sources say different things. We quote both and do not pick a side. Get the answer in writing from the authority before you rely on either.
Golden Visa term for property investors
The regulation, ICP, GDRFA and DLD give ten years; the federal portal's summary table still says five for real estate.
What the AED 2 million is measured on
GDRFA tests total value today, certified by DLD; DLD's own page tests the purchase value at the time of purchase.
Bank letter for a mortgaged Golden Visa property
A mortgaged property qualifies, but DLD's page describes the required bank letter in two different ways.
Golden Visa sponsorship of children
The regulation allows children of any age; DLD's Dubai page adds an undertaking that adult children are unmarried.
A valuation certificate for the Golden Visa
GDRFA accepts a valuation from a DLD-licensed office; a private service centre's page says a valuation is not accepted.
Two-year property visa fee
DLD quotes AED 10,212.50 for the two-year visa; the partner service centre quotes AED 10,545.
Which decree sets the rent bands
The bands are in Decree No. 43 of 2013; DLD's own January 2025 release cites them as Decree No. 34.
How the register works
- Confirmed (52 rules): the official source states the rule in the words quoted.
- Sources disagree (7): two sources conflict; both are quoted on the rule page.
- Not confirmed (1): no government page we found states it.
We read every source ourselves and copy the words exactly. When a rule changes, its page keeps the same link and shows the new text with the date. The full register is also published as data at /rules/rules.json for anyone who wants to build on it. Found a rule that has changed, or one we are missing? Write to us through the contact page and we will check it against the source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this register official?
No. It is an independent register. Every rule is quoted from the official source and linked to it, so you can check each one yourself.
How often is it checked?
Each rule shows the date we last read its source. When we see a rule change, we update its page and keep the same link.
Can I link to or quote a rule?
Yes. Each rule has a permanent link and a citation line on its page. The data file at /rules/rules.json lists every rule with its source and checked date.
Sources
- Law No. (7) of 2006 Concerning Real Property Registration - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD announcement - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Bylaw No. (85) of 2006 Regulating the Real Estate Brokers Register - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Property sale registration service - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Mortgage registration service - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Mortgage release application - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Property gift registration service - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Property valuation service - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Federal Tax Authority - Federal Tax Authority - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Central Bank Resolution 96/2019 amending Appendix 2 of Regulation 29/2011 - Central Bank of the UAE - accessed the date shown on each rule
- u.ae - UAE Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Central Bank Mortgage Regulations (Circular 31/2013 as amended) - Central Bank of the UAE - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Cabinet Resolution No. (65) of 2022 - UAE Cabinet - accessed the date shown on each rule
- GDRFA Dubai Golden Residence service card - GDRFA Dubai - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Golden Visa - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Memorandum between GDRFA Dubai and DLD - GDRFA Dubai and DLD - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Investor Residence Application (Taskeen) service page - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- u.ae General provisions for the residence visa - UAE Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Law No. (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Real Property Register - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Request to register the initial sale (Oqood) - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Law No. (19) of 2020 amending Law No. (13) of 2008 - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Law No. (8) of 2007 Concerning Escrow Accounts - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Decree No. (43) of 2013 Determining Rent Increase - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Law No. (26) of 2007 - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Register or renew an Ejari contract - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD news - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Decree No. (26) of 2013 - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Law No. (6) of 2019 on Jointly Owned Property - Dubai Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD news - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- RERA Circular 1-2020 - RERA - accessed the date shown on each rule
- RERA Circular 02-2023 - RERA - accessed the date shown on each rule
- DLD Real estate advertising permit service - Dubai Land Department - accessed the date shown on each rule
- u.ae - UAE Government - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Cabinet Decision No. (85) of 2022 - UAE Cabinet - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Federal Tax Authority - Federal Tax Authority - accessed the date shown on each rule
- Cabinet Decision No. (49) of 2023 - UAE Cabinet - accessed the date shown on each rule
Every rule above is quoted from the law, decree or official page on the date given. This is general information, not legal advice; rules change, so confirm the current position with the authority named before you act.