The cost of buying property in Dubai, fee by fee
Costs and mortgages
What the Dubai Land Department charges, what the broker, developer and bank charge, who pays each one, and a worked example at AED 2,000,000.
Buying off-plan in Dubai with Enesco
The developer, the escrow account and the payment plan checked before you reserve, and the handover and snagging handled after.
On a purchase from the developer, the developer pays our commission and you pay nothing extra; on an off-plan resale from another buyer, the customary 2% plus VAT applies and is agreed in Form B.
In short
- Enesco checks the developer, the project's Dubai Land Department registration, its escrow account and its payment plan before you reserve, and stays with you through Oqood registration, construction, handover and snagging.
- Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 your payments go into the project's escrow account and can be used only to build that project.
- When you buy from a developer, the developer pays our commission and you pay nothing extra.
Brief.
Budget, areas, size, when you need the home and whether you will live in it or let it. We also ask how you will pay the instalments, because banks lend at most 50% of an off-plan home's price.
Developer and project checks.
We confirm the developer, the project's registration with the Dubai Land Department, the escrow account number and its status in the Dubai REST app.
Payment plan review.
We read every instalment: the amount, whether a date or a construction stage triggers it, what falls due at handover and what the sale agreement says about delays.
Reservation and sale agreement.
You reserve, then sign the developer's sale and purchase agreement. We check it against the advert, the brochure and the payment plan before you sign.
Oqood registration.
The purchase is registered on the Dubai Land Department's Oqood system for 4% of the price plus AED 20. Developers may add an administration charge; we get it in writing first.
Construction to handover.
We track progress, flag each instalment before it falls due and arrange the handover appointment once the completion certificate is issued.
Snagging and title deed.
We walk the home with you or an inspector, list defects for the developer in writing, and follow the Oqood registration through to your title deed.
What we check before you reserve
- The developer's identity and the project's registration with the Dubai Land Department
- The escrow account number on the advert matches the one in your agreement; you pay into that account and no other
- The advert carries a Trakheesi permit for the unit, the developer's name, the escrow account number and the expected completion date
- The payment plan, the handover payment and the delay clause in the sale and purchase agreement
- The service charge you will pay once the building is handed over
Where your money goes
Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 off-plan buyers' payments go into an escrow account opened for that one project with an approved escrow agent. The money can be used only to build that project, and the developer's creditors cannot seize it.
If a buyer stops paying, Law No. 13 of 2008 as amended by Law No. 19 of 2020 lets the developer, after a 30-day notice served through DLD, keep up to 40% of the unit's value on a project more than 60% complete, or up to 25% below that.
Handover and what the developer must fix
Once the project has its completion certificate, the developer must register sold units in the names of buyers who have met their obligations, under Article 8 of Law No. 13 of 2008. That is when your Oqood registration becomes a title deed.
| Defect | Developer liable for | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| Defective mechanical, electrical, sanitary and sewerage installations | 1 year | Handover |
| Defects in the structural parts of the building | 10 years | The completion certificate |
Both come from Article 40 of Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, which makes any agreement to the contrary void.
Selling before handover, and the Golden Visa
An off-plan home can be resold before completion, subject to the developer's conditions for a resale NOC. Under Article 3 of Law No. 13 of 2008 every such sale must be entered in DLD's interim register or it is void.
The Dubai Land Department's and GDRFA's pages on the property Golden Visa do not say whether an off-plan home counts towards the AED 2 million threshold. Confirm with GDRFA before you reserve with the visa in mind; our Golden Visa service sets out the published rules.
What it costs
On a purchase from the developer, the developer pays our commission and you pay nothing extra; on an off-plan resale from another buyer, the customary 2% plus VAT applies and is agreed in Form B.
Questions about this service
Is my money protected when I buy off-plan in Dubai?
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires off-plan payments to go into an escrow account for the project, used only for its construction and out of reach of the developer's creditors.
What does off-plan advice cost me?
Nothing extra when you buy from the developer, because the developer pays the broker's commission. You still pay the 4% Oqood registration fee plus AED 20 to the Dubai Land Department.
Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan home?
Yes, for up to 50% of the price under the Central Bank of the UAE's limits, subject to the bank's policy on the project.
What should an off-plan advert show?
A Trakheesi permit for the unit, the developer's name, the project's escrow account number and the expected completion date. Printed and video adverts also carry a Madmoun QR code.
What happens if I cannot keep up the payments?
After a 30-day notice served through DLD, the developer may terminate and keep up to 40% of the unit's value if the project is more than 60% complete, or up to 25% below that, and must refund the rest.
When do I get the title deed?
After the project receives its completion certificate, when the developer must register sold units in the names of buyers who have met their obligations under Article 8 of Law No. 13 of 2008.
Guides that go with this service
Payment plans, the escrow law behind every instalment, Oqood registration, what an advert must show, borrowing against an unbuilt home, and handover.
The AED 2 million threshold, how a mortgage or a co-owner changes the count, the silence on off-plan, the two-year investor visa below the line, and where to apply.
The same decision from both sides: what you pay and when, what a bank will lend, where your money sits, and when you get the keys.
Other services
A buyer's broker who shortlists, checks every advert, negotiates the price and stays with you to the title deed.
A valuation from real sales data, a permitted listing, qualified buyers and a transfer handled from the first viewing to the trustee office.
A tenant's adviser who shortlists, checks the landlord, negotiates the terms and registers the contract on Ejari.
