Answers

Dubai property answers

These are the questions I get asked most, answered in the first fifty words and then explained properly. Every fee, threshold and visa rule is checked against the Dubai Land Department, u.ae or the Central Bank, and the market numbers come from my own community guides. Where I give an opinion, I say so. For the citywide transaction record behind these answers, see my September 2026 market report.

Updated September 2026

• What is Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme, and do I qualify?Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme is not a fee waiver and non-residents cannot use it. The conditions, the benefits and the one real trade in it.
• How do I know if a Dubai property ad is real?DLD’s AI platform modified 29% of the Dubai property ads it monitored. Here is how to check an ad yourself with the Madmoun QR code, for free.
• Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?Yes, outright freehold in the designated areas, with no visa, partner or age requirement.
• Where can foreigners buy? Dubai’s freehold areas explainedThe schedule is written by sector and plot number, not by community name, and 457 more plots became eligible to convert in 2025.
• How much does it really cost to buy property in Dubai?Budget roughly 7 to 8% on top of the price for a resale, most of it the 4% DLD fee.
• What is the DLD transfer fee in Dubai?4% of the sale price, formally split 2% and 2% but in practice paid by the buyer.
• How long does it take to buy property in Dubai?The Land Department publishes a time for every step it controls. What takes the weeks is everything it does not.
• Can I buy property in Dubai without being there?Yes. Off-plan registers through Oqood without you attending, and a resale can be done on a notarised power of attorney.
• What documents do I need to buy property in Dubai?Fewer than most lists suggest. An Emirates ID or passport, the title deed and an NOC cover a ready resale.
• What’s the minimum budget to buy property in Dubai?There is no legal minimum. The floor is cash: about 6 to 7% in fees on top of the price, and 20% down with a mortgage.
• What are the disadvantages of buying property in Dubai?Cost and control, and every one of them is knowable before you sign.

• Can I see the escrow account for my off-plan project?Law 8 of 2007 gives off-plan depositors the right to inspect and copy their own escrow records. Here is what DLD publishes and what it does not.
• Off-plan or ready: which is better in Dubai?Ready pays rent from day one; off-plan buys a lower launch price with a payment plan. It depends what you need the money to do.
• Is off-plan property in Dubai safe?Your money is protected by escrow under Law 8 of 2007. Your handover date is not, and that is the risk buyers underrate.
• What do I check before a client signs off-plan?The 49 questions I work through on every project, from the developer to the exit. Free, no sign-up, and it saves your ticks on your phone.
• Can you sell off-plan property before handover?Yes, by assigning the contract with the developer’s NOC once you have paid the share your SPA requires.
• How do post-handover payment plans work?Part of the price is paid in instalments after you get the keys, so the unit can start earning while you pay.
• What happens if an off-plan project is delayed?A delay on its own gives you no statutory remedy. What the law does give you, and when.
• What is Oqood in Dubai?The Land Department system that records off-plan sales in the Interim Real Property Register.
• What is snagging, and do I need an inspection?The inspection between being told the unit is ready and accepting the keys, so defects are fixed at the developer’s cost.
• How do I buy off-plan in Dubai, step by step?Eight steps, from the DLD register checks to the Oqood entry, and who actually owes the 4%.
• Which off-plan projects give the best ROI?Nobody can tell you before handover, because the figure divides a rent that does not exist yet by a price you are still paying.

• Can non-residents get a mortgage in Dubai?Yes, from a handful of UAE banks, at a lower loan-to-value than residents get.
• Which UAE banks lend to non-residents, and on what terms?Five publish terms you can read before you apply, and their loan-to-value runs from 50% to 75% on the same borrower.
• How much down payment do I need in Dubai?At least 20% for an expat resident’s first home under AED 5 million, plus the fees in cash.
• Can I get a mortgage on off-plan property?Yes, and the Central Bank caps it at 50% loan-to-value, whatever the purpose or value.
• Cash or mortgage: which is better for Dubai property?Neither by default. Cash removes the financing cost; a mortgage keeps your capital free at the price of interest.
• What fees come with a Dubai mortgage?0.25% of the loan to the Land Department, plus the bank charges nobody publishes.

• How much property do you need for a golden visa?AED 2 million of purchase value in your name, one property or several, mortgaged or not.
• Does off-plan property qualify for the golden visa?No official page says off-plan qualifies, and none says it is excluded either. Where that leaves you.
• Can a mortgaged property get you a golden visa?Yes. A mortgaged property counts towards the AED 2 million threshold, and all three authorities say so in writing.
• Does buying property give you residency in Dubai?Yes, but it is an application rather than an automatic right, and there are two routes.

• Can I sublet my apartment in Dubai?Subletting a Dubai apartment needs the landlord’s written consent. Without it, Law 26 of 2007 allows eviction of both the tenant and the subtenant.
• Can my sale contract stop me renting the apartment as a holiday home?A Dubai holiday home permit needs a sale contract with no clause barring holiday home use. It is a permit condition, not a developer preference.
• What are the rules for running a holiday home in Dubai?Dubai holiday home rules: a DET licence, a permit at AED 300 per bedroom, whole units only, and a published fine schedule. What the law actually says.
• Can my landlord raise the rent in the first two years?Dubai’s two-year rent freeze was superseded in 2008. What actually limits an increase: your contract term, the 90 days’ notice and Decree 43.
• What rental yield can I expect in Dubai?About 6 to 7% gross on apartments and 4.5 to 5% on villas, less roughly 1.5 to 2 points net.
• Which Dubai areas have the highest rental yields?Motor City and JVC lead on gross yield, and after service charges the order changes. The net table, area by area.
• What are service charges in Dubai?The yearly per-square-foot fee for running the building, roughly AED 3 to 40 depending on the area.
• Is there property tax in Dubai?No annual tax on owning, and no tax on rent in your own name. The 4% transfer fee is the real cost.
• Can I rent my Dubai apartment on Airbnb?Yes, with a permit. Dubai regulates short-term letting as a holiday home activity under Decree 41 of 2013.
• Short-term or long-term rental: which earns more?Neither holds for every unit. The short let shows the higher gross and carries a permit, guest records and an insurance condition with it.
• How much can a landlord raise the rent in Dubai?Nothing within 10% of the area average, then 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% by how far below it sits. Ninety days written notice.
• What is Ejari, and who registers it?The Land Department system that registers a tenancy with RERA. The landlord is responsible, and it costs AED 177.75 in the app.

• Is 2026 a good time to buy property in Dubai?Better for a buyer holding and renting, harder for an off-plan resale before handover. It depends which of four buyers you are.
• Will Dubai property prices drop?The index eased 1.7% in the year to August 2026 while launch volumes slowed. What that supports, and what it does not.
• What is the best property investment in Dubai right now?There is not one. Registration alone costs about 4.3% on entry, and that is the floor any return has to clear.
• Apartment or villa: which is the better investment?Apartments carry about two points more gross yield; service charges run the other way. Which matters depends on what you are buying for.

• Can I transfer my Dubai property to my wife or children?Gifting a Dubai property to a spouse, parent or child registers at 0.125% instead of 4%. Here are the real fees, the documents, and who does not qualify.
• I own an apartment in the DIFC. Which tenancy rules apply?Own or rent inside the DIFC and Dubai’s tenancy law is not what governs you. The deposit cap, registration deadline and tribunal are all different.
• What does it cost to take a rent dispute to the Rental Disputes Centre?Filing a Dubai rent dispute costs 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500, capped at AED 20,000. Every stage fee, from conciliation to eviction.
• What does my agent need before they can advertise my property?A Dubai agent needs a signed Contract A and a permit per advertisement, at AED 1,020 each. What that means if you are selling, and how to check it.
• Do I need a building safety certificate for my Dubai property?Dubai’s new building law makes owners get a safety certificate at 20 years. The real penalty is a block on your Ejari and your sale, not the fine.
• Is it legal for an agent to cold-call me about my property?An unsolicited broker call about a property you own breaks two separate rules in Dubai. Here is what each one says, and how to report it in five days.
• How do I check if a Dubai agent is licensed?Check a Dubai agent on DLD’s Licensed Real Estate Brokers list, then view their sale transactions and broker card in Dubai REST. What each check misses.
• How do I check a title deed in Dubai?Dubai title deed verification is instant on the DLD app, but it only proves the deed is valid. The AED 70 report is the one showing mortgage and seizure.
• How do I sell my property in Dubai?About 25 minutes at a trustee centre, once you have the title deed, the developer NOC and a liability letter if there is a mortgage.
• What happens to Dubai property if the owner dies?It does not pass automatically. The Land Department needs a court letter addressed to it before it will transfer the title.
• How do I check a title deed in Dubai?Through the Dubai REST app, against the Land Department’s own records.
• How do I check if a Dubai agent is licensed?Look them up in Dubai REST; every broker has a RERA number.
• How do you choose a property consultant in Dubai?Three checks before you sign: the RERA brokers register, the Trakheesi permit on the advert, and who receives your money.

• Is JVC a good investment in 2026?The net inside one community spans nearly two points, so this is a building question rather than an area question.
• Dubai Hills Estate or Downtown: where should you buy?Downtown for the address and liquidity, Dubai Hills for space and families.
• Is Business Bay a good place to invest?You buy the building, not the area. The right tower is a solid yield play.
• Is Dubai Creek Harbour worth buying into?A Downtown view at about 14% below Downtown prices, with more supply still to come.
• Is DAMAC Lagoons a good investment?Early buyers did well; today it is a yield and lifestyle buy more than a growth one.
• Emaar or DAMAC: which developer should you buy from?Different products for different buyers. I compare delivery, quality and resale.
• Is Al Jaddaf a good area to invest in?A real discount to Business Bay next door, with yields of 6 to 8% in my guide.
• Which Dubai developers are the most reliable?No regulator ranks them, so the four official checks you can run yourself are worth more than any list.
• Which areas of Dubai should you actually buy in?No single list, because the right area depends on whether you want yield, resale liquidity or somewhere to live.