Frequently Asked Questions

Selling property in Dubai is far from a complicated process with the help of a qualified real estate agent. After finding a specialist, you will need to sign a ‘FORM A’, to formally mandate brokering and marketing with that agent. After the form has been submitted to the DLD’s Trakheesi system for a final approval your property will start being advertised on a number of platforms, both online and offline.

As soon as you find a buyer, you will have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, or ‘FORM F’, which is a legally binding contract between the seller and the purchaser. Another necessary document that is needed during the selling process is an NOC letter from the developer, which can take 5-7 days to be issued.

The final step of concluding the sale is the ownership transfer, where the following must be provided: MOU, NOC, copy of the title deed, a cheque to the seller, 4% DLD fee and an original passport copy with a valid visa/Emirates ID.

Simply fill in the property listing form on the Gazal Real Estate website and provide all required documents. Your form will be approved first by Gazal Real Estate for your property to be listed on the Website.
Freehold means complete ownership of the property by the buyer who will have his name on the title deed. Whereas leasehold refers to having the property on lease for a period of more than 10 years and up to 99 years. It cannot be bought completely.
RERA stands for Real Estate Regulatory Agency and is part of the DLD that takes care of the regulations in the real estate industry in Dubai. It is in charge of handling relationship between all parties of a contract and organizes the exchange process of the properties.
DEWA is the abbreviation for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. It is in charge of the electricity and water supply in Dubai.
DEWA can be applied online via their website or you can visit the DEWA offices to apply for the DEWA services.
Ejari is an Arabic word meaning ‘my rent’. It is an electronic online registration system for the regulation and registration of every tenancy contract in Dubai. It is the system used to document all rental transactions and make sure all contracts are done legally. The Ejari system makes the Dubai rental market one of the most regulated markets in the world.
Every tenancy contract must be registered with Ejari. This is the responsibility of the tenant to register the contract. It requires a Signed tenancy contract, Title Deed, SPA, Passport, visa & EID, Copy of landlord’s passport & Finger print.
Yes, you will have to get the Ejari done before applying for DEWA.
A security deposit 5%/10% of the Annual Rent is paid to the landlord by the tenant in advance. This fee is held in reserve to protect the landlord if in case the depositor fails on any contractual obligation. It covers Loss of Rent, Damage to the Property, Lost of Security Keys and Repairs that are not wear and tear.
A security deposit of 5% on unfurnished and 10% on furnished properties is required. In addition to that, you have to pay a DEWA deposit of AED 2000 for an apartment and AED 4000 for a villa. Also, a fee of AED 225 for Ejari. If there is chiller that will require a deposit. Then the agency fee as well.
A tenant needs to provide a valid passport and a valid Residence Visa copy. The original copies of both the documents have to be produced and presented by the tenant to the Property Broker. If it is a Corporate Tenant, he will have to provide a valid Trade License, General Manager’s Passport Copy (if he is signing the Agreement) and valid passport of the Occupant.
Yes, the tenancy contract has to be registered with Ejari to make it a valid contract. No claims can be considered without this, as per the Law.
Yes, as a tenant, you can terminate your tenancy contract, as long as you notify your landlord 2 months in advance and you will have to pay 2 months’ rent as cancellation from the day of vacating the property and you have to settle all the utility bills.
No, landlords cannot disconnect DEWA, Empower and any other utility service in order to make the tenant vacate the property.
The primary market is that where the new properties can be purchased directly from the developer.

When buying a freehold property in Dubai, the following documents are required:
A Valid Passport
Emirates ID (if resident of UAE)
Reservation Form
A credit card form as well if paying with card (usually for international clients)
A filled in CIF, i.e. Customer Information Form (in some cases)

The buyer and the seller sign an MOU if it is a property purchase from a reseller. The Memorandum of Understanding is an agreement between the reseller and the buyer about the terms and conditions of the sale transaction.
If buying a property directly from the developer, the SPA is signed. The Sales Purchase Agreement, or SPA, is an important document you sign with the developer that has all the agreed terms and conditions about the sale transaction.

Once all the required documents are in order, it takes an average of 30 minutes to register a sale.
Buyers/owners of properties can get a legal proxy with a proper and duly legalized power of attorney. This person with the POA can have the right to dispose the properties on behalf of the client, as mentioned in the POA. The POA is valid for purposes like sale, mortgage, and gifting and is valid for a period of 2 years. In case of purchasing with a POA, the said POA is valid for 5 years from the date of notarization at the notary public.
Yes, you can sell an off-plan property before its completion date.
The documents required for listing a property with Gazal Estate for Leasing include:
  1. Filled Listing Sheet
  2. Title Deed or Oqood or (SPA) Sales Purchase Agreement
  3. Owner’s Passport Copy with signature
  4. Leasing Form signed by Owner
  5. Power of Attorney Document and POA’s Passport Copy with signature (if applicable)
  The documents required for listing a property with Gazal Estate for Sale include:
  1. Filled Listing Sheet
  2. Title Deed or Oqood or (SPA) Sales Purchase Agreement
  3. Owner’s Passport Copy with signature
  4. Form A signed by Owner
  5. Power of Attorney Document and POA’s Passport Copy with signature (if applicable)
**For newly handed over properties, a Certificate of Completion is required for Property finder verification.
A buyer is eligible for UAE investor visa if his total investment is AED 1 million or above in one of maximum three properties.
No, if you are a resident abroad, you do not have to pay any tax.
A mortgage broker always provide a variety of options and unbiased opinion on the mortgages available. Contact us to get the best mortgage rates.
The United Arab Emirates is a tax-less country so there are no taxes on property or on any income generated off it. However, the property owner is responsible for the annual maintenance fee and service charge payments, which need to be made to the management company hired by the owner’s association. Payments are made from between one to four times a year at an average price of AED10-AED30 per sqft, depending on the project and services included.
In most instances, the transaction process goes as follows:
  • Buyer chooses the property.
  • Buyer and seller sign the sales and purchase agreement, where all the terms and conditions of the deal are mentioned: the purchase price, additional expenses (agency fee, transfer fee at the DLD, developer’s fee, service charge refund, etc), the transfer date of the deal at the DLD, terms of payment and clearly-defined responsibilities and penalties for both parties in case they fail to uphold the conditions set out in the agreement.
  • On signing the agreement, the buyer pays the deposit. This is usually 10% of the purchase price.
  • The seller applies for a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the developer in order to sell the property. The NOC is required for the transfer process at the DLD.
  • Once the NOC is ready, the buyer and seller can transfer the property and register it on the buyer’s name. Usually, payments need to be made at the time of registration.
The regulations, governing the relationship between the landlord and the tenant, are defined in Law No. 26 of 2007. As per the law, any property owner in Dubai can rent out their unit. Usually, the rental period is one year (extensions are possible).
A property owner can appoint a licensed management company to manage his/her property, in which case the firm bears all responsibility of communicating with the tenant.
The average net income (after paying the service charge) is 5%-10% per year, depending on the type of property, geographical location or service charge price. The more exclusive and expensive properties usually bring in less rental income in percentage even though the rent is higher.
For the most part, real estate deals are made through agencies in Dubai (like everywhere else in the world). Realty agents are market experts and have up-to-date information on the industry and can help both property owners and buyers or tenants find a deal that suits them best. That being said, it is possible to negotiate a deal without an agency.
As per Law No. 85 of 2006 regarding the regulation of real estate brokers, these are some of the requirements for brokerages in the emirate:  
  • Have an appropriate trade license from the Dubai Department of Economic Development;
  • The brokerage company and all its brokers must be registered with the RERA. Upon registration, agency is given an Office Registration Number (ORN) and its agents are given a Broker Registration Numbers (BRN);
  • In order to be registered with the RERA, all agents of a brokerage company need a certificate from the Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI) and have to pass a professional test, administered by the RERA.
  • Brokers are required to comply with a Code of Ethics, published by the RERA.

The Dubai market is a melting pot of cultures and it can be a daunting task to those new to the country. It is difficult to trace down who is responsible in the event that something goes wrong in a property deal. Real estate agencies act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers and as such, there is a clear account of who is responsible and both buyer and seller knows where to turn when something goes wrong. Not all agents in the market are registered and it is essential that homeowners and tenants make sure that they are dealing with a registered agent to safeguard their own assets.

As intermediaries, agencies are ethically obliged to work out a deal that is in the best interest of both parties. For example, the agency is responsible for collecting a deposit from the buyer and holding on to it until final payments are made to the seller. The buyer can be assured that he/she will receive the deposit back if something goes wrong with the deal on the part of the seller. Meanwhile, the seller is assured that they will be compensated if the deal is cancelled on the buyer’s part.

Once a property has been handed over to the purchaser, it must be registered in the name of the purchaser at the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The property owner can appoint someone with a notarized Power of Attorney to register their property and receive a title deed if they are unable to do it themselves.
Off-plan property needs to be registered in the interim register through the Oqood system on receiving the initial sale contract. When the property is ready, a title deed will be issued in the name of the homeowner.
A registration fee of 4% of the property value needs to be paid along with a fixed amount for document preparation.
Earlier, ownership of property in Dubai was restricted to citizens of the UAE. However, in 2006, the government passed Regulation No. 3, determining designated areas where non-citizens can own property. In these areas, foreigners are permitted to buy property on freehold ownership. Major freehold properties are available in most parts of ‘new Dubai,’ such as in Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Emirates Hills.