Glossary
The key terms for buying property in Dubai and the UAE, explained clearly and briefly.
Cooling-Off Period
A cooling-off period is a window in which a buyer can withdraw from a contract without penalty. Dubai has no general statutory right of this kind for property; any right to withdraw comes only from the contract itself.
DLD-Gebühr
The DLD fee is the Dubai Land Department transfer fee of 4 percent of the purchase value, charged on every transfer of property ownership in Dubai.
Dubai Land Department
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) is the government authority of the Emirate of Dubai that registers all property transactions, issues title deeds and, through its regulatory arm RERA, oversees the real estate market.
Ejari
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department's official online system for registering tenancy contracts in Dubai, which makes a lease legally binding and officially recognised.
Escrow-Konto
An escrow account is a legally required trust account into which buyers pay their instalments for an off-plan property in Dubai, supervised by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) so the money is used only to build that specific project.
Form F (MOU)
Form F is the Dubai Land Department's unified sale contract between seller and buyer for the resale of an existing property in Dubai, often called the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding).
Freehold vs. Leasehold
In Dubai, freehold is unlimited, permanent full ownership of the property and its land share, while leasehold is a long-term right to use the property for up to 99 years without owning the land.
Handover
In Dubai, handover is the transfer of a completed off-plan property to the buyer, when keys and possession pass and the pre-registration (Oqood) is converted into a standard Title Deed.
NOC
A NOC (No Objection Certificate) is a written clearance from the developer confirming that nothing stands in the way of transferring ownership of a Dubai property, such as unpaid dues or objections.
Oqood
An Oqood is the pre-registration of an off-plan purchase issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) through the Oqood portal, recording the buyer of an unfinished unit as its official owner-to-be.
Payment Plan
A payment plan is the developer's schedule of instalments for an off-plan purchase in Dubai, splitting the price into payments tied to construction progress and handover.
Rent Cap
The rent cap is the legally set limit in Dubai on how much a landlord may raise the rent at renewal, staggered by how far the current rent sits below the market average.
Rental Yield
Rental yield is a figure that relates a property's annual rental income to its purchase price, expressed as a percentage showing how large the rental return is relative to the capital invested.
RERA
RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) is the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department that oversees the Dubai property market and sets the rules for developers, brokers and community management.
Service Charge
A service charge is the annual fee owners in a Dubai development pay for the upkeep and operation of shared areas, with the amount approved by RERA through the Mollak system.
SPA
An SPA (Sales and Purchase Agreement) is the binding purchase contract between developer and buyer for an off-plan property in Dubai, setting the price, payment plan, completion date and each side's obligations.
Title Deed
A Title Deed is the ownership certificate issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) that officially proves the lawful owner of a property in Dubai.
