Dubai real estate blog
Guides and data-driven insights — grounded in real Land Department data, not filler.
Dubai rent increase limits: Decree 43 of 2013 bands
Decree No. 43 of 2013, read 9 October 2026 on DLD's website, caps a renewal increase at 20% by how far rent sits below the market rate. Bands and notice.
October 9, 2026
Dubai property buying costs: the fees DLD lists
DLD's sale registration page, read 9 October 2026, lists 2% of the sale value for buyer and seller each, plus fixed fees. Agent commission is by agreement.
October 9, 2026
Off-plan projects: how to check DLD registration first
DLD's Project Status Enquiry finds a project by land number, project number or name. What registration involves and what each DLD service shows.
October 9, 2026
Dubai Land Department sale prices: where to see them
Dubai Land Department lists registered sales, with amount, date, area and project, on its Real Estate Data page. What each record shows and where to look.
October 9, 2026
Dubai registered home sales: what the market report shows, August 2026
What Dubai Land Department data shows for August 2026: ready-home and off-plan sales registered in Dubai, and the date the figures run to.
October 5, 2026
Ejari fees: what DLD's FAQ lists for registering a lease
Creating an Ejari account is free. DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, lists fees for registering a tenancy contract online and at trustee centres.
September 25, 2026
Four size fields in DLD unit data and price per sq ft
DLD's Unit Details data has four size columns: Property Size, Balcony Area, Common Area and Actual Common Area. Price per sq ft depends on which is used.
September 25, 2026
Project under 5% complete: DLD FAQ read 9 October 2026
If a project is not cancelled and you want your money back, DLD's FAQ (read 9 October 2026) says you must go to court. DLD cannot end the contract for you.
September 14, 2026
Dubai price per sq ft by area, October 2025 to October 2026
Home sales and median price per sq ft, ready and off-plan, in ten Dubai areas, 8 October 2025 to 6 October 2026. Source: Dubai Land Department.
September 7, 2026
DLD contact details: phone, email and chat
DLD's contact page, read 9 October 2026, lists a call number, info@dubailand.gov.ae, WhatsApp, live chat and the Malik chatbot. Noqodi handles payments.
August 31, 2026
Ejari in Dubai: who registers a lease and what it costs
Ejari is DLD's tenancy contract register. DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, lists who registers, the AED 100 online fee and what Ejari is needed for.
August 31, 2026
DLD's open-data portal: what each of the nine tabs holds
DLD's open-data portal, read 9 October 2026, has nine search tabs, from Transactions to Developer. What each one holds, and what the portal leaves out.
August 30, 2026
Escrow marketing limit: 5% of sales, DLD FAQ (9 Oct 2026)
DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, says only 5% of a project's total sales can be paid from escrow for marketing. What else the FAQ says about escrow.
August 30, 2026
DLD's Development Handbook: the three stages it describes
DLD's Development Handbook page, read 9 October 2026, says it was prepared with more than 23 entities. Its three stages, and what buyers can check.
August 30, 2026
DLD's Projects Map: What It Shows, What It Doesn't, and How to Use It Before You Reserve a Unit
Dubai's Projects Map, linked from DLD's Development Handbook, tells you whether a project is officially registered and roughly where it sits on the ground. It doesn't tell you whether the developer finishes what they start, whether the pric
August 30, 2026
Project Cancelled or Stalled? DLD's Actual Timeline for Getting Your Money Back
A stalled off-plan project doesn't get cancelled overnight, and cancellation doesn't mean your money lands back in your account the next day. Dubai Land Department's own FAQ page sets out a specific sequence: a grievance and review process
August 30, 2026
DLD's News Page Won't Tell You About Rule Changes — Here's What Will
DLD's News & Media archive is mostly old PDFs and event photos, not a live regulation feed. Here's where actual rent, fee, and contract rule changes actually get published.
August 28, 2026
Trade licence, building permit, completion certificate
DLD's Development Handbook page, read 9 October 2026, names three documents along a project's path. What it says about each, and what it leaves out.
August 27, 2026
DLD's 2017 "Know Your Rights" PDF: what the listing shows
DLD's News & Media page, read 9 October 2026, lists a 2017 PDF on investor rights. What the listing shows, and where loan and visa rules are published.
August 27, 2026
Land, building and unit records in DLD's open data
DLD's open-data portal, read 9 October 2026, keeps land, buildings and units in separate tabs. What columns each holds and how they link.
August 27, 2026
Your Rights as a Dubai Property Investor: A Plain-English Summary
DLD published a 'Know Your Rights' investor PDF back in 2017. Here's what's actually verifiable today, and where to go when the source page doesn't give a straight answer.
August 27, 2026
Off-Plan Payment Requests: Your Right to Proof Before You Pay
DLD's FAQ confirms you can demand a completion percentage letter before paying the next off-plan installment — and aren't obligated to pay until it's confirmed.
August 27, 2026
Landlord Cut Your Water or Power? Here's What DLD Actually Says
DLD's FAQ confirms landlords can't cut off services — but the more useful tool for renewal disputes is the free rental increase calculator, and here's how it works.
August 27, 2026
DLD's rules page: why so many circulars concern brokers
On DLD's rules page, read 9 October 2026, 69 of 95 documents are License Circulars, many about brokers and ads. How DLD's FAQ says to complain.
August 27, 2026
DLD Contact Channels: When to Call, Email, or Escalate
DLD's website routes you to a chatbot by default, but payment issues, general questions, and formal disputes each need a different channel. Here's the actual triage.
August 27, 2026
DLD's Development Calculator Isn't For Buyers — Here's What It's Actually For
DLD's Real Estate Development Calculator lives inside its Development Handbook for developers, not buyers. Here's who it's built for and where buyers should actually look.
August 27, 2026
Verify a Dubai Building's Amenities With DLD's Own Data Before You Buy
DLD's Building Details dataset records elevators, pools, floors, shops, flats and offices per building — enough to catch marketing claims that don't match reality before you sign.
August 27, 2026
Off-Plan Project Stalled? The Real DLD Cancellation Timeline
DLD's own FAQ says liquidation timing is "indefinite." Here's the real sequence — grievance, committee, 60-day fund return, and when court is your only option.
August 27, 2026
Can a Dubai Landlord Cut Your Water or AC to Force You Out?
DLD's Ejari FAQ states plainly: landlords cannot cut off water, power, or AC to pressure a tenant out. Here's what that rule covers — and what to do if it happens.
August 27, 2026
Ejari 'New' vs 'Renew' and Contract Amount vs Annual Rent, Explained
DLD's rent dataset tags every lease as New or Renew and splits Contract Amount from Annual Amount. Here's what those fields mean for your Ejari certificate.
August 27, 2026
DLD's Complaint Handling Policy: What It Actually Covers
DLD lists a "Complain Handling Policy" PDF on its site, dated 2020, with no public detail. Here's what that listing does and doesn't tell you before you try to escalate a dispute.
August 27, 2026
DLD's Whistleblower Policy: It's Not Where You Report a Broker Scam
DLD lists a Whistleblower Protection Policy and a Whistleblowing Policy on its site — but these govern internal staff and suppliers, not consumer fraud complaints. Here's where to actually report a broker or developer issue.
August 27, 2026
Dubai's Rent Increase Rule, Decoded: What the RERA Index Actually Allows
DLD's rules page confirms Dubai's rent-increase rule is index-based, not a flat percentage — here's what that means for your renewal notice and where the source stops short.
August 27, 2026
DLD's Cold-Call Ban: What It Means for the Calls You're Already Getting
A 2026 DLD circular bans unsolicited cold-calling by real estate professionals. Here's what the source document actually says — and what it doesn't.
August 27, 2026
How DLD Actually Records "Nearest Metro" — And How to Fact-Check a Listing's Claim
DLD attaches Nearest Metro, Nearest Mall, and Nearest Landmark fields to every transaction record. Here's how to pull that data and check it against a listing's "5 minutes to metro" pitch.
August 27, 2026
The Standard Lease Documents Every Dubai Tenant Should Ask to See
DLD publishes three standard templates for rental transactions. Knowing they exist gives you a benchmark to spot missing clauses or unauthorized fees before you sign.
August 27, 2026
The Right DLD Contact Channel for Payment Issues, Complaints, and General Questions
DLD's actual contact points are scattered across footers and pop-ups. Here's which one to use depending on whether you have a payment problem, a formal complaint, or a general question.
August 27, 2026
Complaints to DLD: which route DLD's FAQ gives for what
DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, sends complaints about DLD, about brokers and about leases down different routes, and lists what it will not take.
August 27, 2026
Developer Verification Checklist: DLD's Developer Details Fields Explained
DLD's Developer Details dataset lets you check license validity and escrow linkage before paying a booking fee — here's the exact field-by-field checklist.
August 27, 2026
DLD project status values and what DLD defines
DLD's open-data portal, read 9 October 2026, lists eight project status values without definitions. What DLD's FAQ says about cancelled projects.
August 27, 2026
Escrow Account 101: The Actual Chain of Custody for Your Off-Plan Payments
DLD's FAQ explains escrow accounts in legal language. Here's the plain version: who touches your off-plan payment, when it's released, and what protects you if a project stalls.
August 27, 2026
Off-Plan Project Stalled or Cancelled in Dubai? What Happens to Your Money
Escrow protects off-plan buyers in Dubai, but DLD's own FAQ makes clear that recovery is slow, proportional to what's left in the account, and can take years with no fixed timeline.
August 27, 2026
The 5% escrow retention after completion (DLD FAQ, 9 Oct 2026)
DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, says 5% of a project's escrow money is kept for one year after completion as a guarantee against defects.
August 27, 2026
Broker License Lookup: How to Verify a Dubai Real Estate Agent Before You Sign Anything
DLD publishes a public dataset of every licensed broker in Dubai. Here's how to check license status and brokerage affiliation before you pay a deposit or sign an MOU.
August 27, 2026
Mortgages vs. Gifts vs. Sales in DLD Data: Don't Mix Them Up
DLD's transaction data includes Gifts and Mortgages alongside real Sales — mixing them into your price research can badly skew what you think a property is actually worth.
August 27, 2026
How to Check Any Dubai Developer's Track Record Before You Buy
"Is this developer legit?" is a real, common question for remote buyers. Here's how to check — using both official regulatory tools and real transaction data.
August 25, 2026
Dubai sales by property type, Oct 2025 to Oct 2026
Dubai Land Department data: 178,199 registered sales from 8 October 2025 to 6 October 2026 by property type, with median price per sq ft for each type.
August 25, 2026
Which Developers Are Most Active in Dubai's Real Estate Market
Ranked by real transaction volume across Dubai Land Department data: DAMAC, Binghatti, Sobha, and Danube lead by a wide margin.
August 25, 2026
The Most Active Areas in Dubai Real Estate, By the Numbers
Ranked by real transaction count from official DLD data: which Dubai areas actually see the most buying and selling activity, and at what price point.
August 25, 2026
Off-Plan vs Ready Property in Dubai: What the Real Transaction Data Shows
We compared median AED/sqft across more than a million real DLD residential sales. Off-plan trades at a premium to ready property — the opposite of common assumption.
August 25, 2026
Off-Plan Payment Plans in Dubai: How They Actually Work
Post-handover payment plans, construction-linked milestones, DLD Oqood registration — here's how buying off-plan actually differs from paying cash for a finished unit.
August 25, 2026
How Rental Yield Works in Dubai (and How to Calculate It)
Gross rental yield is the single most-cited number in Dubai property marketing — and the most commonly miscalculated. Here's how to work it out correctly.
August 25, 2026
Dubai Property Transaction Costs: DLD Fees, Commission, and Hidden Costs
The purchase price is only part of the bill. Here's what a Dubai property transaction actually costs on top — budget roughly 7% all-in.
August 25, 2026
Freehold areas in Dubai: what DLD's FAQ says
Foreigners can own property in Dubai's freehold areas. What DLD's FAQ and open-data portal, read 9 October 2026, say about freehold and leasehold.
August 25, 2026
Off-plan escrow in Dubai: what DLD's FAQ says
Off-plan payments in Dubai go into a project escrow account. What DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, says about who holds it and when money is paid out.
August 25, 2026
Dubai mortgage limits: what the CBUAE regulation sets
Maximum loan-to-value, term and income limits in the UAE Central Bank's mortgage regulation, consolidated 8 April 2020 and read 9 October 2026.
August 25, 2026
Buying property in Dubai as a foreigner: what DLD says
Foreigners can own property in Dubai's freehold areas. What DLD's FAQ, read 9 October 2026, says about ownership, registration and powers of attorney.
August 25, 2026