Escrow marketing limit: 5% of sales, DLD FAQ (9 Oct 2026)

Dubai Land Department's FAQ (read 9 October 2026) says only 5% of a project's total sales can be paid out of its escrow account for marketing. It says so in its answer on what escrow money can be spent on.

An escrow account is the bank account, opened in the project's name, that holds the money off-plan buyers pay. Off-plan means sold before the building is finished.

What can escrow money pay for?

DLD's FAQ says payments from an escrow account are only for contractors, consultants and marketing involved in the project. Not every expense the developer has on the project qualifies.

The FAQ's example is the marketing limit: "only 5% of total sales can be paid for project marketing purposes" (FAQ read 9 October 2026).

The FAQ does not list which marketing costs count. It does not say how marketing above that limit is paid for.

How is money released?

The developer and the account trustee, a bank approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), agree a list of main construction stages. When a stage is complete, the developer asks for payment. The trustee's engineer visits the site to check before paying contractors and other service providers.

What else stays in the account?

DLD's FAQ says the Escrow Account Law keeps 5% of the total amount paid into the account for one year after the project is completed (FAQ read 9 October 2026). The FAQ says this is a guarantee that the developer or contractor deals with defects.

Can a buyer check progress?

Yes. DLD's FAQ says that when a developer asks for a payment tied to completion, the investor can ask for the completion percentage in a letter from the project consultant approved by DLD. Without it, the FAQ says, the investor is not obliged to pay unless the stage is confirmed.

The FAQ (read 9 October 2026) also says an investor can get a completion report from RERA's technical auditor after paying an audit fee of AED 15,000 for the unit or villa.

Is spending against the limit published?

Keyva has not found a public figure for what any single project spent on marketing. The FAQ gives the limit, not each project's spending.

Keyva's listing checks page links to DLD's and RERA's own public checks. Keyva is independent and is not part of, or endorsed by, either body.

Updated 9 October 2026: figures and wording corrected.