INVESTOR GUIDES
Practical answers on Dubai property: off-plan, payment plans, districts, developers, taxes and residency.
Quick answers
A developer's sales team represents the developer's interest in one project. Orven works across multiple developers, verifies registration and escrow on your behalf, and manages your file remotely at no extra cost to you, since our fee is paid by the developer.
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Every price, contract and payment instalment for a Dubai property is set in UAE dirhams (AED). If you earn or hold funds in euros, CFA francs, naira or pounds, your bank converts at the transfer, and Orven does not quote or guarantee any exchange rate.
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For individuals, there is no personal income tax on rental income and no capital gains tax on resale in the UAE. Your own country of residence may still tax that income, so this needs checking with a tax adviser there, and none of this changes the one-off DLD registration fee you pay at purchase.
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Check a project's Dubai Land Department registration through the Project Status Enquiry service, confirm its escrow account, and ask for the broker's RERA and DET license numbers. These three checks cover most of the risk in an off-plan purchase.
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After your reservation, further instalments follow the specific payment plan set in your sales contract, either fixed dates or construction milestones, with every payment going into a project escrow account controlled by the Dubai Land Department.
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Compare projects on district, unit type, payment plan structure and developer track record rather than on price alone, since starting prices are often not directly comparable. Match the choice to your own goal, personal use, rental income or long-term resale, before deciding.
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A construction-linked plan ties your instalments to verified building milestones instead of fixed calendar dates, so you pay as the project actually progresses. The exact percentages and stages are set in each project's sales contract, confirmed by your adviser.
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Yes, spouses, family members or business partners can jointly own a Dubai property, registered as co-owners at the Dubai Land Department. The exact ownership split, documentation and what happens if one party wants to exit are set in the sales contract and title deed.
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Site visits during construction are usually possible but limited by safety rules and depend on the developer, so access is arranged rather than guaranteed at any time. If you cannot travel, your adviser can request updates, photos and progress reports on your behalf.
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RERA is the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the arm of the Dubai Land Department that licenses developers and brokers, oversees escrow accounts, and enforces the rules that govern off-plan sales. It is why your payments sit outside the developer's own account.
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The SPA is the binding contract between you and the developer for an off-plan unit: price, payment schedule, unit specification and what happens if either side does not perform. Read it before you pay, not after.
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A title deed is the Dubai Land Department's proof of ownership, issued in your name once your unit is complete and handed over. Before that, your off-plan purchase is recorded through Oqood, a different registration that comes earlier in the process.
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Ejari is the Dubai Land Department's system for registering tenancy contracts. As an owner, it is what makes your lease official, what your tenant needs for utilities and visas, and part of what proves your rental relationship if a dispute ever comes up.
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Handover is the point where the developer hands you the keys and title deed. Snagging is the inspection that happens first, listing defects the developer must fix before you sign off. Both can be managed at a distance with a representative on site.
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Banks on both ends of an international transfer ask you to document where your money comes from before they will move it. This is standard anti-money-laundering practice, not a sign your purchase is being scrutinised, and preparing it early is what keeps your payment schedule on time.
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Funds move by bank transfer into the project's escrow account, held under the Dubai Land Department, never to a personal or developer account. Your own bank's source-of-funds requirements, not a fixed rule here, decide how long that transfer takes.
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Short-term and holiday-home rentals in Dubai require a specific permit and are managed differently from standard leasing. If this is your goal, confirm the building allows it and line up management before you buy, not after.
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Most off-plan purchases do not require a power of attorney at all, since the reservation form and sale agreement are signed electronically. A POA becomes useful for specific steps you cannot handle yourself, such as attending in person for a signature a developer insists on.
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A post-handover plan lets you keep paying part of the price after you already hold the keys, instead of settling everything at completion. It changes your cash-flow timing, not the total price, and the exact split is confirmed in your sale agreement.
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A No Objection Certificate from the developer confirms your payments are up to date and clears the way for the Dubai Land Department to register a resale in the new buyer's name. Without it, a resale transfer cannot proceed.
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A Dubai property you own does not automatically pass to your heirs the way it might under your home country's succession law. Registering a will through a recognised framework such as DIFC Wills is the usual way non-residents address this. This is a legal matter to settle with a lawyer, not something Orven advises on directly.
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Freehold means full, transferable ownership of a unit, registered in your name at the Dubai Land Department, available to foreign buyers in designated areas. Leasehold grants long-term use rights without that outright title. Orven only presents freehold projects.
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Payments for off-plan property go by bank transfer into the project's escrow account, not physical cash handed over. What people usually mean by paying cash is buying without a mortgage, which is common and straightforward.
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The paperwork itself moves fast: signature the same day, a transfer that depends on your bank, then developer registration. Here is what actually sets the pace, with no invented deadline.
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