How to hand over your Dubai unit to a property manager

Owning from a distance means someone local runs the day to day

Once your unit is handed over, someone has to answer the phone when a tenant reports a blocked drain, collect rent, renew Ejari, and coordinate maintenance. If you live outside the UAE, that someone is almost never you directly. A property manager takes on that role under a mandate, a written agreement setting out what they do, what they charge, and what stays your decision. Getting that mandate right before handover matters more than most buyers expect, because renegotiating it after a tenant has already moved in is harder than agreeing it in advance.

This guide sets out what a mandate typically covers, the questions worth asking before you sign, and the documents a manager will need from you once the unit is yours.

What a management mandate typically covers

Mandates vary between management companies, but most fall into a similar structure. Confirm each of the following in writing before you sign:

Scope of authority. Whether the manager can sign a tenancy contract on your behalf, or only present candidates for your approval.
Rent collection. Whether rent is paid to the manager's client account or directly to you, and how often it is transferred.
Maintenance decisions. A threshold above which the manager must obtain your approval before spending on a repair, and how urgent issues are handled outside that threshold.
Reporting. How often you receive statements, occupancy updates, and notice of any issue affecting the unit.
Fees and duration. How the management fee is structured and calculated, confirmed in the contract itself, and the notice period to end the mandate.

Area	Ask before signing
Tenant selection	Does the manager screen tenants, or only present them to you?
Rent handling	Is rent paid into your account directly or through the manager?
Maintenance	What spending threshold needs your prior approval?
Communication	How often will you receive a report, and in what format?
Exit	What notice is required to end the mandate?

Questions to ask before you choose a manager

Beyond the mandate itself, ask how the manager works in practice. How quickly do they respond to a tenant issue outside office hours. Whether they manage other units in the same building or community, since local presence in your specific project often means faster response times. Whether they handle Ejari renewal and DEWA transfers as part of the standard fee, or as an additional charge. Read what is Ejari in Dubai if you are unfamiliar with the registration system a manager will handle on your behalf.

Documents a manager needs from you

Before a manager can act on your unit, they typically need a signed mandate, a copy of your title deed, your passport, and if you are not present in the UAE, a power of attorney covering property management if the manager is to sign contracts on your behalf. Confirm exactly which powers the mandate itself already grants and which require a separate authorisation, since the two documents work together rather than duplicating each other.

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Handover day: what changes hands

At handover, you typically receive the keys, the DEWA and utility connection details, and any warranty documentation from the developer. If a manager is taking over immediately, coordinate so the handover appointment and the manager's first inspection happen close together, ideally the same week, so nothing sits unattended between the developer's handover and the manager's first walkthrough. Read furnishing and handover preparation in Dubai for what typically needs to be arranged around this date, and who pays utilities, tenant or owner for how utility responsibility usually splits once a tenancy begins.

When you are not planning to rent immediately

Not every owner hands a unit straight to a tenant. If the unit is a second home you will use periodically, a manager's role shifts toward maintenance and security checks between your visits rather than tenant management. Read second home in Dubai: personal use and rental for how that arrangement typically differs from a straightforward rental mandate.

Staying informed without micromanaging

A property manager exists precisely so you do not have to handle every maintenance call yourself. Set a reporting rhythm you are comfortable with at the outset, whether that is a monthly statement or a quarterly call, and hold to it, rather than either disappearing from the relationship entirely or asking for updates on every small item. This balance tends to produce the most reliable management relationships over several years of ownership.

Coordinating the handover with Orven

Orven can introduce you to management companies active in your project and help you compare mandates before you sign, particularly if handover is approaching and you are not planning to be in Dubai at the time. Send your project name and handover date on WhatsApp at +971 52 776 1939, or write to sales@orvenproperties.com, and an adviser will walk through what to arrange before the keys change hands.

FAQ

Do I need to be in Dubai for the handover if a property manager is taking over? Not necessarily. A power of attorney can authorise your manager or another representative to attend handover on your behalf, provided this is arranged with your adviser in advance.

Can a property manager sign a tenancy contract without my approval? Only if your mandate grants that authority explicitly. Many owners prefer to approve each tenant before a contract is signed, which should be stated clearly in the mandate.

What happens if I am unhappy with my property manager after signing a mandate? The mandate should specify a notice period to end the arrangement. Read it carefully before signing so you know your options if the relationship does not work out.

Does the management fee cover Ejari renewal and DEWA transfers? This varies by company. Confirm in writing whether these are included in the standard fee or billed separately before you sign.

Should I hire a manager even if I plan to use the unit myself sometimes? Many owners of a second home still use a manager for maintenance and security checks between visits, even without a full-time tenant in place.