Guide · updated 31.07.2026 · 15 min read · Lucent Legal team

Checklist: What to Check Before Buying Off-Plan in Dubai

Checklist: Buying Off-Plan in Dubai, 18 Checks 2026

Key points

The DLD (Dubai Land Department) charges a transfer fee of 4% of the property price; it's officially split 2%/2% between seller and buyer, but in practice the buyer usually pays the full 4%.
As of late January 2026, the DLD register lists over 2,200 licensed developers, but a developer's registration and a project's RERA permit are two separate statuses — both need checking independently.
Law No. 8 of 2007 requires developers to hold off-plan buyers' money in a dedicated escrow account controlled by a bank agent, not in the developer's own operating account — a request to pay outside escrow is a violation.
The SPA typically includes a grace period beyond the stated handover date — sources cite 6 to 12 months — and delay only becomes legally significant once that period has run out.
Per market reports, the resale share within the off-plan segment dropped to 8.3% of all off-plan deals in Q1 2026 (down from 15.7% a year earlier) — strong launch-day demand doesn't guarantee resale liquidity.

The brochure shows renders and yield numbers, but signing the SPA (Sale and Purchase Agreement) happens once, usually under a "sign today or lose the unit" push. This checklist collects 18 due-diligence checks worth running before you sign and before the first payment: the developer and project in the DLD/RERA registers, the escrow account, the clauses in the contract about handover dates and retention, red flags for scams, and where to complain if something goes wrong. Tick off what you've done — your progress stays saved in your browser, even if you close the page.

How to use this checklist

Items 1-5 check the developer, the project, and — if a broker is involved — the broker: all of this is free through the DLD and Dubai REST, before you've even discussed price. Items 6-9 are things to find in your own SPA text: grace period, force majeure, retention percentages. Items 10-12 protect the payment itself and help you spot common scam patterns. Items 13-14 cover the full cost of the deal beyond the advertised price. Items 15-16 are risks tied to your personal and family situation rather than the specific project. Items 17-18 are for later: a realistic read on resale and a known route if something goes wrong.

Some checks (1-5) are worth repeating before every major payment instalment, not just once at the start — broker licences renew annually, and a project's DLD status can change.

Common due-diligence mistakes

Checking only the developer and stopping there. A company being registered with the DLD doesn't mean the specific project has a RERA permit — these are two separate statuses.
Taking the agent's word instead of checking the DLD directly. The escrow account number, the bank agent, and the completion percentage need to come from the project's listing on dubailand.gov.ae or Dubai REST, not from a sales presentation.
Reading the brochure instead of the SPA. The final layout, finishes, and exact dates are whatever's in the contract and its materials-specification schedule, not the marketing renders.
Accepting a discount for paying "outside escrow." That's not a bonus, it's a direct breach of Law No. 8/2007 — money outside escrow has no RERA protection at all.
Putting off the will and the payment-route question "for later." Both — inheritance without a will and bank friction for certain nationalities — are worth resolving before the deal, not after the money's already moved.

Found a problem — what's next

This checklist tells you what to look for, not how to resolve a specific dispute. If a check turns up something off — money being requested outside the escrow account, a project missing from the DLD register, a broker without an active BRN, or unacceptable retention terms in the SPA — the right next step depends on exactly what you found. Common scam patterns and an honest read on your odds of getting money back are covered in developer scams in Dubai; what to do if construction is already delayed is in off-plan handover delays; where and how to file a formal complaint is in how to complain to RERA and the DLD. If your situation is more tangled than that, describe it to the assistant on our homepage — the initial read is free.

FAQ

Where do I start when checking an off-plan project in Dubai?

With the DLD's free "Real Estate Project Status" service (Mashrooi) — in the Dubai REST app or on dubailand.gov.ae. By project name or number, it shows the developer, the completion percentage, and an "Escrow Account" block with the bank and account details.

Do I still need to check the escrow account if the developer is big and well-known?

Yes. A developer's DLD registration and reputation don't remove the need to match the specific escrow account number in your contract against what the DLD shows — errors and violations happen at the project level, not only at unknown companies.

What if a broker asks me to pay somewhere other than the escrow account?

Stop and don't transfer. That's a breach of Law No. 8/2007: money outside escrow has no RERA protection, and getting it back afterward is significantly harder. More in [checking a developer's escrow account](../proverka-escrow-zastroyshchika/).

How much does buying property in Dubai cost beyond the listed price?

The main mandatory costs are the 4% DLD transfer fee, a DLD registration charge, an agent's commission if a broker is involved, and the specific building's annual service charge from the DLD index. The exact total depends on the property price and whether a broker is involved — a full breakdown is in [risks of buying property in Dubai](../riski-pokupki-nedvizhimosti-dubai/).

Does the checklist save my progress?

Yes, your ticks are stored only in your browser (localStorage) — nothing is sent to a server. The "Reset progress" button clears it.

Sources

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.