Guide · updated 02.09.2026 · 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) transfer fee is 4% of the property price; on paper it splits 2%/2% between seller and buyer, but the buyer usually pays the full 4%.
As of late January 2026 the DLD register lists over 2,200 licensed developers, yet a developer's registration and a project's RERA permit are two separate statuses — check both.
Law No. 8 of 2007 makes developers hold off-plan buyers' money in a dedicated escrow account run by a bank agent, not in their own operating account — a request to pay outside escrow breaks that law.
The SPA almost always grants a grace period beyond the stated handover date — sources cite 6 to 12 months — and a delay counts legally only after that period runs out.
Market reports put the resale share within the off-plan segment at 8.3% of all off-plan deals in Q1 2026, down from 15.7% a year earlier — strong launch-day demand says nothing about resale liquidity.

The brochure shows renders and a yield number, but the SPA (Sale and Purchase Agreement) you sign once, usually under a "sign today or lose the unit" push. Here are 18 due-diligence checks to run before you sign and before the first payment: the developer and project in the DLD/RERA registers, the escrow account, the handover and retention clauses in the contract, scam red flags, and where to complain if something goes wrong. Tick off what you've done — your progress stays 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 free through the DLD and Dubai REST, before you've discussed price. Items 6-9 live in your own SPA text: grace period, force majeure, retention percentages. Items 10-12 protect the payment and flag common scam patterns. Items 13-14 cover the full cost beyond the advertised price. Items 15-16 are risks tied to your personal and family situation, not the project. Items 17-18 look ahead: a realistic read on resale and a known route if something goes wrong.

Repeat items 1-5 before every major payment instalment, not just 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. A company registered with the DLD doesn't mean the specific project has a RERA permit — two separate statuses.
Taking the agent's word instead of the DLD. The escrow account number, the bank agent, and the completion percentage come from the project's listing on dubailand.gov.ae or Dubai REST, not from a sales deck.
Reading the brochure, not the SPA. The layout, finishes, and dates that bind you are whatever the contract and its materials-specification schedule say, not the marketing renders.
Taking a discount for paying "outside escrow." That's no bonus — it breaches Law No. 8/2007, and money outside escrow gets zero RERA protection.
Leaving the will and the payment route "for later." Inheritance without a will and bank friction for certain nationalities both belong before the deal, not after the money has moved.

Found a problem — what's next

This checklist tells you what to look for, not how to settle a specific dispute. If a check turns up something off — money requested outside the escrow account, a project missing from the DLD register, a broker without an active BRN, or harsh retention terms in the SPA — the next step depends on what you found. For common scam patterns and an honest read on your odds of getting money back, see developer scams in Dubai; for a construction already running late, off-plan handover delays; for filing a formal complaint, how to complain to RERA and the DLD. If you are the one behind on instalments, the DLD termination route and the refund maths are in missed an off-plan instalment. If your case 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?

Start with the DLD's free "Real Estate Project Status" service (Mashrooi) — in the Dubai REST app or on dubailand.gov.ae. Search by project name or number, and 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 big name and a clean DLD registration don't excuse you from matching the 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 breaches Law No. 8/2007: money outside escrow carries no RERA protection, and clawing it back later is far 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 core mandatory costs are the 4% DLD transfer fee, a DLD registration charge, an agent's commission if a broker is involved, and the building's annual service charge from the DLD index. The total turns on the property price and whether a broker is involved — full breakdown in [risks of buying property in Dubai](../riski-pokupki-nedvizhimosti-dubai/).

Does the checklist save my progress?

Yes. Your ticks live only in your browser (localStorage), and nothing is sent to a server. The "Reset progress" button clears them.

Sources

Topic: Buying Property in Dubai 2026

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