Dubai property glossary

How to use this glossary

The table below defines the terms you will hear most often when buying, selling, renting or letting in Dubai. Definitions are deliberately short. Where a term has its own process, we link to the guide that explains it step by step.

Rules and fees change, so for anything that affects money or legal rights, confirm the current position with DLD, RERA or the relevant authority. If you are buying from abroad, our shorter list of Dubai property terms for overseas buyers focuses on the words you will meet first.

Authorities and systems

DLD (Dubai Land Department) registers property ownership and transactions. RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) is its regulatory arm, licensing brokers and regulating developers, service charges and tenancy matters. DEWA supplies electricity and water. Mollak is DLD's system for service charges in jointly owned buildings, under Law No. 6 of 2019. Ejari registers tenancy contracts. Trakheesi issues advertising permits, and the Madmoun QR code verifies a listing. Dubai REST is DLD's app for many of these services.

Ownership and contracts

Freehold means full ownership of the property, available to foreign nationals in designated areas under Law No. 7 of 2006; see freehold areas in Dubai. Leasehold grants a long-term right to use the property for a fixed period, after which it reverts to the freeholder. The title deed proves ownership of a completed property; Oqood is the interim registration for off-plan purchases. Both are covered in title deed and Oqood explained. Form F is the buyer-seller MOU; see Form F MOU explained.

Off-plan and handover

Off-plan means buying before construction is finished. Payments go into a regulated escrow account tied to the project; see RERA escrow accounts explained. A payment plan sets out instalments during and sometimes after construction. Handover is when the developer passes the completed unit to the buyer, and snagging is the inspection for defects before or at handover; see the snagging checklist.

Running costs and utilities

Service charges pay for maintaining shared areas and facilities in jointly owned property and are set and published through Mollak; see service charges in Dubai explained. Chiller refers to district or central cooling, sometimes billed separately from DEWA; see chiller fees explained. A housing fee appears on DEWA bills and relates to the property's rental value; confirm current rules with DEWA.

Selling, renting and letting terms

A few more words come up once you own or rent. Form A is the seller's listing agreement with a broker and Form B the buyer's agreement with theirs; together with Form F they structure a brokered resale, described in how to sell property in Dubai. A NOC (No Objection Certificate) is a letter, usually from the developer, confirming it has no objection to a transfer or to certain works, and it is normally issued only when dues are paid; see developer NOC explained.

A trustee office is a DLD-registered centre where resale transfers are completed and new title deeds issued. The rental index is DLD's benchmark of average rents, used under Decree No. 43 of 2013 to cap increases at renewal; see Dubai rental index explained. A security deposit is the sum a tenant pays at the start of a lease against damage or unpaid bills, and a post-dated cheque is how rent is commonly paid in instalments. If a word you have heard is not here, ask us and we will explain it plainly.