Dubai runs one of the more transparent property registries in the region, and almost everything a buyer needs to verify has a free or low-cost check at the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The catch is that these checks sit across a website, a mobile app, a licensing portal and a service-charge platform, and few buyers know all of them exist. This guide lists what to verify before you sign anything or send a deposit, and where to verify it, checked against dubailand.gov.ae, the Dubai Legislation Portal (dlp.dubai.gov.ae), Trakheesi and Mollak. Where a figure could not be confirmed on a primary source, the rule is stated qualitatively rather than guessed.
1. Confirm the title deed or Oqood is genuine
A completed (secondary market) unit should carry a title deed issued by DLD. An off-plan unit instead has an Oqood contract registered with DLD. Neither should be taken at face value; verify directly with the source.
DLD's Title Deed Verification service checks a deed by its number, issue year and property type (land, unit or villa), returning the registered ownership details, or "No Data Found" if the number does not match a real record, itself a red flag. This is free, on the DLD website and through Dubai REST, DLD's official app.
Alongside the deed, DLD's Property Status Enquiry service lets you look up a property by area and land number to check its registered status, again via the website or Dubai REST. Run both before trusting any PDF or photo a seller sends.
2. Verify the developer, project registration and the escrow account
For off-plan purchases, the developer must be a licensed, registered entity, and the project itself must be registered and funded through a dedicated escrow account, a legal requirement under Law No. (8) of 2007 Concerning Escrow Accounts for Real Estate Development in the Emirate of Dubai.
A developer collecting buyer money for off-plan units must be registered with the Land Department and licensed, and must open a separate escrow account per project before accepting payments. Article 9 dedicates escrow funds exclusively to that project's construction and blocks any attachment on them by the developer's creditors. Article 14 requires the trustee to hold back 5% of the account after the completion certificate, released only a year after units are registered to buyers.
To register a project and its escrow account, DLD requires the land in a freehold or long-term lease area with an ownership deed on file, developer registration in Trakheesi, approved building plans and, typically, a 30% construction or financial guarantee, per the Register Project page. Ask for the escrow account details before paying anything and cross-check via Dubai REST. No active, project-specific escrow account is a reason to walk away.
3. Check the broker's BRN, the office's ORN and the listing's Trakheesi permit
Every broker in Dubai must be individually licensed, and every brokerage office must hold its own registration separate from the broker's. DLD's Verify License and Permits service, run through Trakheesi, checks the e-copy of any practitioner's licence or permit, through the website or Dubai REST, with results returned immediately.
Separately, any advertisement for a unit needs its own Trakheesi ad permit. DLD's Real Estate Ad Permit service covers newspaper, SMS, outdoor, printed and electronic formats, and requires the broker to hold a marketing contract with the owner first. A listing with no verifiable permit is not compliant.
4. Pull the service charge history and check it against the RERA index
For a unit in a jointly owned building, service charges are a real recurring cost, and unpaid charges can block your own transfer later.
Mollak, the RERA-built system for jointly owned property management, is where owners associations and developers register service charge budgets and collections. DLD's Service Charge Index, reachable through Mollak, the DLD website or Dubai REST, returns the RERA-approved rate for a project by name, usage type and year, so you can check what you are told against the officially approved figure.
Ask the seller for the service charge account history on the unit, and separately confirm the approved rate through the index. A gap between the two points straight to the next check.
5. Rule out an outstanding mortgage or unpaid dues on the unit
If the seller's unit is mortgaged, or money is owed against it, that must be resolved as part of the transfer, handled at DLD as a distinct transaction type.
Per DLD's own description of Registering the Sale of a Mortgaged Property, both parties attend a Real Estate Trustee office together, the process includes an indebtedness check on the seller, and the sale completes only once a mortgage release letter, or a liability letter confirming the amount owed, is obtained from the bank or developer. DLD will not let a mortgaged unit change hands until that debt is disclosed, so do not rely on the seller's word alone; ask directly and, if a mortgage exists, start the trustee-office process early since it adds time to closing.
6. Get the developer's NOC before you assume the deal is done
In a secondary-market transaction, the developer (or the owners association, where one manages the building) must issue a No Objection Certificate before DLD registers the transfer. Per DLD's Property Sale Registration page, this NOC is a listed requirement for freehold-area sales, alongside valid Emirates ID or passport identification for both parties.
The NOC confirms nothing is outstanding against the unit, most commonly unpaid service charges, and will not be issued while a balance remains owing. It can increasingly be requested electronically through the Mollak-linked eNOC process inside Dubai REST. Do not schedule the transfer appointment before this certificate is in hand; it is a hard prerequisite, not a formality to chase up afterward.
7. Line up the transfer fee and closing costs before you sign
DLD charges a registration fee equal to 4% of the sale value on a standard transfer, per DLD's Property Sale Registration page. On Dubai's secondary market, this 4% is paid in practice by the buyer. Confirm in writing that this is how your deal is structured before you sign.
A fixed title deed issuance charge applies on top, and if a mortgage is involved, DLD's mortgage registration service adds 0.25% of the mortgage value plus fixed processing fees. Ask for a full breakdown of DLD fees, the developer NOC fee and any trustee office charges before agreeing a completion date.
A practical order to run these checks in
You cannot run every check in one afternoon. A workable sequence: verify the title deed or Oqood first, since a mismatched document ends the conversation immediately; check the broker's BRN and the listing's Trakheesi permit next; for off-plan, confirm the developer's registration and the project's escrow account; pull the service charge history against the RERA index; ask directly about any mortgage or debt on the unit; and only once that is clean, request the NOC and lock in who pays the 4% transfer fee.
FAQ
Is an Oqood the same as a title deed? No. An Oqood is the registration contract for an off-plan unit before the final title deed is issued. DLD's verification tool checks both, but they belong to different stages of ownership.
Can I check a title deed's authenticity without visiting DLD in person? Yes. DLD's Title Deed Verification service works online and through Dubai REST, returning a result immediately from the deed or Oqood number, issue year and property type.
What happens if a project has no escrow account? Under Law No. (8) of 2007, developers must open a dedicated escrow account before collecting off-plan payments. A project without one is selling outside this legal framework, losing the protections the law provides, including the ring-fencing of funds from the developer's creditors.
How do I know if my broker or the listing itself is legitimate? Check the broker's BRN and the office's ORN through DLD's Verify License and Permits service, and confirm the listing carries a valid permit under the Real Estate Ad Permit rules.
Who actually pays the 4% DLD transfer fee? The DLD registration fee is 4% of the sale value, and on the secondary market it is standard practice for the buyer to pay it in full. This should be confirmed in writing beforehand.
Can outstanding service charges block my purchase? Yes. The developer or owners association will not issue the NOC required for property sale registration while charges remain unpaid, and DLD will not register the transfer without that NOC.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department, Title Deed Verification service: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/title-deed-verification-overview/title-deed-verification/
- Dubai Land Department, Dubai REST app: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/dubai-rest/
- Dubai Land Department, Property Status Enquiry: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/property-status-overview/
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. (8) of 2007 Concerning Escrow Accounts for Real Estate Development in the Emirate of Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2007/Law%20No.%20%288%29%20of%202007.html
- Dubai Land Department, Register Project service: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/register-project/
- Dubai Land Department, Verify License and Permits (Trakheesi): https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/validate-real-estate-licenses-and-permits/
- Dubai Land Department, Real Estate Ad Permit: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/real-estate-ad-permit/
- Mollak, service charge platform: https://mollak.dubailand.gov.ae/
- Dubai Land Department, Service Charge Index overview: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/service-charge-index-overview/
- Dubai Land Department, Registering the Sale of a Mortgaged Property: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/registering-the-sale-of-a-mortgaged-property/
- Dubai Land Department, Property Sale Registration: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/property-sale-registration/
- Dubai Land Department, Request for Mortgage Registration: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-mortgage-registration/
