What happens after handover of a Dubai property?

You inspect the unit, take the keys and, after the final instalment, the title deed. Then ownership begins: service charges paid through Mollak, Ejari for any tenancy, and rent rises capped by the Land Department's index. The developer stays liable for installations for one year and for structure for ten (Government of Dubai, Law 6 of 2019). Dubai REST shows each owner the unit's price, rental return and service charges (Dubai Land Department, 2026).

Key facts

• Defects: one year from handover for installations, ten years from the completion certificate for structure (Government of Dubai, Law 6 of 2019).
• Unpaid service charges: 30 days' written notice, then the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, a lien on the unit and possible public auction (Government of Dubai, Law 6 of 2019).
• Rent rises: nil to 20 per cent by slab, with 90 days' written notice (Bayut, 21 Aug 2026, reporting Decree 43 of 2013).

What happens at handover?

The sequence runs: completion notice, inspection, handover appointment, final payment and fees, miscellaneous charges, then transfer of ownership at the Land Department. The inspection is the snagging visit. It is not legally required, most developments ask for service charges in advance at this point, and you leave with the handover certificate, completion certificate, occupancy approvals, keys and access cards (Property Finder, 15 Jun 2026). On a new build the snagging is done by a RERA-certified snagging firm (Property Finder, 27 Oct 2025).

Afterwards the developer remains liable for defective mechanical, electrical, sanitary and sewerage installations for one year from handover, and for structural defects for ten years from the completion certificate (Government of Dubai, Law 6 of 2019). The snagging report is your evidence in that first year.

The title deed follows the final instalment. The developer completes the Oqood record through the developers' portal, and the e-title deed and e-map issue in six business days for AED 250 each plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees (Dubai Land Department, 2026).

What do you pay to own it?

No management entity may charge owners without RERA approval, and owners may not withhold charges RERA has approved (Government of Dubai, Law 6 of 2019). The approval runs through Mollak: the manager submits a budget, an audit firm reviews it, the Land Department approves it, and owners receive quarterly invoices and pay through the portal (Bayut, 26 Feb 2026).

Non-payment brings written notice requiring payment within thirty days, then enforcement through the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre; the management entity holds a lien on the unit and may ultimately sell it at public auction (Government of Dubai, Law 6 of 2019). DEWA is opened online in your name with the title deed and a passport copy, and supply is activated within 15 hours of payment (Bayut, 18 Jul 2025).

How does letting work?

Every tenancy is registered in Ejari under Law 26 of 2007, usually by the tenant or agent, through the Land Department's website, Dubai REST or a trustee centre; online it costs AED 120 and the certificate issues in one to two days (Bayut, 14 Aug 2025).

Rent rises are capped. The Land Department's Rental Index gives the permitted increase once you enter the area, property type, rooms, current rent and expiry date (Dubai Land Department, 2026). The slabs come from Decree 43 of 2013: no increase where the rent is less than 10 per cent below market, 5 per cent where it is 11 to 20 per cent below, 10 per cent at 21 to 30, 15 per cent at 31 to 40 and 20 per cent beyond that (Bayut, 21 Aug 2026, reporting Decree 43 of 2013). Any change needs written notice at least 90 days before expiry, and a private valuation certificate does not justify a rise without an order from the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (Bayut, 21 Aug 2026).

Short lets need a permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism before the unit is let. An individual owner may hold permits for up to eight units, the annual permit runs from AED 370 to AED 1,270 by bedroom count, and guests pay a Tourism Dirham of AED 10 or AED 15 per room per night for the first 30 nights (Bayut, 8 Oct 2025).

What can you see about your own property?

Dubai REST, the Land Department's own app, gives each owner a real estate wallet with the current price of the property, its rental return and its service charges, and from it you can manage leases, file a rental dispute, request a valuation and pay service charges (Dubai Land Department, 2026). Login is with UAE Pass (Bayut, 13 Mar 2026).

That is the public record; no government body will tell you when to sell. A managing agent adds tenant screening, Ejari on every tenancy, rent collection, preventive maintenance and inspection reports, delivered monthly or quarterly (Betterhomes, 25 Aug 2026). For Davies+Harrison clients, payments, documents, handover progress and portfolio updates live in D+H Invest, our private investor platform, and your adviser is a message away.

How is a non-resident landlord taxed?

The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals (u.ae, 2026). VAT is 5 per cent, but supplies of residential property are generally exempt; commercial property, sold or let, is taxed at the standard rate (UAE Ministry of Finance, 2026). Your country of residence may tax the rent, so take advice there.

When should you think about selling?

A freehold resale needs the title deed and a developer e-NOC through Dubai REST; the transfer takes about 25 minutes at a trustee centre, the Land Department fee is 2 per cent from each party, and the trustee charges AED 4,000 plus VAT at or above AED 500,000 and AED 2,000 plus VAT below (Dubai Land Department, 2026). Selling before the title deed issues is a different process, covered in our piece on [selling an off-plan property before handover](/insights/selling-an-off-plan-property-in-dubai-key-considerations). Whether the price and rental return in your wallet argue for holding or selling is a question your adviser should raise, not wait to be asked.

How do you manage all of it from abroad?

Dubai REST handles the deed, service charges, Ejari and utility bills remotely (Bayut, 13 Mar 2026). A power of attorney covers anything needing a signature: Ejari contracts, rent collection, Form F, the developer NOC and attendance at transfer (Betterhomes, 11 Aug 2026). One signed abroad is notarised in the issuing country, attested by the UAE Embassy there and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE for AED 160; all property POAs must now be verified electronically under Circular 29/R/2025; and a POA for a sale must name "sale of real estate" or "transfer for consideration" and be under two years old (Betterhomes, 11 Aug 2026; Bayut, 7 Sep 2026). Where both parties hold UAE Pass and a valid UAE ID, unmortgaged freehold can also be sold through the Land Department's digital sale service in DubaiNow (Bayut, 7 Sep 2026).

Our view

In our experience the first year decides how the rest goes. The defects year runs from handover, not from the day you notice a fault, so have the snagging done before you accept the keys and check the first service charge invoice against the figure approved on Mollak. We advise having a power of attorney attested before the completion notice arrives, drafted for letting as well as handover, and reissued before any sale.

We also advise deciding in advance who reports to you and how often. Dubai REST shows value, return and charges whenever you look; a managing agent reports on a schedule; a hold or sell view is an adviser's job. For our clients, documents, payments and portfolio updates live in D+H Invest.

Davies+Harrison is DAH Real Estate Brokerage L.L.C., RERA ORN 53447.