DLD / Oqood/ Ejari

In plain words

When buying property in Dubai, the buyer encounters three terms almost immediately. DLD (Dubai Land Department) is the land department, the state body that keeps the register of rights to real estate and registers transactions. It is there that ownership of a property is recorded.

Oqood is the registration of a contract for a property at the construction stage (off-plan). Until the property is completed and the title deed is issued, the buyer’s rights are protected through this registration in the system. Ejari is the official registration of a tenancy contract: it makes the tenancy legally transparent and is required for a range of everyday procedures.

The practical point for the buyer is simple: a signed contract and a registered transaction are different things. Until the transaction has been officially registered, the buyer’s position is considerably weaker. That is why the registration status is checked independently rather than taken on trust, and confirmations are kept for every stage — they will also be needed to evidence the investment for a programme.

When you will need this

What each term means

How registration works

1. 01Choosing and checking the property
2. 02Signing the contract
3. 03Official registration of the transaction
4. 04Payment according to the schedule
5. 05Title deed on completion

What you need to know

• A signed contract and a registered transaction are different things
• Registration is especially important for properties under construction
• The status of a transaction can be checked officially
• Tenancies are registered too
• The documents will be needed to evidence the investment

Common mistakes

• ✕Treating signing the contract as sufficient protection
• ✕Not checking the fact of registration yourself
• ✕Paying according to the schedule without tracking the property’s status
• ✕Not keeping supporting documents
• ✕Relying only on the word of the developer’s agent

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