Q: Hello, Recently, I am in contact with a real estate broker for a 2 BHK apartment. He showed me an apartment and he said there is an agency fee of 5% and a broker fee of 2500. I did not agree with it. He did ask for my documents which I have given but then I thought of reaching the landlord. The apartment display the real estate management company number of this building. I called them and they said they didn't appoint any broker nor did they retain. So, I booked the flat directly with the property management since they insisted to book through. Now, the broker is claiming that he needs his fee, if not, he will follow a legal approach. It's a small amount but the whole process to secure this apartment is done by myself, why should I pay? Is there any rule as show fee?

Q: Hi, I am planning to buy a ready apartment in a 2-year-old building. How can I check for any dues on that apartment, would NOC suffice that the mortgage or any dues are cleared? How can I check that the seller does not have court cases against him in relation to property? How do the Service Charges get decided every year, as I understand that it is decided by Dubai Land Department who has defined the Service Index? Should I hire a lawyer to look out all legal aspects and help me till I get the property transferred to me? If yes, then what is the average cost for this service? Regards, Gufran

Q: I am a US citizen and would like to buy a property in Dubai, where do I start?

Q: Dear Dr Amira, I entered into an agreement with mortgage brokerage to help me procure a loan for a property in Dubai, further to which the firm asked me to pay upfront an amount of AED 470K. This included down payment and other misc. charges. The brokerage company has managed to procure the loan but now have used my down payment and does not have the funds to conclude the transfer. What are my legal options? Please advise

Q: A broker told me that to reserve a villa unit, I have to give a 50k cheque and assured me that he will not send it to the bank to be encashed; it is just for reservation purposes. I told him clearly I don’t have funds and not to deposit my cheque until I confirm him to present it. I liked one unit and asked him to reserve it but to make sure not to deposit the cheque until I give him confirmation for the same. He didn’t wait for my confirmation and called me saying the cheque got deposited but I refused and told him strongly to take back the cheque from the bank. I managed somehow to hold the cheque from banking and the sales guy offered me to stop the cheque and make a payment of 20k which will hold back my cheque. He also said he will return back the cheque to me, and with this agreement, I paid 20k through a credit card. I got online payment receipts also. After this transaction, the sales guy went out of the UAE and came back after 10 days. But still, I did not get my cheque back nor the new reservation form. Every time I ask him about the cheque he says it's in process.

Q: Hello, If I file a recovery case against a broker who sold me a service and failed to deliver (the DED has issued a settlement request), what measures can the court execute to recover the money? Thanks

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

تحظى المعاملات العقارية باهتمام كبير بالغ الأهمية في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة وبخاصة في إمارة دبي لما لها من شهرة واسعة النطاق في هذا المجال. لذا خصص سمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم حاكم دبي المرسوم رقم 56 لسنة 2009 الخاص بتشكيل لجنة قضائية خاصة للفصل في الشيكات المتعلقة بالمعاملات العقارية لإمارة دبي.

This Bylaw regulates the Real Estate Brokers Register in the Emirate of Dubai. No person may engage in real estate brokerage activities in Dubai unless he is licensed by the competent entities and entered in the register, which is maintained by Dubai Land Department.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.

This Law sets the rules and procedures for registration of real property in Dubai. The right to own real property in Dubai is restricted to UAE and GCC nationals, to companies fully owned by these and to public joint stock companies. Freehold ownership by non-UAE nationals may be approved by the Ruler in certain areas.