Blog · For Dubai off-plan buyers
What might go wrong if you pay without checking first
Guides on delays, cancelled projects, escrow, deposits, resale, service charges and disputes. Facts from Dubai law and official registries, with sources. No verdicts.
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26 guides, every fact with a source
Off-plan project delayed in Dubai: what to do first
Check the official record, read your SPA extension clause and keep paying only into escrow.
Delays7 min readHandover date changed on your Dubai off-plan unit? How to check the real one
See the official completion date in Dubai REST and compare it with the SPA and the broker's promise.
Delays7 min readCompensation for a delayed handover in Dubai: what decides it
Compensation is not automatic. How SPA terms, force majeure and the courts decide whether a late developer owes you.
Delays7 min readDubai off-plan project cancelled: how the refund works, step by step
What RERA cancellation triggers, the 14- and 60-day steps, and what happens if escrow runs short.
Cancelled project7 min readCancelled real estate project in Dubai: how liquidation and the tribunal work
How the Decree 33 of 2020 tribunal works, how escrow is shared and why timelines stay open.
Cancelled project6 min readDeveloper not responding on your off-plan unit in Dubai: build the paper trail
Build a dated paper trail, check the official record and escalate to the DLD or courts.
No response6 min readHow to cancel an off-plan contract in Dubai, and what each exit costs
Compare every exit: resale with a NOC, a settlement, court termination or default.
Exit & default7 min readOff-plan termination at 25% or 40% in Dubai: the tiers explained with numbers
How Article 11 (Law 19 of 2020) sets what a developer may keep if you stop paying, with worked numbers.
Exit & default7 min readMissed an off-plan payment in Dubai? The notice, the 30 days and your options
Dubai rules require a DLD notice and 30 days before termination. The steps, the 25% and 40% tiers and your options.
Exit & default7 min readSelling off-plan before handover in Dubai: NOC, thresholds, fees and timing
What the law allows, why the developer's NOC matters, the usual 30–40% threshold and typical fees.
Resale7 min readDeveloper refused a NOC for your Dubai resale: what the law says and what your SPA says
Compare what the law allows with your SPA's terms, check the official facts and see where to escalate.
Resale7 min readService charge higher than expected in Dubai? What you can verify and challenge
Why the bill differs from the brochure, how to check RERA-approved rates and what you can challenge.
After handover7 min readHow to use the RERA Service Charge Index and Mollak to check your building's rate
See the approved rate for your Dubai building by year, compare it with your invoice and know what Mollak shows you.
After handover7 min readWhat to check before handover in Dubai: snagging, area, the 5% retention and your title deed
Snagging, area differences, the 5% escrow retention, service charges and title deed steps, with official sources.
After handover7 min readOff-plan dispute with a developer in Dubai: DLD settlement, Dubai Courts or arbitration
What DLD settlement can and cannot do, when the Dubai Courts or arbitration apply and what to prepare.
Disputes7 min readCheck construction progress on your Dubai off-plan project before each payment
Completion percentage, escrow account and dates in Dubai REST, in a routine of a few minutes.
Tracking payments7 min readEOI refund in Dubai: what decides it and how to ask for your money back
Who holds the money, what to request in writing and where an unpaid claim can go.
EOI7 min readIs an expression of interest in Dubai property refundable? Check before you pay
What an EOI is, who holds the money, how Abu Dhabi differs, and five checks before paying.
EOI7 min readBooking deposit refund from a Dubai developer: before and after the SPA
Whether an SPA was signed changes everything. The escrow rules, Article 11 limits and the dispute route.
Booking deposit7 min readPaid cash for off-plan property in Dubai: receipts, reporting and the escrow gap
The AED 55,000 reporting rule, why escrow matters for cash, and how to trace and document what you paid.
Cash7 min readPaid the developer, not the escrow account, in Dubai: what to do now
Why it matters under Law 8 of 2007, how to confirm where the money went, and the steps to take now.
Escrow7 min readHow to verify the escrow account for off-plan property in Dubai before you pay
Find the number in Dubai REST, match it to your invoice and spot changed bank details.
Escrow7 min readDubai off-plan problems for UK buyers: a guide to every stage
EOIs, payments, delays, exits, handover and disputes, with Report Fraud and FCDO limits explained.
Country hub6 min readDubai off-plan problems for US buyers: what can go wrong, from first deposit to dispute
22 guides, IC3 and FTC reporting, wire transfer limits, FBAR pointers and calling-time tips.
Country hub6 min readDubai off-plan problems for Canadian buyers: find your stage, then your guide
22 guides plus CAFC reporting, wire transfer limits, BC's REDMA rule and T1135 pointers.
Country hub6 min readDubai off-plan problems for Australian buyers: every stage, every guide
All 22 guides, Scamwatch and ReportCyber steps, SPF limits, DFAT help and ATO tax pointers.
Country hub6 min read