Off-plan property in Dubai: the due-diligence checklist before you pay a deposit

Key takeaways

• Verify, don’t trust. Use the Dubai REST app or the DLD website to check the developer and the project.
• Escrow only. Off-plan payments must go into a RERA-approved escrow account linked to that project. Never pay a developer’s general account or an individual.
• Oqood registration puts your purchase on the DLD record. Ask for the number and check it.
• Read the SPA for the handover date, delay compensation, cancellation and default terms.
• Payments follow construction: escrow funds are released only as DLD-appointed engineers confirm progress.

Why off-plan needs more checking than ready property

Off-plan lets you buy at today’s price and pay in instalments while the building goes up. It also means you’re lending money to a developer against a promise. Dubai’s rules make that safer than in many markets, but only if you use the protections.

“Any Developer who wishes to sell Units off-plan must submit to the Department a request to open an Escrow Account.”

Dubai Law No. (8) of 2007, Article 6

The checklist, step by step

1. The developer

• Registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA)? Search the developer on Dubai REST or the DLD site.
• Track record: which projects has it delivered, and how late? Look at completed buildings, not renders.
• Cancelled projects: the DLD keeps a list. Check it.

2. The project

• Every project has its own RERA project registration number. Get it and verify it independently.
• Check construction status and the scheduled completion date on the official record.
• Supply around it: how many similar units are due in the same area at the same time? Heavy supply at handover can hold down rents and resale prices.

3. The escrow account

Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, off-plan buyers’ money goes into an escrow account opened for that project with an approved bank. The developer draws on it only as construction milestones are certified.

• The escrow account number should be in your sale and purchase agreement (SPA).
• Pay only into that account, and keep every receipt.
• If anyone asks you to pay elsewhere, “to secure the unit”, walk away.

4. Oqood registration

Your purchase should be registered with the DLD’s interim register (Oqood), typically within 30 days. That registration is your legal record of ownership until the title deed is issued at handover. Ask for the Oqood number and check it.

5. The SPA

Read these clauses closely, ideally with a lawyer:

• Anticipated completion date and any grace period.
• Delay compensation, if any.
• Cancellation: what happens to your money if the developer cancels, or if you default.
• Payment schedule: linked to construction stages or to calendar dates? Construction-linked is safer.
• Post-handover plans: convenient, but they mean you owe the developer after you get the keys.
• Resale before handover: many developers require a minimum percentage paid before you can sell (assign) the contract.

6. The advert and the agent

Every property advert in Dubai needs a Trakheesi permit with a Madmoun QR code. Scan it to confirm the listing is genuine and the agent is licensed. See real estate advertising rules in Dubai.

Numbers to run before you sign

Context for the maths: about 452,000 units were under construction across Dubai at the end of 2025, two-thirds of them at 0–20% completion, according to DLD data compiled by DXB Interact.

• Total cost, including the 4% DLD fee at registration. See the cost breakdown.
• Expected net yield at handover, using current rents for similar completed units. See rental yields in 2026.
• Your cash flow across the payment plan, including the TCS or remittance limits in your home country if relevant.

If a deal fails any of these checks, the right price is no price.