Glossary 33 terms
Dubai property terms explained
The acronyms and forms you meet when you buy, sell or let in Dubai, each in a sentence or two, with a link to the guide that goes deeper.
Updated · Glossary
- BRN
- Broker Registration Number: the RERA licence number on an individual agent's card. Every agent you deal with should have one.
- Chiller fees
- Charges for district cooling in buildings that buy air conditioning from a provider. Some buildings include it in service charges; many bill it separately. Service charges explained
- DEWA
- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Owners or tenants open a DEWA account to connect electricity and water to a home.
- DLD
- Dubai Land Department: the government body that registers property sales, mortgages and leases and issues title deeds in Dubai. DLD fees on a purchase
- Dubai REST
- The Dubai Land Department's app for checking title deeds, agents, listings and service charges, and for some transactions.
- Ejari
- The system for registering residential tenancy contracts in Dubai. A registered Ejari is needed for utility connections, visas and rental disputes. Renting out your property
- Escrow account
- A project bank account that holds buyers' payments for an off-plan development. Developers draw on it as construction progresses, which protects buyers' money. Off-plan or ready
- Form A
- The RERA agreement between a seller and their agent, setting the asking price, the commission and how long the listing runs. Selling property in Dubai
- Form B
- The RERA agreement between a buyer and their agent, setting out what the agent will do and the commission.
- Form F
- The sale contract between buyer and seller on a resale, also called the MOU. It sets the price, the deposit and the transfer date. Selling property in Dubai
- Form I
- The agreement between two agencies when one represents the buyer and the other the seller, setting how the commission is shared.
- Freehold
- Outright ownership of a property and the land it stands on. Foreign buyers can own freehold in Dubai's designated freehold areas. Freehold areas in Dubai
- Golden Visa
- The UAE's 10-year renewable residence visa. Property buyers can qualify through a qualifying property investment. The Golden Visa through property
- Handover
- The point at which a developer completes an off-plan home and gives the buyer the keys, after the final payment due at completion.
- Leasehold
- The right to use a property for a fixed term, up to 99 years in Dubai, rather than owning it outright. Freehold or leasehold
- LTV
- Loan-to-value: the share of the price a bank lends. UAE Central Bank rules cap it, so buyers need a deposit for the rest. Mortgage calculator
- Manager's cheque
- A cheque issued by the bank itself rather than from your account. Payments at a Dubai property transfer are usually made this way.
- Mollak
- The Dubai Land Department's system for managing jointly owned buildings: service charge budgets, owners associations and payments. Service charges explained
- NOC
- No-objection certificate: the developer's letter allowing a resale to transfer, issued once the unit's service charges are paid up. Selling property in Dubai
- Off-plan
- Property bought from a developer before it is built, usually paid in stages across construction under a payment plan. Off-plan or ready
- Oqood
- The Dubai Land Department's register for off-plan sales. It records the buyer's interest until the title deed is issued at completion.
- ORN
- Office Registration Number: the RERA licence number of a brokerage firm, shown on its adverts and documents.
- Post-handover payment plan
- An off-plan plan where part of the price is paid in instalments after the buyer receives the keys.
- Power of attorney
- A legal document that lets someone sign for you, used by buyers and sellers who can't attend the transfer in person.
- RDC
- The Rental Disputes Centre, which hears disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai.
- Rental index
- RERA's measure of average rents for comparable homes, used to decide how much a landlord may raise the rent at renewal. Renting out your property
- RERA
- The Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department. It licenses agents and regulates escrow, service charges and tenancies.
- Service charge
- The yearly fee owners pay for the running of a shared building or community, charged per square foot and approved by RERA. Service charges explained
- Snagging
- Inspecting a new home for defects before or at handover, so the developer can fix them under warranty.
- SPA
- Sale and purchase agreement: the contract between an off-plan buyer and the developer, setting the price, payment plan and completion terms.
- Title deed
- The Dubai Land Department document that records who owns a property. It is issued in the buyer's name at transfer.
- Trakheesi
- The DLD permit every property advert in Dubai must carry. No permit, no listing. Selling property in Dubai
- Trustee office
- A DLD-registered centre where a sale is completed: fees are paid, the seller is paid and the title deed is issued.
General guidance as of October 2026, not legal advice. Forms, systems and rules are set by the Dubai Land Department and RERA and can change.