Dubai Land Department (DLD) is the most important real estate segment in the world. It is a new platform for real estate trading and transaction with many parties. It reduces brokerage procedure, enables real estate transactions and the abolition of paper documents.
It offers excellent services to its customers and seeks aid from various organizations (like Rental Dispute Center, the investment arm, Real Estate Regulatory Agency, etc) across the world in the field of real estate. It helps in regulating and promoting investments.
DLD offers plenty of services. Depending on the services offered by different service sectors necessary documents have to be submitted.
Know more about: Real Estate properties in Dubai
There is a different fee for different service, therefore the fees and documents should be carefully checked before considering the services.
Services Offered by Dubai Land Department
1. Project Registration Services
- This service permits the investor to enter into the contract and purchase the real property on the off-plan basis or payment-plan basis
- Clients can get their deferred real-estate transaction issues also fixed here. It would cover issues like deferred usufruct, deferred sale, and deferred mortgage
- Deferred Usufruct: The tenants are permitted to apply for a Usufruct certificate if the real property is registered under deferred usufruct
- Deferred Sale: Buyer can apply for a title deed(Legal document which states the owner of the property) in his name after the settlement of payments to the developer
- Deferred Mortgage/ Ijaharh: Buyers can avail rent-to-own certificate after the complete purchase of the property
- Developers can get their new project’s data registered
2. Client Services
- Sellers can receive a mortgage discharge letter from financier and ownership property certificate from the customer service department whenever required
- Sellers can change the area name in the records by receiving a legal letter from authorities
3. Developers Registration Services
- Real estate developers can register their projects and open an escrow account for receiving the deposits from investors for these projects
- A Real estate developer can register/deregister in the Real Estate Developers Register maintained by the land department
- Owner of the project can also change the developer through this service
- Developer or project information can be completed/ transferred/ changed as per the registration information
- Developers can request an appointment with the real estate developers registration section to discuss the project related matters, developers inquires, or their assistance on pending projects, etc
- Re-registering under the same name or different name after fulfilling the registration requirements and other entities
- Sellers can browse the names of the licensed real estate developers, follow up the status of the real estate projects by searching the project number, plot number or project name
4. Documentation and Registration Services
- Sellers can register a grant by issuing a Title Deed of the land granted to individuals
- The seller can register the inherited property, endowment(waqf), separate/joint real estate property, etc
- Sellers can register the distribution of owned property among co-owners
- Real estate property can be subdivided and distributed among the co-owners
- Sellers can register the ownership of the land that is granted for commercial and industrial use
- Sellers can request for full or partial compensation
- Sellers can exchange real property under this service
- Sellers can modify the information of their owned property under this service
- Sellers can transfer the ownership from one person to another entity
- This service allows the landowner to apply for a replacement for a damaged/lost a title deed
5. Dubai Real Estate Institute Services
- Sellers can enroll in a course in order to satisfy the priorities of conducting real estate businesses
- A person can enroll for a ‘Middle East Realtor Membership Program’ in order to get the real estate knowledge
6.Dubai Smart Property Market Place (E-mart) Services
- Sellers can supervise the sale of the real property by public auction.
- Sellers can register and hold a public auction with a letter from owners, partners, etc. through this service
- Real estate management companies can also offer real estate through e-mart through this service
- This service allows the licensed companies, government agencies, developers to request a public or electronic auction outside the Department
7. Escrow Account Services
- Using this service allows real estate developers can activate, receive payment for the completion of the project and transfer, the escrow accounts off-plan real property sold in freehold areas
- This service allows a real estate developer to have a no objection certificate in order to withdraw profits of incomplete projects from the escrow accounts of the project
- This service allows real estate developers to increase the administrative expenditure cap for their project
- This service allows sellers to search for certified escrow agents
- Financial institutions can cancel the registration with DLD
- This service allows all the escrow agents and audit firms to apply for a certificate in the UAE
8. Grant Services
- Sellers can register granted property(total/partial) in case of assigning the real property to a person(mother, father, spouse, or children) without any restrictions
9. Legal Affair Services
- This service allows settlement requests and transaction inquiry for real estate
- Suspension of contract due to the failure of an investor to abide by the contract rules or failure to pay installments on time
- This service allows the cancellation of issued power of attorney to a person
- This service allows the land developer to authorize their documents and conclude the real estate settlement
10. Mortgage Services
- The seller can apply for mortgage registration through mortgage real property
- This service allows sellers to register a (usufruct, deferred sale, Oqood) mortgage through the registration of a (usufruct, deferred, oqood) contract based on the letter from financier
- Sellers can register a mortgage amendment(usufruct, deferred sale, oqood) or transfer of a mortgage (usufruct, deferred sale, oqood) based on the letter from financier
- Sellers can register a mortgage discharge(oqood) based on the letter from a financier
11. Owner Association Services
- Sellers can apply for a joint registration if the real estate property is co-owned
- Sellers have to get service and maintenance fees approved by the owners association section
- Sellers get ensure management services to owner associations
- Sellers can inquire about the service fees for co-owned projects
- Sellers can apply for a no objection certificate to close an escrow account of a project
12. Real Estate Brokers Registration Services
- Real estate broker cards can be issued, renewed, canceled and replaced(if lost)
- Modification of the information of the real estate brokers present in the register maintained by the land department
13. Real Estate Evaluation Services
- This service evaluates real property and real estate units( Residential Villa, Hotel building, complex, apartment, land plots, etc.)
14. Real Estate Information Services
- This service allows the seller to browse real estate indicators (sales and mortgage transactions from a map) and market reports(land, building, plots, etc.) which allows him to take a better decision
- Real estate sales and mortgage transaction information can be received through SMS
- Internal and external sellers can get data and its insights in the form of a statistical report for him to take better decisions
- Service fee can be inquired by the seller for co-owned projects
- Sellers can apply for a no objection certificate to close an escrow account of a project
15.Real Estate Investment Management and Promotion Center Services
- Several programs like Tayseer, Taskeen, and Tanmia can be subscribed through this service. It also provides investment map and sustainability development
16. Real Estate Permit Services
- This service helps a firm to organize an exhibition to promote real estate sales by advertising on roads, buildings, streets, posters on vehicles, send SMS, etc
- Real estate developers or brokers who are representing them to organize a ceremony to launch a real estate project
- This service provides an opportunity for firms to rent residential units on a timeshare basis
- Real estate developers can publish announcements in newspapers about the cancellation of real estate property if the buyer fails to pay the amount
- Sellers can apply for an open day permit. An open day is a day where a real estate property to put on sale by the owners
17. Real Estate License Services
- The seller can post details of his company and its services on the Dubai land department website
- The estimated value of a property(like lands, buildings, etc) will be provided on the request of the concerned parties
- This service issues a temporary license to develop real estate projects. In this case, the land should be registered in the name of the license holder
- This service ensures to set up a ‘real estate representative office’ which deals with the properties that are owned outside the UAE
- This service provides brokerage services which are necessary for renting and selling real property
18. Real Estate Registration Assurance Services
- If the land developer refuses to issue a legal certificate to the seller, then no objection certificate will be issued to the seller for registering a real property
- A seller can verify the registration of a real estate unit if the real estate project is under construction
19. Rent to own (Ejarah) Services
- A seller can apply for registering an amendment for a rent to own contract which can be done by the mutual agreement between buyer and financier by prolonging the original contract
- Transferring the rent to own contract can also be registered upon the client’s application. This is done by transferring the lease from one party to another
- A seller can modify the details in a finance lease contract through this service. Modification in terms of prolonging/reducing contract period, registration items and other details can be done
20. Rental Services
- Property owners can get their tenancy contracts from the official service providers who are registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency
- Based on the rental index which will be kept updated on a regular basis, a seller can get a rental information certificate from the ‘real estate regulatory agency’
- A seller can avail services like approval for leasing, renew, register, transfer and canceling through Ejari System
21. Survey Services
- A seller can request to conduct a survey on the real estate units(like an apartment, home, room, etc) and obtain an approval letter on the actual area of the real property
- This service provides a facility for sellers to search for certified survey companies
22. Usufruct Services
- Sellers can register a Usufruct contract under this service. The land under this contract is not a freehold area and the land developer has to be a UAE national
23. Other Electronic Services
DLD also provides some electronic services, like,
- Sellers inquire about the status of the transaction(whether completed, pending, suspended) by entering the number and type of transaction.
- Sellers can search the area name in the Dubai emirate if the names are changed
- The seller can calculate the real estate installment amount paid by the mortgagor(like interest rate, number of payments, etc)
- The seller can estimate the service fees (sale, mortgage, and gift services)
- Sellers can browse and review all the regulations, legislation and other legal documents whenever required
- Sellers can apply for registering themselves as suppliers for DLD
- This service assists the land department in considering new partnerships
- Sellers can check service and maintenance fee that is approved by DLD
- Required area details can be entered in order to know the average market rent, increase in rent, etc
- Search for the management companies and location of registration trustees offices which provides sale and mortgage services
- Both government and private entities can contact the land department through the land department website
- Sellers can search for licensed real estate brokers through this service
- This service enables owners of real estate companies can post information on land department websites
DLD is the eminent property developer in the UAE region which utilizes digital management. It secures the rights of investors and other concerned parties. The services offered manage, formulate, regulate and authorize the legal transactions and licenses in the field of real estate.
About the author
Anala is a young and spunky guru on financial matters, who tells you like it is; everything from managing debt to managing savings accounts. While books and movies keep her brain ticking, Anala pursues swimming and dancing to keep fit. A lifelong explorer and learner, Anala believes in giving back, and volunteers with the Bright Spark Education program at the NGO Youngistaan Foundation, where she opens up children's minds to the innumerable possibilities of a happy and successful life!