Dubai property buying costs: 4% DLD fee, registration, trustee office and service charges

In short: the main extra cost when buying property in Dubai is the Dubai Land Department (DLD) registration fee – 4% of the price in total. Formally, the DLD tariff splits it 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer, but for off-plan the buyer usually pays the whole 4% to the developer, while on the secondary market the split is set by the contract. On top of that come smaller official fees (title deed, map), the trustee office fee on the secondary market (AED 4,000 + VAT for a price of AED 500,000 or more), the broker's commission as agreed in the contract, and, after purchase, annual service charges approved by RERA.

Updated: November 2026

Key facts

• DLD fee: 4% of the price in total (2% seller + 2% buyer under the DLD tariff).
• Trustee office (secondary market): AED 4,000 + VAT for a price of AED 500,000 or more, AED 2,000 + VAT below that.
• Title deed: AED 250; unit map (villa, apartment): AED 250; “knowledge” and “innovation” fees: AED 10 each.
• UAE VAT: standard rate of 5% – added, among other things, to trustee office fees and services.
• Broker's commission: as agreed in the contract; if the contract is silent – according to custom (DLD FAQ).
• After purchase: service charges under the RERA index, utilities, and possibly insurance and rental management.

The DLD registration fee – 4%

Every sale of property in Dubai must be registered with the DLD. In its descriptions of the sale registration and off-plan sale registration services, the DLD gives the tariff: the seller pays 2% of the sale value and the buyer 2%. Together that makes 4% of the price.

Who pays in practice?

• Off-plan: in its announcement of 31 May 2021, the DLD stated that the buyer pays the registration fee (4% of the value) to the developer, and the developer passes it on to the DLD within 60 days. Check in the contract whether the developer is covering part of the fee – this is sometimes part of a promotion.
• Secondary market: the parties agree the split of the fee in the memorandum of understanding (MOU). Settle this before signing and write down in the MOU who covers which fees.

Other official fees

Fee	Amount	When
Sale registration (DLD)	2% seller + 2% buyer	Off-plan and secondary market
Issuing the title deed	AED 250	Secondary market, after construction is completed
Map – villas and apartments	AED 250	Secondary market
“Knowledge” and “innovation” fees	AED 10 each	Every registration
Trustee office (service partner)	AED 4,000 + VAT for a price of AED 500,000 or more; AED 2,000 + VAT below that	Secondary market – transaction at the trustee office
Release of the seller's mortgage	AED 315	When the unit is encumbered with a loan

With off-plan, the developer may additionally charge administrative fees for handling the Oqood registration – the developer states their amount, so ask for the full list before signing the contract. VAT in the UAE is 5% as standard (UAE Ministry of Finance).

Broker's commission

According to the Dubai Land Department FAQ, the amount of the commission follows from the contract with the broker, and if the contract does not specify it – from accepted custom. The commission is due once the sale contract is concluded and registered with the DLD, unless the contract provides otherwise. Before signing, ask who pays the commission and how much it is including VAT, and put it in writing. With an off-plan purchase the broker is most often paid by the developer – this should also follow from the documents.

Example: costs at a price of AED 1,200,000

Item	Completed flat	Off-plan
DLD fee (4%, if the buyer pays all of it)	AED 48,000	AED 48,000
Trustee office (AED 4,000 + 5% VAT)	AED 4,200	–
Title deed and map	AED 500	on transfer to the main register – under the DLD tariff
Knowledge and innovation	AED 20	AED 20
Developer's administrative fees	–	as set by the developer
Broker's commission	as agreed in the contract	most often paid by the developer
Total (excluding commission)	approx. AED 52,720	approx. AED 48,020 + developer's fees

In practice, assume you need to add about 4–5% to the price for fees, and on the secondary market – the broker's commission on top. With off-plan the DLD fee falls due together with the first instalment, which is worth factoring into the payment plan.

Service charges after purchase

In buildings and developments with shared areas, the owner pays annual service charges for maintenance, cleaning, security or swimming pools. In Dubai the management company does not set them freely – the rates are approved by RERA, and the management company should not collect them before approval. You can check the approved rates in the DLD service charge index (Service Charge Index, also in the Dubai REST app): you select the project and year, and the amount for a unit is calculated by multiplying the rate by the area on the title deed.

According to the DLD FAQ, service charges are paid by the owner, even when the unit is let. The tenant pays, among other things, the municipality fee of 5% of annual rent, added to the electricity bill. Before buying a completed flat, ask for confirmation that the seller has no service charge arrears.

Other running costs

Apart from service charges, the owner – or the tenant, if the tenancy agreement says so – pays for utilities: electricity and water, in some buildings also district cooling, and for internet. It is worth considering insurance for the unit and its contents. The amount of these costs depends on the building and consumption, so when buying a completed flat ask the seller for recent bills, and with off-plan ask the developer about the cooling system and how it is billed.

Costs on a future sale

When thinking about a purchase, it is also worth knowing the costs of exiting the investment. Under the DLD tariff, on a sale the seller bears 2% of the sale value (unless the contract shifts this fee to the buyer), plus the knowledge and innovation fees. Selling a completed unit requires the developer's NOC, and reselling an off-plan unit before handover also requires an NOC on the terms of the contract. If the unit is encumbered with a loan, a mortgage release fee is added. The broker's commission is as agreed in the contract with the broker. Discuss tax on profit in Poland with a tax adviser.

Costs on the Polish side

• Currency conversion and transfers: the bank's margin when exchanging zloty for dirhams, dollars or euros, and fees for international transfers – with several instalments that means several transactions.
• Power of attorney: notary, translation and legalisation (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland, the UAE embassy, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs) – if you will not be in Dubai in person.
• Tax adviser: how a Polish tax resident reports rental income or the sale of property in the UAE depends on the double taxation treaty and your own situation – worth settling before buying; we outline the general scheme in Dubai property and Polish taxes.

Costs of letting

If you plan a long-term let, the tenancy agreement is registered in the Ejari system. Registering or renewing a contract in Ejari costs: via the app – AED 177.75, at a trustee office – AED 220, according to DLD data for November 2026 (DLD service description; the amounts include the knowledge and innovation fees and the service partner fee). Short-term letting requires a separate permit from Dubai's tourism authority. We cover both forms of letting in Renting out property in Dubai: Ejari and holiday homes. We do not quote “guaranteed” rates of return: rental income depends on the market, costs and vacancies.

How we help

Before you reserve, we will prepare a summary of all costs for a specific unit – DLD fees, the developer's or trustee office's fees and instalments – in dirhams, with an indicative conversion into zloty at that day's exchange rate. We hold Dubai consultations in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and English. We describe the whole process in the article How to buy property in Dubai from Poland, and the protection of your payments in the article Dubai off-plan: escrow and Oqood. Ask for a cost calculation.

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