Dubai Land Department (DLD): fees, services, Dubai REST
What DLD does for buyers, owners and tenants: sale and mortgage fees, Oqood, Ejari, the Smart Rental Index and Dubai REST, with official sources.
Last reviewed 15 October 2026 by the ZoneIQ team. Facts checked against the official sources listed at the end.
General information, not legal advice. For a decision about your own case, check the official sources or speak to a lawyer.
Source: DLD open data · Information, not financial advice. Not an official DLD product.
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) is the government body that registers every property sale, mortgage, off-plan contract and tenancy in Dubai. It was established in January 1960 and works today under Law No. 7 of 2013. Its sectors include the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), which licenses brokers and developers and sets rental rules, and the Real Estate Registration sector. This page explains what DLD does for buyers, owners and tenants, with the fees as DLD publishes them. ZoneIQ is not a government service; we use DLD open data and link to the official pages.
DLD's records are the source of the numbers on ZoneIQ: 154,923 registered sales across Dubai and 304,011 Ejari rent contracts in the areas we cover, both in the last 12 months, and 559 off-plan projects under construction in the project registry.
Buying: sale registration and title deeds
A sale is registered at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre and produces an electronic title deed and map. DLD's fee list for a sale:
- 2% of the sale value from the seller and 2% from the buyer, 4% in total. In practice the sale contract often decides who pays.
- AED 250 title deed, AED 225 map (AED 100 for land outside Dubai Municipality), AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee.
- Registration trustee fee: AED 4,000 plus VAT for a sale of AED 500,000 or more, AED 2,000 plus VAT below that.
- In freehold areas, a no-objection e-certificate (e-NOC) from the developer, requested through the Dubai REST app.
Every other cost of buying, from agency commission to bank valuation, is in the true cost of buying in Dubai. To test a price against recent DLD sales before you commit, use Deal Check. Area pages also show how many registered units DLD marks as freehold.
Off-plan: Oqood
Off-plan sales are registered in a provisional register called Oqood. The sale contract must be registered within 90 days of signing. DLD lists 2% of the sale value from the developer and 2% from the buyer, plus AED 20, and issues a provisional registration e-certificate. In practice buyers usually pay the full 4% unless the developer offers a fee waiver. ZoneIQ's off-plan pages use DLD's project registry to show build progress, planned handover and the escrow bank for each project.
Mortgages
DLD registers mortgages for 0.25% of the loan amount, AED 250 per title deed issued and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. The service partner fee is AED 4,000 plus VAT, or AED 5,000 plus VAT for off-plan property. Banks can file online. See mortgages for non-residents for loan limits.
Renting: Ejari and the Smart Rental Index
Every tenancy contract is registered in Ejari, DLD's tenancy system. Registration costs AED 177.75 in the Dubai REST app or on the DLD website, and AED 220 at a Trustee Centre; details are in the Ejari guide.
On 2 January 2025 DLD launched the Smart Rental Index 2025, a building classification system that sets the average rent used for renewals. Each building is assessed on its construction and finish, location and services. Increases at renewal stay within the caps of Decree No. 43 of 2013 (0% to 20%). DLD's FAQ says the index covers all residential areas except DIFC and is updated once a year. Check your unit's figure in the Rental Index service on the DLD website or in Dubai REST, then work out the cap with the rent increase calculator.
Disputes: the Rental Disputes Center
The Rental Disputes Center, set up by Decree No. 26 of 2013, has its head office at DLD and hears landlord and tenant disputes in Dubai. Filing costs 3.5% of the annual rent (minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000) plus fixed fees. See rental disputes in Dubai.
Dubai REST
Dubai REST is DLD's app for owners and tenants. It handles lease registration, renewal and cancellation, rental dispute filing and tracking, the Rental Index, and a property wallet where owners see their properties and download contracts.
Where ZoneIQ fits
DLD publishes transactions, rents and the project registry as open data. ZoneIQ turns that data into medians by area and unit type, net yields after costs, supply pipelines and developer delivery records. Start with areas ranked by yield or developers by delivery record.
Questions
What does the Dubai Land Department do?
DLD registers property sales, off-plan sales (Oqood), mortgages and tenancy contracts (Ejari), issues title deeds, and regulates the market through RERA, one of its sectors. The Rental Disputes Center is also part of DLD.
What is the DLD fee when buying property?
DLD's sale registration fee list shows 2% of the sale value from the seller and 2% from the buyer, plus AED 250 for the title deed, AED 225 for the map and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. The registration trustee's fee is AED 4,000 plus VAT for sales of AED 500,000 or more, otherwise AED 2,000 plus VAT. Who pays the 4% in practice is often set in the sale contract.
What is Oqood?
Oqood is DLD's register for off-plan sales. The sale contract must be registered within 90 days of signing; DLD lists 2% from the developer and 2% from the buyer, plus AED 20, and issues a provisional registration certificate. In practice buyers usually pay the full 4% unless the developer offers a fee waiver.
What is the Dubai REST app?
DLD's app for owners and tenants. It covers lease registration, renewal and cancellation (Ejari), rental dispute filing and tracking, the Rental Index, and a property wallet where owners see their properties.
What does DLD charge to register a mortgage?
0.25% of the mortgage amount, AED 250 per title deed, AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees, and a service partner fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT (AED 5,000 plus VAT for off-plan property).
Is ZoneIQ part of DLD?
No. ZoneIQ is an independent site that uses DLD open data published by Dubai Data under CC BY 4.0. It is not an official DLD product.
Official sources
- DLD: About Dubai Land Department (read 15 Oct 2026)
- DLD: Property Sale Registration (fees) (read 15 Oct 2026)
- DLD: Request to Register the Initial Sale (Oqood) (read 15 Oct 2026)
- DLD: Request for Mortgage Registration (read 15 Oct 2026)
- DLD: Register / Renew Ejari Contract (read 15 Oct 2026)
- DLD: Ejari services and Dubai REST, frequently asked questions (read 15 Oct 2026)
- DLD: Smart Rental Index 2025 announcement (2 Jan 2025) (read 15 Oct 2026)
- Decree No. (26) of 2013 concerning the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre, Dubai Legal Portal (read 15 Oct 2026)
ZoneIQ is not a government service. This guide summarises public rules; the official sources and the law decide. Check them before you act.