The costs of buying property in Dubai
Dubai has no annual property tax, but buying has costs on top of the price: the Land Department's fee above all. Here is everything to budget for, off-plan and resale, with a calculator.
Short answer
Budget about 4–5% on top of an off-plan price bought from the developer: the 4% DLD fee and the registration fees. On a resale, budget 6–8%: the DLD fee, the trustee's fee, the agency fee and VAT on the fees. A mortgage adds its own registration and bank fees. Once you own, you pay a service charge for the building each year, and utilities.
What you pay, and when
| Cost | Off-plan, from the developer | Resale (ready or off-plan) |
|---|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee | 4% of the price, at registration | 4% of the price, at transfer |
| Registration and admin | About AED 1,050 (Oqood and admin fees) | The DLD's title deed and admin fees, a few hundred dirhams |
| Registration trustee | Usually none | AED 4,000 plus VAT (half that under AED 500,000) |
| Agency fee | None: the developer pays it | 2% plus 5% VAT, usually |
| Developer's NOC | None | From about AED 500 to a few thousand, paid by the seller as a rule |
| Mortgage, if any | 0.25% of the loan plus a small fee to register it; a valuation, often AED 2,500–3,500; and the bank's arrangement fee, up to 1% of the loan | |
Developers sometimes pay part or all of the DLD fee as a launch offer (“DLD waiver”). It is worth asking, and it is part of what we negotiate.
Once you own it
Service charges
Paid each year to the owners' association for maintenance, security, cleaning and facilities, per square foot. In early 2026 they ran from about AED 10–12 in JVC and Dubai South to AED 20–30 in Downtown and the Marina, and more on the Palm. Villas are usually lower, about AED 3–6. The DLD approves each building's charges.
Utilities
DEWA (water and electricity) takes a refundable deposit when you connect -- typically AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa -- then monthly bills. Some buildings charge for cooling separately.
No property tax
There is no annual property tax, and individuals pay no tax on rent or on a profit when they sell. Tenants pay a municipality housing fee through their DEWA bill.
VAT
The first sale of a new home is zero-rated and resales of homes are exempt, so there is no VAT on the price of a home. Agents' and other fees carry 5% VAT. Commercial property is different.
What will it cost me?
Type the price, choose how you buy, and see every cost on top.
A guide: valuation and bank fees, and anything the developer covers, are left out.
Advice first, then the right project
Dubai has thousands of projects and every developer says theirs is the best. We compare them for you, in your language, and tell you honestly which we would buy.
Many developers compared
Prices, payment plans, service charges and track records side by side, not one developer's sales pitch.
No fee from you on new projects
When you buy off-plan from the developer, the developer pays our fee: the price is the developer's price.
In your language
Contracts, payment schedules and the Land Department's paperwork, explained in English or Turkish.
With you to the keys
Reservation, registration, instalments, snagging and handover: one consultant from start to finish.
Questions buyers ask us
The buyer, by custom, though it can be agreed otherwise. On new projects, developers sometimes cover part or all of it as an offer.
When the developer registers your purchase in the Land Department's Oqood register, usually soon after you sign the sale agreement -- not at handover.
No. The Oqood registration becomes the title deed without another 4%. A buyer who takes over your contract before handover pays their own 4%.
Not for individuals: the UAE has no personal income tax or capital gains tax. Property held through a company can fall under corporate tax, so take advice before buying that way. Your home country may tax the income, too.
They depend on the building: roughly AED 10 to over AED 30 per square foot a year for apartments, and less for villas. A 1,000 sq ft apartment at AED 18 pays AED 18,000 a year.
More guides
All guidesBuying in Dubai
Ownership, visas and protection
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Dubai's rules and fees change; figures are correct to the best of our knowledge on 15 October 2026. Check the latest with the Dubai Land Department or an adviser before you sign or pay.
Want the exact figures for a project?
Send us the project and the unit. We will work out every payment and fee, and ask the developer what they will cover.