Dubai Land Department

OTPs for high-value transactions (transfers, mortgage release) deliver via UAE Pass push notifications rather than SMS. If push is not arriving, the UAE Pass app needs notification permissions enabled at OS level - check Settings > Notifications > UAE Pass. The SMS fallback uses the mobile registered against UAE Pass; if that mobile is wrong, update inside UAE Pass first. Network operators occasionally throttle government OTPs during peak windows; switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data sometimes unblocks the delivery.

Crashes after an OS update are common in the first 24-48 hours; reinstall fixes most. Blank dashboard despite successful sign-in usually means the underlying property and Ejari sync stalled - pull to refresh; if still blank after two refreshes, the federal sync is in catch-up mode after a DLD maintenance window. Wait 2-4 hours. If the dashboard shows old data (a sold property still appears), the title transfer has not flushed to your view - log out, sign in fresh, and the cache rebuilds.

Dubai REST has no separate password because UAE Pass is the identity provider for residents. Reset is through UAE Pass: open UAE Pass > Forgot PIN, follow the verification on the registered mobile. If UAE Pass is locked too, visit any UAE Pass kiosk with Emirates ID to re-verify. For the investor channel (non-residents, no UAE Pass), the Forgot Password link on the investor portal sends a reset to the registered email.

Open Dubai REST > Ejari. Every Ejari linked to your Emirates ID appears with contract number, address, and expiry date. If nothing shows up despite a signed tenancy, the landlord has not registered. Press the landlord to register before move-in because DEWA activation, family visa applications, and school admissions all require the Ejari certificate. As a fallback, tenants can register Ejari themselves if the landlord defaults - bring the signed contract, title deed copy, Emirates ID, and AED 220 to any Ejari typing centre.

Transfer fee is 4% of the declared sale price (per the SPA), payable at the Real Estate Services Trustee on the day of transfer. Convention splits it 50/50 between buyer and seller, but the SPA can shift it - many resale contracts have the buyer paying the full 4%. Add AED 580 administration fee per transfer and 2% agent commission (if a registered broker is involved). Mortgage registration adds 0.25% of the mortgage amount plus AED 290. Bring manager's cheques for each line item separately - the Trustee will not accept a single combined cheque.

Yes, the digital title deed is available instantly inside Dubai REST for every registered unit linked to your Emirates ID. Tap Properties > select the unit > Download Title Deed. The PDF is legally equivalent to the printed certificate and accepted by every Dubai bank for mortgage applications and refinancing. Trustees are only needed for the original registration of new units, title amendments (after consolidation, sub-division), or when the title is encumbered and needs a discharge-and-reissue.

Look up your property on the Smart Rental Index inside REST or on dubailand.gov.ae. The index returns the legal rent-increase ceiling for your building and unit type (0% if within 10% of index, scaling up to 20% if rent is 40%+ below index). If the landlord's proposed increase exceeds the ceiling, file an RDC case inside REST within 90 days of receiving the increase notice. Fee is 3.5% of annual rent. Hearing within 30 days; the Smart Rental Index is binding evidence and the case usually decides in the tenant's favour if the breach is clear.

Mollak is the DLD's mandatory service-charge escrow for jointly-owned properties (apartments, villas in master communities, mixed-use towers). The management company invoices via Mollak each quarter; owners pay into Mollak; Mollak releases funds against approved spend with audit trail. Charges cover building maintenance, security, cleaning, insurance, reserve fund, and master-community amenities (pools, gyms, gates). The annual amount per square foot varies widely (AED 5-30+) and is approved by RERA. Disputes over excessive charges go to RERA via REST.

Oqood is mandatory and the developer should have registered it at the SPA stage. If it is missing after 60 days, contact the developer's CRM team immediately - without Oqood the resale, mortgage, and snag-list rights are all unenforceable. If the developer is unresponsive, file a complaint at RERA inside REST; the developer faces fines and is forced to register. Buyers should never accept a deposit-paid status without Oqood appearing in REST within 60 days of SPA.

Filing to first hearing: typically 30 days. Hearing to decision: typically 30 days. Total: 60-90 days for most cases. Complex cases (commercial, multi-party, evidentiary disputes) can extend to 4-6 months. Decisions are enforceable through Dubai Police execution within 14 days. Either side can appeal within 15 days of decision; appeal hearings add another 30-45 days. Most landlord-tenant disputes settle before the hearing once the case is filed, because the Smart Rental Index makes outcomes predictable.

Yes. Ejari and REST are tied to the Emirates ID, not the visa-issuing authority. Free-zone residents (DMCC, DIFC, JAFZA, RAKEZ) register Ejari and use REST identically to mainland residents. The only edge cases are corporate tenancies where the contract is signed by an LLC rather than an individual; the company representative needs a corporate UAE Pass account or signs through an authorised typing centre.

Yes, freehold areas (Dubai Marina, Downtown, JLT, Palm Jumeirah, Arabian Ranches, JVC, and many others) are open to foreign ownership without residency. Non-residents register through the DLD investor channel using passport rather than Emirates ID. REST works for view-and-pay services but high-trust transactions (transfer, mortgage release) still require physical presence at a Trustee or a notarised power of attorney for an authorised agent. The 4% transfer fee, AED 580 admin, and broker commission apply identically.

Most mismatches happen because the Emirates ID was renewed with a new number and DLD has not synced. Visit any Real Estate Services Trustee with both EIDs (or the renewal receipt showing the old number) and ask for an EID update on the title record. No fee for a simple EID update. For name changes (after marriage, divorce, or naturalisation), DLD requires a court-attested name-change document plus a Trustee visit; the title is reissued in 5-7 working days.