All costs when buying property in Dubai: A complete guide 2026

When you buy property, your investment includes costs of around 7-8% of the property value in fees and charges.

All costs when buying property in Dubai: This guide breaks down exactly what you'll pay so there are no surprises down the line.

With StakeOne there are no hidden fees or price markups. You buy, manage and sell full properties in one app from anywhere in the world. Learn more.

First, the good news

Dubai has no local property tax, no capital gains tax and no tax on rental income. What you pay is mostly upfront and what you earn from your investment is not locally taxed.

StakeOne charges 0% commission off-plan, meaning you keep more of your money.

Once you complete the property purchase, the ongoing costs are straightforward.

Property costs everyone pays: Mandatory fees

Dubai Land Department (DLD) transfer fee

• 4% of the purchase price
• Admin fee: AED 580 for apartments, AED 430 for land, AED 40 for off-plan

Some developers waive or subsidise this fee on off-plan launches.

Property registration fee

• AED 2,000 + 5% VAT for properties below AED 500,000
• AED 4,000 + 5% VAT for properties above AED 500,000

Title deed & map fees

• Title deed issuance: AED 250
• Map fees: AED 250 for apartments/villas
• Knowledge fee: AED 10 + Innovation fee: AED 10

0% commission with StakeOne

• Standard rate: 2% of purchase price on ready properties + 5% VAT

Most buyers pay this.

When you buy off-plan through StakeOne, there's 0% commission, we earn directly from developers to ensure you keep more of your investment. We do not add a markup to property prices.

Off-plan specific costs

Buying off-plan has a different cost structure. Here's what applies:

Payment plans

Dubai developers offer a range of payment structures that make owning property more achievable, no matter your investment strategy. It varies from developer to developer, so it’s important to consider when buying.

1% per month plans

These plans make it easier to step into ownership. Start with a small down payment, then pay 1% of the property price each month. It’s a steady, predictable path to building equity.

Post-handover plans

Pay a portion during construction, then settle the rest after handover, often using rental income. It’s a smart way to align payments with cash flow.

Milestone-based plans (like 60/40)

Your instalments track construction progress. A common structure: 60% paid during the build, 40% on completion. This reduces upfront risk and gives you more control as the project moves forward.

Oqood registration

Oqood (Arabic for "contracts") is the registration system for off-plan properties. This is the proof of ownership during construction, before the title deed is issued at handover.

• 4% of the property value, paid at registration
• Developer admin fees: varies by developer, anywhere between AED 1,500-6,000

Important: This 4% is your DLD fee paid upfront. You don't pay 4% again at handover, the Oqood converts to a title deed.

Once your downpayment is paid, the developer registers the property with the DLD. At this point, you will receive an Oqood certificate (digital registration).

After that, you receive the Sales Purchase Agreement (SPA), at which point you can also start the Golden Visa application.

Snagging inspection

Before accepting the handover, it’s highly recommended to get a professional snagging inspection. This identifies any issues that the developer must fix before you take the keys.

• Cost: AED 800-2,500, depending on property size
• Catches issues while they're still the developer's responsibility

Ready property costs

Buying a completed property involves a few additional considerations:

No objection certificate (NOC)

• AED 500-5,000 (varies by developer) + 5% VAT

The seller obtains this from the developer to confirm no outstanding service charges. While typically the seller's cost, it can affect transaction timelines.

Conveyancing (optional, but recommended)

• AED 6,000-10,000

A conveyancer handles the legal and administrative aspects of the property transfer. Worth considering for complex transactions.

Mortgage costs, if you're financing

Taking a mortgage? These are some additional costs to consider:

Real numbers: What you'll actually pay

Here's what the total cost looks like:

Example 1: AED 800,000 apartment

Example 2: AED 1,500,000 apartment

Post-handover costs

Once you receive your keys, here's what you'll pay every year:

Service charges

The service charge in Dubai can range from AED 3 to AED 30 per sq ft. annually, so it’s best to compare against existing properties in the same area as you are planning to buy.

These are annual fees for maintaining the building or community, including costs associated with common areas, pools, gyms, security, landscaping, elevators, etc. It’s charged per square foot and varies significantly by each building and community.

You can check the service charge index directly with the DLD, which provides a platform where you can select specific buildings and the year of service charges. View here.

DEWA (utilities)

• Security deposit: AED 2,000 (apartments) or AED 4,000 (villas), refundable
• Activation fee: AED 130
• Monthly consumption varies by usage

District cooling (Empower/Emicool)

If your building uses district cooling (common in newer developments):

• Security deposit: AED 2,000-3,000
• Monthly fixed fee + consumption charges

Ejari (if renting out)

Mandatory tenancy contract registration:

• Registration fee: AED 175-220 (including knowledge and innovation fees)
• Required for DEWA activation by the tenant

Managing your property: 2 options

You have 2 paths.

Do it yourself

You handle tenant sourcing, viewings, Ejari, rent collection, maintenance callouts, and renewals. No fees, but expect hours per month minimum: more when issues arise. Impractical if you're overseas or time-poor.

Property management company

Most property management companies in Dubai charge:

Service quality varies significantly, and many are reactive rather than proactive.

What happens after handover

Most brokers disappear after the sale, but StakeOne doesn't.

We're your single point of contact throughout the entire ownership journey:

• Sourcing: we handpick properties based on your strategy
• Property registration: handling DLD paperwork and title deed processing
• Utilities setup: DEWA, Empower, internet connections
• Furnishing: from design to installation
• Tenant sourcing: finding qualified tenants
• Rent collection: managing payments and Ejari
• Ongoing property management: maintenance, service charges, renewals
• Golden Visa: support to make your application a smooth process
• Resale support: when you're ready to exit

Whether you're buying from Dubai or abroad, you get the same hands-on support.

In brief: All costs

Next steps

Make sure to consider approximately 7-8% of the purchase price as part of your investment. The exact percentage depends on whether you're buying off-plan or ready, whether you're financing, and who you buy through.

With StakeOne, you save more with our 0% commission and get end-to-end support, from property selection through to rental management and resale.

StakeOne: Ownership, simplified.

Have any questions? Or want to discuss further?

Book a call with our property expert

This material is being issued by Stake One Real Estate Brokerage LLC.