Real Estate Lawyer Dubai
MBM advises buyers, sellers, owners, investors and developers across Dubai — on the transaction before it goes wrong, and on the dispute once it has. Seventeen years in practice, litigation and arbitration in-house, and a free first consultation.
If you already know what the problem is, start here
Property matters split into a few distinct problems, each with its own law, timetable and route. Go straight to yours — you will get a more specific answer than this page can give.
A dispute with a developer
Delayed handover, a refused refund, changed specifications, a stalled or cancelled project, escrow and shortfall recovery.
Buying & sellingA sale or purchase in trouble
SPA disputes, withheld deposits, undisclosed defects, misrepresentation, failed completions and stalled DLD transfers.
OwnershipOwnership or co-ownership contested
Title disputes, co-owner deadlock, boundaries, service charges, broker commission and title fraud.
ConstructionA construction claim
Delay claims, defects, variations, non-payment and FIDIC-based disputes, for employers and contractors alike.
Rental & tenancyA landlord or tenant matter
Eviction notices, rent arrears, rent increases, deposits and Rental Disputes Center proceedings.
Not sure yetTell us and we will place it
Describe the situation in a few lines. If it is not a matter we should take, we will tell you that too.
The property work MBM does
Advisory and contentious, for individuals and for institutions.
Transactions and due diligence
Sale and purchase agreement drafting, review and negotiation; title and authority checks; encumbrances, service charge position and occupation status; transfer and registration support.
Off-plan and developer matters
Delayed handover, refund refusals, specification changes, defects, escrow and project cancellation — through RERA, the DLD and the courts.
Ownership and co-ownership
Contested title, co-owner deadlock, boundary and common-area issues, service charge disputes, broker commission claims and title fraud.
Construction disputes
Delay and disruption claims, defective works, variations and valuation, non-payment, and disputes under FIDIC-based contracts.
Rental and tenancy
Landlord and tenant representation, eviction notices, rent arrears recovery, rent increases under the index bands, deposits, and Rental Disputes Center proceedings.
Litigation, arbitration and enforcement
Representation before the Dubai courts and in arbitration, including enforcement of judgments and awards once obtained.
Two layers of law govern every Dubai property matter
The first is real-estate regulation. The Dubai Land Department and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) jointly govern registration, brokerage and off-plan sales, and brokerage is separately regulated. Tenancy sits under Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, with the Rental Disputes Center as its tribunal.
The second is general civil law — and it changed this year. Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, the Civil Transactions Law, took effect on 1 June 2026, fully replacing the 1985 law that previously underpinned every UAE contract. Court procedure is governed separately by Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022.
Practically, that means a property matter usually has more than one available route. Choosing between them, before anything is filed, is most of the value a lawyer adds. All of the above is subject to applicable UAE law on your facts.
Dubai Land Department — dubailand.gov.ae · Rental Disputes Center — rdc.gov.ae · UAE Legislation — uaelegislation.gov.ae
How an MBM matter starts
The first consultation is free and carries no obligation to instruct us.
Free consultation
Call, WhatsApp or send the form. We take the essential facts and tell you whether there is a matter worth pursuing.
Document review
We read the agreement, title and correspondence, then set out your position, the options and the likely cost in writing.
Notice or negotiation
We act — a demand, a notice, a regulatory complaint or a negotiation. Many matters end here.
Proceedings and enforcement
Where it is needed, we litigate or arbitrate, then enforce the outcome.
Property work sits between contract, regulation and construction
Most property matters are not purely one thing. A delayed handover is a contract question and a construction question and a regulatory question at once. Handling all three in one firm is what keeps a matter moving.
- Real estate and construction together. The same team covers the contract and the works.
- Regulatory and civil routes. RERA and DLD complaints alongside court and arbitration, chosen on merit rather than habit.
- Litigation and arbitration in-house. The people advising you are the people who would argue it.
- Both sides of every dispute. Buyer and seller, landlord and tenant, employer and contractor — which is how we know where each side’s case is weak.
Property law in Dubai, answered directly
General information on the current framework, not advice on your matter.
Do I need a lawyer to buy property in Dubai?
It is not mandatory, but the transactions that go wrong are usually the ones where nobody independent read the agreement.
A lawyer checks the seller’s title and authority to sell, any registered mortgage or encumbrance, service charge arrears attaching to the unit, and whether the SPA protects you if the transaction fails. That review costs a fraction of a later dispute.
How much does a real estate lawyer cost?
The initial consultation is free. Beyond that, cost depends on the work: reviewing an SPA is a defined, limited piece of work, while a contested developer dispute with litigation and enforcement is not.
We give a scope and a fee position before you instruct us.
Who regulates property transactions in Dubai?
The Dubai Land Department and RERA jointly govern registration, brokerage and off-plan sales, and brokerage is separately regulated.
Rental and tenancy matters are dealt with by the Rental Disputes Center, which as at September 2026 remains a distinct tribunal rather than part of Dubai Courts.
Is my broker’s advice the same as legal advice?
No. Brokerage is a separately regulated activity and a broker is generally paid on completion — a legitimate role, but a different one from assessing whether the agreement in front of you protects you if the transaction fails.
The two are complementary rather than interchangeable.
Does the new 2026 civil law affect property transactions?
It may. Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 took effect on 1 June 2026 and replaced the 1985 law that previously underpinned every UAE contract.
Reported changes include a codified duty of good faith in pre-contractual negotiations, which can be relevant where a seller did not disclose something material. Because the law is this recent, its application is still developing.
Can MBM act for me against a developer?
Yes. MBM acts for off-plan buyers and investors against developers on delayed handover, refused refunds, changed specifications, defects and project cancellation — through both the regulatory route and the courts.
Tell us about your property matter
Tell us briefly about your matter. Our team will review your enquiry and advise you on the appropriate next step. Everything you send is treated as confidential.
If a deadline is running — a completion date, a notice period, a hearing — please call rather than emailing.
- +971 4 570 0204Dubai office · Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00
- WhatsApp +971 54 596 1111Send the agreement or the notice if that is easier
- info@mbm-co.comAttach whatever documents you have
Thank you — your enquiry is with our team.
A member of the MBM team will review what you have sent and come back to you with the appropriate next step.
If your matter is time-critical, please call +971 4 570 0204 rather than waiting.
Property matters are cheapest to fix before they are disputes.
Whether you are about to sign or already in a dispute, the first consultation is free and you will get a straight answer on where you stand.