Legal review of a property purchase in Dubai
We review what you sign when you buy property in Dubai: contract, payments, DLD registration, costs, ownership and tax, before you pay the reservation.
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Before signing, review the contract, the costs and the ownership.
Market speed is no substitute for an orderly review of the contract, payments, registration and tax. You choose the property with your agency; we review the transaction.
Contract
Reservation, MOU or SPA: payments, deadlines, penalties, handover and terms worth negotiating.
Real costs
DLD fee, broker commission where applicable, service charges, financing and tax costs in your country.
Later documents
Title deed, proof of payment and a file for renting, declaring, selling or passing the property on.
We are the legal and tax firm, not the agency.
LorcaBase is a legal and tax firm: we do not sell property. Finding and choosing the property is handled by a real estate agency; we review contract, ownership, tax and structure so the decision holds up after signing.
Legal review
Reservation, MOU or SPA, payments, penalties, handover, NOC and registration: what you sign and what it binds you to.
Structure and tax
Personal, company or holding ownership; rental income, future sale, succession and obligations in your country of residence.
Working with your agency
We work alongside the agency you choose so the commercial and legal sides move forward together, without one holding up the other.
The purchase is reviewed in layers, not as an isolated formality.
Use of the property
Living in it, renting it out, obtaining residence, reselling or holding it within a family structure.
Purchase expenses
DLD fee, broker commission, service charges, maintenance, financing and exit costs.
Broker and seller
Identity, licences, authorisation, developer and consistency of documents.
MOU or SPA
Payments, deadlines, penalties, handover, default, NOC, registration and relevant conditions.
Before signing
Tax residence, personal or company purchase, rental income, future sale, succession and reporting.
Orderly closing
Documents, payments, title deed, tax file, powers of attorney where relevant and follow-up.
Types of purchase that usually need a review.
The review is especially important when the buyer is outside the UAE, buys remotely or links the property with tax and residence.
Completed property
Review of title deed, seller, NOC, expenses and closing timetable.
Pre-completion purchase
Review of SPA, escrow, payment plan, handover, resale and delay risk.
Purchase linked to residence
Check whether the purchase can support long-term residence.
Buying to let
Tenancy contract, Ejari registration, tax on rental income and income records.
Buyer outside Dubai
Powers of attorney, signatures, payment coordination and reinforced document checks.
Family purchase
Ownership, inheritance, will, gifting, holding and wealth continuity.
Before signing an MOU, SPA or payment plan.
The review should happen before the buyer is bound by payments, deadlines or penalties.
If you have already received documents, we can review the critical points and tell you what to request before moving forward.
Review my purchase →What we review for the purchase.
Purchase checklist
Documents, parties, payments and costs that must be clear before signing.
Risk reading
Risks in the contract, the seller or developer, the payments, the tax position and the exit.
Closing plan
Order of steps, payment coordination, registration, document file and later obligations.
Usual review process.
The process can vary, but these are the checks that avoid signing blind.
- 01
Define the case
Objective, budget, tax residence, financing and whether you buy in your own name or through a company.
- 02
Gather documents
Offer, contract, payment plan, title deed or project details and broker registration.
- 03
Verify the parties
Review broker, developer, seller, licences and authorisations.
- 04
Review the contract
Analyse MOU, SPA, payments, penalties, NOC, handover, default and key conditions.
- 05
Coordinate closing
Prepare payments, signatures, powers of attorney where applicable, registration and final documents.
- 06
Order afterwards
File documents for tax, rental, residence, future sale, gifting or succession.
Purchases reviewed before capital is committed.
A fast purchase can be the right one if the prior review is also fast, orderly and complete.
Full view
We look at contract, tax, residence and wealth in the same review.
Prevention
We spot weak points before payment, not when the buyer has little room left.
Documentation
We organise contracts, payments, titles, licences and the evidence you will need.
International lens
We think about buyers who live outside the UAE and will have obligations in another country.
Practical connection
We can coordinate bank, company, Golden Visa, will or gifting if the case requires it.
Clear decision
The outcome should be to sign, request changes, renegotiate or walk away.
Sources for reviewing a purchase
A purchase should be checked against public data, applicable rules and verification of the parties.
Dubai Land Department▸
Registration, data, real estate services and official transaction references.
Licensed brokers▸
Confirmation of authorised intermediaries before relying on a recommendation.
Rules and regulations▸
Regulatory framework for registration, brokerage and real estate procedures.
Transaction documents▸
MOU, SPA, title deed, NOC, payment plan, service charges and seller or developer documents.
Property purchase glossary
Common concepts in the documents of a Dubai property purchase.
Memorandum of Understanding · MOU ▸
Document used in real estate transactions to reflect key terms between buyer and seller before completion.
Sale and Purchase Agreement · SPA ▸
Sale contract governing price, payments, obligations, delivery, default and key conditions.
Title deed ▸
Registry document evidencing ownership of a completed and registered property.
No Objection Certificate · NOC ▸
No-objection document that may be required in certain transfers or property procedures.
Service charges ▸
Recurring maintenance costs for the building or community.
Freehold ▸
Regime or area where foreign buyers may acquire certain properties.
Foreign buyer ▸
Non-UAE buyer purchasing property in Dubai, often requiring review of ownership areas, documents, payment route, tax residence and remote signing.
Dubai property purchase costs ▸
Costs beyond the price, potentially including registration, broker fees, service charges, management, financing, insurance, maintenance and tax effects outside the UAE.
Pages related to buying
Property lawyers
What LorcaBase reviews in a purchase and how we work alongside your agency.
Learn more → 02Ownership structure
Individual, company or holding before signing.
Learn more → 03Off-plan purchase review
Specific review of off-plan contracts.
Learn more → 04Dubai real estate tax
Ownership, rental income, future sale and reporting.
Learn more → 05Dubai Golden Visa
When a purchase can give access to long-term residence: requirements, documents and process.
Learn more → 06Wills in the UAE
Non-Muslim will in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to organise the succession of the property.
Learn more →What clients usually ask.
Does LorcaBase find the property?
No. The search is handled by a real estate agency. LorcaBase reviews the legal and tax side: contract, registration, costs, ownership and documents.
Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?
Yes, in areas designated for foreign ownership. The key is checking that the property, the area and the contract fit your situation and your objective.
What should a foreign buyer check before buying?
A foreign buyer should check the ownership area, the parties, the contract, the payment route, purchase costs, tax position, documents and how the property will be held and passed on.
What are the basic steps?
Choose the property with your agency, verify the broker and the seller or developer, review costs and contract, pay the reservation, complete the payments, register the transaction with the DLD and keep the documents.
Which costs should I expect?
Beyond the price, buying property in Dubai may involve the DLD registration fee, broker commission where applicable, service charges, maintenance, financing, insurance, management and tax costs in your country of residence.
Can I buy remotely?
It may be possible in certain cases through powers of attorney, signatures and coordinated procedures. Still, documentary and tax review is more important when you are not physically in Dubai.
Which documents should be reviewed?
Identity of the parties, title or project documentation, contract, payment schedule, broker licence or registration, developer data and recurring costs.
The trust of clients already working with us
Related guides and analysis
Dubai Golden Visa through property investment
Dubai Golden Visa by property investment: the 2 million AED threshold, mortgaged property with bank NOC, official DLD fees, timelines and family sponsorship.
Read article→02Why It Is Important to Make a Will in Dubai
Why non-Muslims should make a will in Dubai: what happens without one, the DIFC, ADGM and ADJD routes, will types, guardianship of minor children and fees.
Read article→Review the contract before reserving
We analyse contract, payments, registration, costs, ownership and tax before you commit significant payments.
Review my purchase →Dubai Marina, UAE