Off-plan property delayed? Your options in Dubai
A late handover is frustrating, but your options depend on three things: your sale agreement, the project's registered status and what you have paid.
5 min readPractice areas
Real Estate, Construction & Rental Disputes
Property disputes in the UAE are often decided by contracts, registrations and technical reports. We act for buyers, owners, tenants, contractors and developers, from the first notice to judgment and enforcement.
We handle
- Off-plan delays, cancellations and refund claims
- Developer–buyer disputes over specifications, handover and title
- Construction claims: delay, variations, payment certificates and defects
- Objections and replies to court-appointed experts' reports
- Rental disputes: eviction, unpaid rent, rent increases and deposits, before the competent rental dispute body
- Service charges and owners' association disputes
Situations we often see
“My off-plan unit is years late”
The handover date in your sale agreement has passed and the developer keeps moving it. We review the agreement, the project's registered status and the payment record, then advise whether to negotiate, claim a refund or seek compensation.
“The contractor stopped work or the works are defective”
We assess the contract, the variations and the payment certificates, issue the formal notices the contract requires, and build the claim around the technical evidence.
“My landlord wants me out, or my tenant stopped paying”
We check the tenancy contract, its registration and the notices served, and act before the rental dispute body that has jurisdiction over the property.
How we approach it
- 01
Documents first
Sale and purchase agreements, tenancy contracts, registrations, payment certificates and correspondence decide most property cases. We read them before forming a view.
- 02
Technical evidence, tested early
Delay, quantities and defects are proven through experts. We prepare your evidence for the court-appointed expert and answer the other side's points in writing.
- 03
The right forum
Courts, the competent rental dispute body or arbitration under your contract — we file where your claim can actually be heard.
- 04
Through to enforcement
A judgment matters only when it is paid or the unit is handed over. We follow the execution file to the end.
What to bring
- Sale and purchase agreement or tenancy contract, with all addenda
- Payment receipts and statement of account
- Title deed, Oqood/interim registration or Ejari certificate, if issued
- Notices and emails exchanged with the developer, contractor, landlord or tenant
- Photos, snag lists or reports showing defects
- A short timeline of key dates
Questions clients ask
Can I claim a refund if my off-plan project is delayed?
It depends on your sale agreement, the project's registered status and what has been paid. Some buyers recover their payments, others negotiate a revised handover or compensation. We give you a view once we have read the agreement and the payment record.
Who decides rental disputes?
Rental disputes go to the rental dispute body of the emirate where the property is located, rather than the ordinary courts. Each emirate has its own procedure and filing requirements, so we confirm the correct body before you file.
What is the court-appointed expert's role?
In many property and construction cases the court appoints an engineering or accounting expert to examine the facts. The expert's report carries great weight, so we prepare your documents for the expert, attend the expert meetings and file written objections where the report is wrong.
Insights
Rental disputes in Dubai: what to prepare before you file
Rental cases are won or lost on paperwork: a registered contract, the right notices served the right way, and a clear payment record.
5 min readDiscuss your matter with an advocate
Send us a short summary of your matter. We confirm there is no conflict of interest, then ask for your documents. We aim to reply within one working day.