Skip to content
FindCommercial

Offer to title deed

How to buy a warehouse in Dubai, step by step

10 steps from the first brief to the title deed in your name — who does each one, what to bring, and what DLD charges.

  1. 1–3FindBrief, shortlist, viewings and checks
  2. 4–6AgreeOffer, sale contract and finance
  3. 7–8TransferClearances, then the DLD transfer
  4. 9–10Take overDEWA, then the tenant or your licence

Fees and timings as the authorities publish them, each linked · checked 4 Oct 2026

Step 01 of 10Your brief
Send my briefCall 050 505 9097
The 10 checks before you buy
Stage 1

Find

  1. 1

    Your brief

    Size, area, clear height, power, use and budget, and whether you’ll pay cash or borrow. Say who will own it — you, or a company — since that decides where you can buy freehold.

    WhoYou

    Source: Dubai Law 7 of 2006

  2. 2

    Shortlist and viewings

    Buildings and plots that fit, including ones that are not advertised, each with its specs, tenure and full purchase cost. We arrange the viewings and are there for each one. Whoever you buy through should be on DLD’s list of licensed brokers — our office number is ORN 61387.

    WhoUs

    Source: DLD licensed brokers

  3. 3

    The ten checks

    Run the checks on the building you like: the title deed verified with DLD, the site plan, the completion certificate and any lease — and an engineer’s survey of the structure.

    WhoYou, with us

    The ten checks, with what to ask

    Source: DLD title deed verification

Stage 2

Agree

  1. 4

    Offer and terms

    Price, deposit, what is included, vacant or let, the transfer date, and who pays DLD’s fee, the VAT and the trustee centre. Agree it in writing before any money changes hands.

    WhoYou and the seller; we negotiate

  2. 5

    The sale contract (Form F)

    In Dubai a sale through brokers is agreed on DLD’s Contract F — the agreement to sell between seller and buyer. Write in the price, the deposit, the transfer date, who pays each fee, and what happens if either side pulls out.

    WhoYou and the seller, through the brokers

    Source: DLD brokers’ guide

  3. 6

    Mortgage approval

    Only if you borrow

    Your bank values the building and makes its offer, and the mortgage is registered with DLD at the transfer. DLD also values commercial and industrial property itself, and issues an e-certificate.

    Who
    You and your bank
    Cost
    Mortgage registration: 0.25% of the loan, plus DLD’s fees

    Source: DLD mortgage registration · DLD valuation

Stage 3

Transfer

  1. 7

    Clearances

    Before the transfer the seller settles three things: any service charges — in a building or community with shared parts, a unit can’t be transferred until they are paid; the no-objection certificate (e-NOC) a freehold area needs, through the Dubai REST app; and, if the property is mortgaged, the bank’s release letter.

    Who
    The seller, with us
    Time
    An e-NOC takes 3–5 working days

    Source: Dubai Law 6 of 2019 · DLD sale registration · DLD e-NOC · DLD sale of a mortgaged property

  2. 8

    Transfer and title deed

    Buyer and seller — or their attorneys — meet at a Real Estate Registration Trustees centre, the price and fees are paid, and DLD registers the sale. The new title deed comes by email.

    Who
    You and the seller, with the brokers
    Cost
    DLD 4% of the price (2% buyer, 2% seller on its list) · title deed AED 250 · map AED 225 (AED 100 outside Dubai Municipality) · AED 20 · trustee AED 4,000 + VAT (AED 2,000 + VAT under AED 500,000)
    Time
    About 25 minutes
    Bring
    • Emirates ID, or passport if not resident
    • The e-NOC, in a freehold area
    • Power of attorney, if signing for someone else

    Source: DLD sale registration · Dubai Law 7 of 2006

Stage 4

Take over

  1. 9

    Electricity and water

    If it’s empty or for your own use

    Move DEWA into your name as the owner, with the title deed. For business premises the deposit is set from the expected consumption, and an owner’s deposit is refunded only when the property is sold.

    Who
    You, on DEWA’s website or app
    Cost
    Deposit set by DEWA · connection AED 125 (small meter) or AED 300 (large), plus AED 30
    Time
    Supply within 15 working hours of payment

    Source: DEWA

  2. 10

    The tenant, or your licence

    If it’s let, tell the tenant you are the new landlord and where to pay: the lease carries on as signed. If it’s for your own use, licence your business at this address — no licence is issued without a valid Civil Defence certificate — and a fit-out of a unit over 100 m² needs a Dubai Municipality permit, applied for by an approved contractor.

    WhoYou

    Source: Dubai Law 26 of 2007 · u.ae · Dubai Law 4 of 2025 · Administrative Resolution 85 of 2019

Questions

DLD fees, VAT and the transfer

How much is the DLD transfer fee on a warehouse?

DLD charges 4% of the sale price — on its fee list, 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller, so agree in the sale contract who pays — plus AED 250 for the title deed, a map fee (AED 225, or AED 100 for land outside Dubai Municipality) and AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. The trustee centre charges AED 4,000 + VAT, or AED 2,000 + VAT for a sale under AED 500,000.

Is there VAT on buying a warehouse in Dubai?

Yes. Sales of commercial property are taxed at the standard 5% — a warehouse is not a residential building — while the sale of vacant land is exempt. Agree in the sale contract who pays it.

How long does a property transfer take in Dubai?

The registration itself takes about 25 minutes at a Real Estate Registration Trustees centre, once the clearances are in — an e-NOC, where one is needed, takes 3–5 working days — and the new title deed is sent by email.

Talk to a broker

Start with step 1. We’ll see you through to the title deed.

Size, area, power, height, budget and how you’ll pay — send it once. We shortlist, arrange the viewings, negotiate and stay with you to the transfer.

WhatsApp a brokerCall 050 505 9097