Dubai real estate requirements is based in
the conditions made for
the real estate developer business in Dubai. The real estate developer is
defined under law as: “Any natural or juristic person licensed to purchase and
sell properties with a view to developing the same with such definition
including the main developer or sub-developer.”
In addition, real estate development is defined as
“Development of multi-storey buildings or complexes for residential and
commercial purposes.” The Government of Dubai developed clear and simple
conditions for licenses. It supported these conditions with strict requirements
to determine the duties and liabilities of the parties involved in the real
estate development together,
with safeguarding the same
parties by imposing strict penalties against those who breach such
provisions. These actions ensure transparency and bolster confidence in the
real estate sector in hopes to
attract investors to
the city. The development of the real estate sector remain promising
despite challenges.
Licenses
In order to proceed with a real estate development project,
the real estate developer shall comply with the provisions of the law governing
the off-plan sale of the real estate properties. This is the most fundamental element of real
estate development as it represents a business by offering real estate units to
investors against installments with a view to achieving profits together with a
parallel endeavor to convince banks of the profitability of financing real
estate development projects.
The local lawmaker in Dubai determines the legal body governing such a business in the Land Department of
the Government of Dubai, which is responsible for maintaining a special
register for real estate developers, and determining the banks in which the developers and financiers can deposit the installments of the real estate units under the account of the real estate project. Accordingly, since inception, the real estate developer
has to open the escrow account, in which the amounts paid by the purchasers or financiers of the real estate units sold off-plan are deposited.
Article (3) of Real Estate Development Escrow Account Act
(8) of 2007 stipulates that the provisions of this law apply to those who sell
units off-plan and receive payments from purchasers. Further, Article (4)
emphasizes that no developer may engage in such business, advertise in local or
foreign media or participate in exhibition for promoting real estate units or
properties sold off-plan unless it is registered in and licensed by the Land
Department in Dubai represented by its director general.
Article (7) of the Act stipulates in relation to the real
estate escrow account that any developer who wishes to sell units off-plan must
submit a request to open an Escrow Account and attach the following documents:
(1) A
certificate of membership in the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
(2) Trade
license;
(3) Title
deed of the plot to be developed;
(4) A
copy of the contract concluded between the master developer and the
sub-developer;
(5) The
initial architectural designs and engineering drawings approved by the
Competent Entities and the master developer;
(6) A
financial statement of the estimated cost and revenues of the project approved
by a certified chartered auditor;
(7) An
undertaking by the sub-developer to start the construction works of the project
upon having obtained the approval of the master developer for off-plan sale, or
an undertaking by the master developer if there is no sub-developer; and
(8) A
standard sale contract between the Developer and the purchaser.
All such established conditions are required for opening the
escrow account that shall be accompanied by an agreement made in writing
between the real estate developer and the escrow (the bank in which the
payments made by purchasers of units sold off-plan or by the financers of the
project are deposited). Such agreement shall determine the account management
conditions, rights, and obligations of the contracting parties with a copy
thereof being deposited with the Land Department.
Now, to tackle some of the real estate developer’s obligations, the following question must be answered:
When is the real estate developer deemed late in the
performance of its obligation to complete the project?
Real estate developer delay in the performance of its
obligations to complete the project is a very considerable, albeit expected risk
associated with building and construction agreements with their diversified
requirements. Such requirements include the approvals to be obtained from
governmental bodies and the duties of the developer, the main contractor, and
subcontractors. Therefore, a specific body shall be nominated to bear solely
such liabilities and risks in consideration of the investment advantages,
margins of profits, and speculations.
Because of
this, the lawmakers has not left this issue to the will of developers or
investors. Instead, the Government of
Dubai has specifically determined the standards relating to the issues that the
real estate developer may encounter while executing the real estate project.
The
review of the real estate law indicates the cases where the real estate
developer is deemed in default in the completion of the project, Article (21)
of the Executive Council Resolution No (6) of 2010 approving the Executive
Regulations of Law No (13) of 2008 Regulating the Interim Real Estate Register
in Dubai expressly states the reasons deemed beyond the reasonable control of
the real estate developer, as follows:
(1) If
the plot where the project is to be constructed is expropriated.
(2) If
a government body has frozen the project for re-planning reasons.
(3) If
a building remains or manuscripts are discovered within the site of the
project.
(4) If
the Master Developer makes alterations to the project site entailing the
alteration of the project boundaries and area in a manner affecting the
performance of the sub-developer’s obligations.
(5) Any
other grounds to be estimated by the Agency.
Strict
Penalties for Violations
Powers
vested in dealers and investors are subject to providing a secure, safe and stable
investment atmosphere where the investor has broadest credit powers by entering
into off-plan sale agreements with investors together with concluding banking
finance agreements with banks and financial institutions to finance the real
estate project.
Accordingly, the lawmaker has ensured the proper guarantees
for both investors and banks. In this regard, Article (16) of the Real Estate
Development Escrow Account Act (8) of 2007 stipulates that without prejudice to any penalties
stipulated by any other legislation, an imprisonment sentence and a fine of at
least one hundred thousand Dirhams (AED 100,000), or either penalty,
shall be imposed on those who:
(1) Engage
in Real Estate Development activity in the Emirate without a license;
(2) Provide
the Competent Entities with incorrect documentation or information in order to
obtain a license to practice the Real Estate Development activity;
(3) Knowingly
offer for sale Units in fraudulent Real Estate Development projects;
(4) Steal,
appropriate, or forfeit any amounts of money delivered to them for the purpose
of implementing Real Estate Development projects;
(5)As
for auditors, deliberately preparing a fraudulent report upon auditing the
financial standing of the Developer or deliberately failing to disclose
material facts in their report;
(6) In
the case of consultants, knowingly certifying fraudulent reports on a Real
Estate Development project; or
(7) In
the case of Developers, dealing with a real estate broker who is not registered
on the Real Estate Brokers Register maintained by the Department in accordance
with Bylaw No. (85) of 2006 concerning the Real Estate Brokers Register in the
Emirate of Dubai.
Furthermore, Article (17) stipulates that the real estate
developer shall be de-registered
and punished with penalties set forth in Article (16) in the cases where:
(1) It
is declared bankrupt;
(2) It
fails, without an acceptable reason, to commence construction works after the
lapse of six (6) months from the date on which he was granted permission to
sell Units off-plan (as may be estimated by the Land Department in Dubai);
(3) The
license granted to the Developer by the licensing entity is revoked;
(4) It
commits any of the violations stipulated in items 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Article (16)
of this Act; or
(5) It
violates any of the laws and bylaws regulating the activity of Real Estate
Development in the Emirate.
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