Registration of freehold property begins

The Dubai Land Department has commenced registering freehold property in the names of owners. Thousands of properties are expected to be registered in the coming weeks, starting with apartments at the Dubai Marina. The process is part of the Real Estate Registration Law that was issued in March 2006. Before this properties could only be registered in the names of UAE and GCC citizens. Foreign owners only possessed a contract of sale from the developer and could only transfer ownership via the developer.

Realty Check Dubai

new rent cap ruling

"H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, has issued a decree on rent allowance in the Emirate of Dubai.The new rent allowance was decided after taking into consideration Decree no. 2 of 1993 and its amendments, which set up a special committee to look into and settle disputes between landlords and tenants, and Decree no. 14 of 2005 which set a ceiling for any rent increase in the emirate.According to the new decree, rent allowance shall not exceed 7% of the annual rent charge of the property. This shall apply to all rent contracts that are to be renewed in 2007 on condition that no rent increment was made on that property in 2006. No rent allowance increment shall be made in 2007 on properties whose contract had already been signed in 2006, Article 2 of the new decree said.The decree tasked the special judiciary committee in charge of settling disputes between landlords and tenants to come up with the appropriate measures for the implementation of the new decree, which takes effect from the date of its issuance, January 1, 2007 and is to be published in the official gazette."more here and here