Mollak: check and dispute Dubai property service charges

The rule: no charge without RERA approval

A higher service-charge bill has to match the building’s RERA-approved budget, even when a new company takes over. Check that budget before you challenge the increase, and keep paying approved charges while you dispute it.

Service charges pay for managing, running, maintaining and repairing a building’s shared parts. Your share follows your unit’s area relative to the whole. Law No. 6 of 2019 governs these charges. It replaced the old strata law, Law No. 27 of 2007.

A higher bill still needs RERA approval under Article 27. The management entity may not charge owners without that approval. RERA won’t approve a budget unless a RERA-recognised audit firm has certified it. A temporary budget can be approved while that happens.

A new management company doesn’t change this. Whoever runs the building, the charge has to match the approved budget for that year.

How to check the approved rate

The Land Department’s Service Charge Index shows the RERA-approved service fee for every jointly owned project. You can check it free and instantly on the DLD website (Mollak) or the Dubai REST app. Use these steps to find your building’s rate:

Open Service Charge Index.
Choose the project name, the usage (residential, for example) and the year.
View the approved rate in AED per sq ft.

Pick different years to see how your building’s rate changed. Compare nearby towers before buying.

Since December 2025, management companies can also get a three-year fixed budget approved through Mollak. The first was Palm Jumeirah’s master community. One-year budgets are still the norm elsewhere.

Mollak: where your money goes

Mollak means “owners” in Arabic. The Land Department uses it to govern jointly owned buildings and regulate management companies. It also monitors service charges. It launched in 2019.

Owners pay into a RERA-supervised bank account for each project. The bank can’t release money beyond the approved limits. Pay into the regulatory account named on your invoice and send the payment slip to the management company.

Your owners’ committee

Under Law No. 6 of 2019, an owners’ committee is formed once at least 10% of units are registered to owners. RERA appoints up to nine members. They must own and live in the building, with all charges paid.

The committee meets every quarter to monitor the manager and review budgets. It also takes owners’ complaints. If the manager doesn’t fix a complaint within 14 days, the committee escalates it to RERA.

Portals often still say “owners’ association”, the term from the old law. If you have a complaint, raise it with your committee first.

How to dispute a charge

The complaint route depends on whether you are reporting a problem, seeking a grievance decision or bringing a legal dispute.

Step	What happens
1. Complaint	Report service or maintenance problems through the Dubai REST app or the Real Estate Violations System. The Land Department says it takes legal action against anyone billing owners for unapproved charges
2. Grievance to the DLD Director General	A committee formed by the Director General decides within 30 days (Article 46). Its decision is final for that route
3. Rental Disputes Centre	Despite its name, it has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes under the jointly owned property law (Article 42). Money claims cost 3.5% of the amount, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 15,000

Source: Dubai jointly owned property law and Rental Disputes Centre guidance. Full source links are below.

While you dispute, keep paying. The law doesn’t let you withhold approved charges or give up your share of the common parts to avoid them. Developers and managers cannot block access to your home or common areas to force payment.

What unpaid charges block

Unpaid charges can block a sale because the management entity has a lien on each unit. Article 32 bars disposal until the charges are paid. This is why a sale needs a service-charge clearance, usually as the developer’s or manager’s NOC.

Enforcement starts with a written notice that needs RERA approval. After 30 days without payment, a Rental Disputes Centre execution judge can enforce the claim. This can include auctioning the unit. The owner pays the court and lawyer fees.

An off-plan buyer pays from project completion, or from the moment they default, even before the title transfers. The developer pays for unsold units. Where a home is rented, the owner pays service charges unless the lease says otherwise.

What’s normal?

Dubai service charges run from about AED 3 to more than AED 30 per sq ft a year. The property type, amenities and developer affect the rate. Apartments generally cost more per sq ft than villas.

Those are broad ranges. For an exact building, the Service Charge Index is the only number that counts. Put it into our true cost calculator to see what it does to your yield.

Talk to someone who handles this

Tell us what you need. With your consent, we share your request with the developer or agent for Mollak: check Dubai service charges and an increase, who may contact you about it.

Do the maths: open the true cost calculator →

Registered data for your comparison

These are market comparisons. They do not decide ownership eligibility, legal rights, refunds, approved service charges or the permitted increase on your lease.

Annual rent comparisons in Dubai South

Compare annual community rent medians, contract counts and gross yields by home size in Dubai.

Annual rent comparisons in Dubai South
Community / area	Home size	Annual rent median	Contracts	Gross yield (before costs)
Dubai South Residential District	1-bedroom apartments	AED 52,900	1,688	7.18%
Dubai South Residential District	Studios	AED 40,000	1,216	8.33%
Dubai World Central	3-bedroom apartments	AED 108,500	1,190	4.81%
Dubai South Residential District	2-bedroom apartments	AED 80,000	983	7.14%
Dubai World Central	2-bedroom apartments	AED 85,000	774	5.46%
Expo City	1-bedroom apartments	AED 67,500	525	Not available

Publisher home-size rent medians, contract counts and matched-segment yields. Community links open the registry area for comparison.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026.

DLD area eligibility and concentration checks: 6 Oct 2025 to 5 Oct 2026. Local checks only; this is not the publisher matched-yield sales period.
Rent and yield source data through: 22 Oct 2026. Publisher aggregates based on DLD/Ejari records; individual lease periods are not supplied. Publisher matched-sale windows are not supplied.

Source update: 26 Oct 2026. Source: Dubai Land Department open data via Dubai Pulse, re-published by Dubai Real Estate Data (dataset), licensed CC BY 4.0. Sales to 5 Oct 2026. aggregated to medians; non-residential, land and flagged rows excluded. Source for rents, yields and project records: Dubai Data (datadubai.ae), Continental Club Property, based on Dubai Land Department open data, data to 22 Oct 2026, licensed CC BY 4.0. Publisher contract sample, register data to 22 Oct 2026; the lease period is not stated. Publisher-reported gross yields use the publisher matched-segment sale-price denominator, not this page’s sale median; the matched-sale reporting period is not stated.

Questions people ask

These answers connect the guide’s main questions with the rules and property data discussed above.

Can a new management company raise my service charge?

Not beyond the approved budget. Under Law No. 6 of 2019, the management entity may not charge owners without RERA approval. RERA only approves budgets certified by a recognised audit firm. Whoever manages the building, check the invoice against the approved rate for that year on the Service Charge Index.

How do I check a building's approved service charge?

Use the Dubai Land Department's Service Charge Index on the DLD website (or Mollak) or in the Dubai REST app. Choose the project name, usage and year, and it shows the RERA-approved rate. It's free and lets you compare years and neighbouring projects.

Can I stop paying service charges if maintenance is poor?

No. The law doesn't let an owner withhold approved charges. Unpaid charges are a lien on the unit. It cannot be sold until they are paid. After a RERA-approved notice and 30 days, the claim can be enforced. This can include auctioning the unit. Lawyers usually advise paying under protest while you dispute.

Who pays service charges, the owner or the tenant?

The owner pays, unless the lease says otherwise.

Do I pay service charges before I get the keys?

A buyer on the interim (off-plan) register pays from project completion or from the moment they default on payments. This applies even before the title transfers. That's a 2025 principle of the Rental Disputes Center. The developer pays on unsold units.

What annual rent is shown for Dubai South Residential District, 1-bedroom apartments?

The publisher's median annual rent is AED 52,900. This covers 1-bedroom apartments in Dubai South Residential District. This compares that segment. It does not set your flat's agreed rent or permitted rent increase.

See the supporting table

How many contracts support the Dubai South Residential District rent comparison?

This sample has 1,688 rent contracts. It covers 1-bedroom apartments in Dubai South Residential District. This is the publisher's segment sample, not the number of homes currently available.

See the supporting table

What other annual rent can I compare with Dubai South Residential District, 1-bedroom apartments?

The publisher's median annual rent is AED 40,000. This covers Studios in Dubai South Residential District. Keep different home sizes and property classes separate when comparing rents.

See the supporting table

Work it out with real numbers

Use these linked comparisons and tools to check the figures behind your next decision.

Sources

Rule review date: 12 October 2026.

This guide explains the rules in plain language. It is not legal advice; for a dispute, check with the Dubai Land Department or a lawyer.