Investing in property in Dubai has never been a trivial matter, but in 2025 it is also a wise choice of couples who wish to create long-term stability in the prosperous market. When you are buying a dream apartment with your spouse or planning to have a future together, it is important to know two things – joint ownership and the mortgage process. All these determine the legal, financial, and practical reality of your joint investment.
This post takes you through all you should know, including title deeds, legal requirements, mortgage approval and fee structure blending the knowledge of two minds into one supercharged guide.
1. Learn what the Title Deed is
The title deed is the most important document in the process of any property transaction in Dubai as it is a document issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) officially certifying that you own a property.
It includes:
- Features of property (size, layout, location)
- Full names of the owner
- Percentage ownership (in joint buyers)
In the event that the property is bought through a mortgage, the title deed is retained by the bank until the mortgage is settled. After the transaction is done and all costs are paid, the DLD provides the title deed in form of a digital copy or a physical one.
Briefly, the lack of title deed means that there is no title ownership in the eyes of the law.
2. Get the Mortgage Process Started in Advance
In case you intend to fund your property on a mortgage, begin early on even before you get the unit you wish to purchase.
In the year 2025, it is also time-consuming to have mortgage approvals. The delays may occur in document collection, valuation and even approval and this may affect your speed in making the necessary action after locating the right apartment.
Banks ask different documents such as salary certificates, bank statements, and Emirates ID and mortgage consultants usually take several weeks to complete all the processes.
Hint: Do not fall into the trap of not starting the mortgage process until you have found a property. You should get pre-approved.
3. Take out More Than You Can Consume
It is prudent to apply for a larger mortgage than you anticipate needing. As an example, suppose you want to purchase a unit with an AED 400,000 value, then you may want to apply AED 700,000 in pre-approval.
Why?
- It will provide you with flexibility
- You are not obliged to use it all up
- You are ready to beat market surprises
That does not mean that you are locking yourself into a larger loan, you are merely leaving your options open. It is like negotiating being in a position of strength.
This is what most mortgages in Dubai usually include:
- Eighty percent of the unit value.
- DLD and agency fees (approx. 6 percent of the purchase price) 80 percent of which are paid.
4. Don’t Pay Mortgage Brokers
It remains so in 2025: do not pay mortgage brokers out of pocket. They are already paid by banks on their services.
With a good broker you can:
- Shop around bank to bank on mortgage rates
- Submit applications
- Increase speed of approvals
However, when somebody wants to take an upfront fee off you- walk.
5. Budget in Extra Fees Plan Your Budget
Some of the things you need to consider when calculating your total property cost are:
- DLD fee (4%)
- Commission of real estate agency (2%)
- The developer NOC charges
- Registration fee of mortgage
- Fees on property valuation
- Maintenance or service fee
In case you are buying together, decide who would pay what beforehand to prevent misunderstandings in the future.
6. The sale of a Joint Property is not Easy
In case you and your co-owner are interested in selling the property, both of you should agree. When one of you is interested in selling there is a problem.
Solutions include:
- Developing a joint investment contract that defines the rights of a sale and exit plans
- Offshore corporate structures (e.g. via a JAFZA offshore company) that give the investor groups more flexibility
- In case a co-owner sells his share, the 4% DLD fee is charged on the same and not the total value of the property. Where the sale is to a close relative (e.g. parent to child) the fee may be charged at 0.125% (gift rate).
7. Property Ownership and Divorce
In the joint property, where spouses are a married couple, both of them have to consent to selling the property, even in the course of or following a divorce.
Factors to remember:
- In case the divorce has been done prior to transferring the ownership between the two spouses, it is considered as a sale between unrelated people (4% fee is charged).
- When the transfer precedes the divorce, a fee is charged on the transfer of gifts at 0.125 percent.
- Timing matters. That’s why you should plan your legal and real estate actions carefully so as not to spend extra money.
- Also, in case the wife changes her surname upon getting married and changes the name in her passport, it would be preferable to change the title deed accordingly or transactions in the future might be difficult.
8. Death of the Owner
In Dubai, unlike in certain countries, joint ownership does not pass automatically to the surviving co-owner by the death of a co-owner.
Unless otherwise provided by a valid will, the share of the deceased will pass to his legal heirs according to local law of inheritance. This is more so to married couples or foreign nationals.
In case you want the surviving spouse or partner to receive your share, you should have a DIFC Will or some other legal agreement. Without it, the share might be split between relatives–whether you want it or not.
9. Last Step: Transfer of the Title Deed
The title deed will be handed over to the new owner (s) when all payments are completed and the ownership is established, by the Dubai Land Department.
This is something you can do:
- At the DLD office face to face
- On the internet through Dubai REST app
Ensure everything is paperwork is in place:
- Emirates IDs
- Sale and Purchase Agreement
- Mortgage records (in case they exist)
- Receipts of payment
After the transfer has been made, you will be issued with a title deed that is the legal document certifying that you are the owner of that property.
Bottom Line
In an active market such as Dubai where digital tools, offshore ownership, and multi-party investments are becoming a reality, it is not only smart to learn the niche of joint ownership and mortgages. It’s essential. Laying the groundwork early in the mortgage process, anticipating the logic of the bank, and preparing for the legal realities of co-ownership, you save your investment from future complications.
At Roots Heritage, we support buyers through this whole process with ease and confidence, including getting the right mortgage, as well as registering the title deed in your own name. No matter who you are buying with, whether it is yourself or a companion, the secret to making a good purchase is through education, preparation and professional assistance.