RERA Complaint in Dubai: How to File Against a Developer, Broker or Building Management

RERA Complaint in Dubai

Here is what a RERA complaint can do, who you can make one against, how to file it step by step, and where else to go when RERA cannot help.

What a RERA Complaint Can and Cannot Do

RERA is the Real Estate Regulatory Agency. It is the part of the Dubai Land Department, or DLD, that licenses developers, brokers and other property companies in Dubai, and checks that they follow the rules. So when people say "a RERA complaint" or "a Dubai Land Department complaint", they mean the same thing. There is one form, and the DLD runs it.

Because RERA is a regulator, a complaint to it is about how a company behaved. If RERA agrees that the company broke a rule, it can do three things:

• warn the company
• fine it
• suspend its licence

That matters, and companies take it seriously. In June 2024, for example, the DLD fined three developers AED 500,000 each for marketing projects before they were registered.

What RERA will not do is settle an argument about money or about a contract. The DLD says this plainly in the terms of the service:

“"Complaints, contractual disputes, applications for contract revocation, refunding the amounts paid, and applications for indemnity for lack of jurisdiction are not considered."”

Dubai Land Department, terms of the service 'Complaint Against a Real Estate Company'

In everyday words, RERA does not take these four kinds of complaint:

• a request to cancel your contract
• a request for a refund or for compensation
• a complaint about rent, which belongs to the Rental Disputes Centre
• a complaint about a contract that was made more than six months ago

So if a company has both broken a rule and taken your money, you may need two things at once. The RERA complaint deals with the company's behaviour. A court, or the police if it was fraud, deals with the money. We come back to those routes later in this guide.

You may read on other websites that RERA charges AED 500 to AED 1,000 to file, or that it can order refunds. The DLD's own page lists no fee, and its terms rule refunds out. We follow the DLD.

Who You Can Make a RERA Complaint Against

You can complain about any real estate company that RERA licenses. In practice, people ask about four: a developer, a broker, the company that manages their building, and a landlord. RERA is the right place for the first two, partly right for the third, and the wrong place for the fourth.

1. A developer

A complaint against a developer fits when the developer has broken a rule about registering or advertising a project. By law, a developer needs the DLD's written approval before it advertises homes that are not built yet, and a sale made before the project is registered has no legal effect. So a developer that is taking bookings for a project you cannot find on the DLD's website is exactly what RERA wants to hear about.

A complaint that fits: "The developer is selling flats in a project that does not appear in the DLD's Project Status Enquiry."

A complaint that does not fit: "My handover is a year late and I want my money back." That is a dispute about your contract, so it goes to a court.

If your worry is about the bank account your payments go into, there is a more direct door. Every project must have an escrow account, which is a bank account that holds buyers' money for that one project. RERA has a team for these accounts, and you can write to it at trust.care@rera.gov.ae.

2. A broker

This is the most common kind of RERA complaint, because the rules for brokers are clear and easy to check. A broker must hold a licence. Every property advert must carry a permit, which shows as a QR code on the advert. And a broker who takes a payment for a home that is not built yet must put it into the project's escrow account, not into their own.

A complaint that fits: "The QR code on the broker's advert opened a different property, and the broker asked me to pay a reservation fee into his personal account."

A complaint that does not fit: "The seller pulled out and the broker will not return my deposit cheque." That is a claim for money, so it goes to a court.

The same service also takes reports of cold calls from brokers. And if a broker has taken your money and disappeared, that is fraud. File the RERA complaint, but go to Dubai Police as well, and do that first.

3. Building management

Here the answer is less simple. RERA approves the service charges for every shared building in Dubai. A service charge is the yearly fee that owners pay for the upkeep of the building. The law says a management company cannot bill owners before RERA has approved the charge.

But the DLD lists no separate complaint service for building management. And the law on shared buildings gives the job of deciding disputes between owners and managers to a different body, the Rental Disputes Centre. That includes disputes about service charges.

So start with a check, not a complaint. Look up your building in the DLD's "Service Charge Index", which shows the approved charge for each year. If your bill is higher, send the management company that page and ask for a corrected bill in writing. If that does not solve it, the Rental Disputes Centre is where the dispute goes. Our guide to service charges in Dubai shows how to read the index.

4. A landlord

Many people search for a RERA complaint against a landlord, so it is worth being direct: RERA does not take it. The DLD's terms say that rental complaints "are not considered due to lack of jurisdiction".

A dispute with your landlord about rent, a deposit, repairs or eviction goes to the Rental Disputes Centre. We explain how to start a case there further down this page.

How to File a RERA Complaint, Step by Step

Filing takes about fifteen minutes if your proof is ready, and most of the delay people run into comes from starting the form without it. So the first two steps happen before you open the website. After that, the form has four short sections, and you finish with a code sent to your email.

Here is the whole path, so you can see where you are going:

Step 1: Make sure your complaint belongs with RERA

Ask yourself three questions. The form asks the same three at the start, and it turns you away if the answer to any of them is wrong.

• Is it about a real estate company breaking a rule, and not about money or the terms of a contract?
• Is it about buying or selling, and not about rent?
• Did it happen within the last six months?

If you can say yes to all three, carry on. If not, go to the section on where else to complain.

Step 2: Collect your proof

The DLD's terms say you must attach documents that prove the violation, and a complaint with no proof is unlikely to go far. Before you open the form, put these in one folder on your phone or computer:

• the advert, as a screenshot or a link, with its permit number if it shows one
• the name of the company, and its licence number if you have it
• the name of the person you dealt with
• your messages and emails with them, as screenshots
• any receipt, booking form or contract
• the name of the project, the community it is in, and the plot number

The plot number is the one people do not have. It is asked for in the form, so if you cannot find it on your papers, call the DLD on 800 4488 and ask before you start.

Step 3: Open the complaint form

Go to the DLD's page for the service, Complaint Against a Real Estate Company, and press Access this Service. You can also find the same service in the Dubai REST app.

The first screen asks "Is your complaint related to RVS?" RVS is the DLD's name for its complaint system. The screen shows the three points from Step 1. Read them, then press Check Eligibility. If your complaint passes, the form opens.

Step 4: Enter your own details

The first section is headed 1 - Complainant Details. The complainant is you. It has four boxes:

Step 5: Find the company you are complaining about

The second section is headed 2 - Defendant Details. The defendant is the company. This is the step to take care over, because the DLD's terms say the company name must be correct.

1. In the box Company Name / License Number, press Search. A small window opens.
2. Type the company's name in English, or its licence number, and search. You need to fill in only one box.
3. Find the company in the results and select it. The results show each company's licence number and the date its licence ends, which helps you pick the right one.
4. Back on the form, choose from the three lists: Defendant Type, Company Activity and Complain Category. All three are required.

The company's mobile and email are optional. If you add them, they must be different from yours.

What if the company is not in the search results? Then it may not be licensed at all, which is itself worth reporting. Call the DLD on 800 4488 and ask how to report an unlicensed company.

Step 6: Describe the property and what happened

The third section is headed 3 - Project / Unit Details. Enter the Project Name, the Community and the Plot Number. You can add the property type, the building number and the unit number if you know them.

Then comes the most important box on the form, Complain Description. It holds up to 1,000 characters, which is about 150 words. Write only facts, in the order they happened: the date, who did what, and what proof you are attaching. Do not ask for money, because RERA cannot give it. There is an example complaint below these steps.

Step 7: Attach your proof and tick the two boxes

The last section is headed 4 - Documents. Attach the files from your folder. Then tick the two boxes. The first confirms that you have read the DLD's policies. The second gives the DLD access to your attachments.

Step 8: Submit, and enter the code

Press Submit. The DLD sends a one-time code to your email address, and to your UAE mobile number if you have one. Type the code into the box that appears and press Submit again. Your complaint is now filed.

Step 9: Keep your complaint number

Write down the complaint number you are given. It looks like 123/2026, and it is the only thing you need to follow the complaint later.

From here, the DLD sends your complaint to the company, which is expected to answer it. The DLD says it takes action within 5 working days, and contacts you by phone call or SMS.

Three things on the form we could not see without filing a real complaint: the choices inside the lists, the exact button for attaching files, and the screen that shows your complaint number. If any of them is not clear on the day, the DLD's phone support can guide you.

An example complaint

Here is an example complaint about a broker, written to fit the 1,000 characters. Every line is a fact, and every fact has proof attached:

• "On 3 October 2026 I saw an advert for a one-bedroom flat in [project name], priced at AED 1.5 million."
• "The advert was placed by [broker's name] of [company name]. The QR code on the advert opened a different property."
• "On 5 October 2026 the broker asked me by WhatsApp to pay a reservation fee of AED 30,000 into his personal bank account."
• "I did not pay. I attach the advert, a screenshot of the QR code result and the WhatsApp messages."
• "I ask RERA to check the advert permit and the broker's conduct."

Notice what is missing. There is no anger, no history and no request for compensation. A short complaint that an officer can check in five minutes is the one most likely to be acted on.

RERA Complaint Number, Email and Status

Once the complaint is filed, people usually want three things: a number to call, an email to write to, and a way to see what is happening. Here is what exists, and what does not.

The RERA complaint number and email

There is no separate RERA complaint number, and no RERA complaint email. You cannot file a complaint by phone or by email. It goes only through the website or the Dubai REST app.

For questions, the DLD publishes these contacts:

• Phone and WhatsApp: 800 4488
• Phone support hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:30pm
• General email: info@dubailand.gov.ae

Be careful with any other "RERA complaint number" you find on a private website. It is not the DLD's.

How to check your RERA complaint status

Open the DLD's RVS Complaint Tracking page. Type your complaint number into the one box on the page, in the form 123/2026, and search. The page shows the status of your complaint. It does not ask for your name or a password.

What happens after you file

The complaint goes to the company first, and the company is expected to reply. RERA then decides if a rule was broken. What follows depends on the answer:

• If RERA finds a violation, it can warn, fine or suspend the company. The DLD contacts you by call or SMS, but you are not paid anything.
• If you hear nothing after 5 working days, check the tracking page. Then call 800 4488 and give your complaint number. The DLD says complaints with legal obstacles can take longer.
• If you have lost money, do not wait for RERA to finish. Start the right route below at the same time.

If RERA Cannot Help: Where Else to Complain

When your problem is about money, rent or a crime, RERA is the wrong door, and Dubai has no single office that takes everything else. There are three other places, and each one handles a different kind of problem.

These questions point you to the right one:

Dubai Courts, for refunds and compensation

Only a court can cancel a contract, order a refund or award compensation. So a late handover, a deposit that was not returned or a home with serious defects ends up here. The one exception is a contract that names arbitration, which is a private process with its own fees. Check the disputes clause in your contract to see which applies.

To start, you need a lawyer who is licensed in the UAE, because only a local lawyer can represent you in court. If you live abroad, the lawyer also needs your power of attorney. Bring your contract, every receipt and all your messages with the other side.

You pay the court a fee when the case is filed. It is 6% of the amount you claim, up to a limit that depends on the size of the claim:

For example, a claim for AED 600,000 costs AED 30,000 to file. Your lawyer's fee comes on top, and often the fee of an expert that the court appoints. Lawyers say a civil case can take up to two years.

Rental Disputes Centre, for rent and service charges

The Rental Disputes Centre is the place for a dispute with a landlord, and also for a dispute with your building's management. You file online on the centre's website, or in person at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. You create an account, enter the details, upload your documents and pay the fee.

For a rental case you need your registered tenancy contract, your Emirates ID, a bank letter that shows your account number, and your proof. The centre works in Arabic, so papers in English need a legal translation.

Lawyers quote these fees for rental cases: 3.5% of the yearly rent, from AED 500 up to AED 20,000, or 3.5% of a money claim, up to AED 15,000. We could not confirm on an official page that service charge cases cost the same, so ask the centre first. It is quick. Lawyers say it usually decides in one or two hearings, often in less than a month.

Dubai Police, for fraud

A forged document, a fake owner or an agent who has vanished with your money is a crime, and it belongs with the police. Reporting is free, and you can do it on the Dubai Police website or app. Report on the same day, because getting money back depends on whether it can still be found. Our guide to Dubai property scams gives the reporting steps and the papers to attach.

What You Can Really Get Back

It helps to be realistic before you spend money on a lawyer. Buyers in Dubai do get money back, but it comes from the courts, and it comes slowly. We found no report of RERA winning money back for a buyer.

Three recent judgments were reported in the press, without the developers' names:

1. A full refund plus compensation. A flat priced at AED 1.722 million was delayed beyond the time in the contract. The court cancelled the sale and ordered the developer to return the AED 516,872 the buyer had paid, plus AED 100,000.
2. A smaller deduction. A buyer stopped paying on a home bought in 2017, after the building ran years late. The law lets a developer keep up to 40% of the price in that case, and this developer did. The court called 40% unfair after such a delay and cut it to 10%. The buyer got AED 185,000 back, with 5% interest.
3. AED 12.4 million on appeal. A home agreed in 2016 was never delivered. The court ordered the money returned, with AED 1 million in compensation.

The second case shows how much a court can change. The home was priced at about AED 463,000:

Read these with care, though. They are three single cases, and nobody reports the cases that buyers lose. In all three the delay lasted for years. And the money came late: the 2016 contract was refunded in 2025.

So if you think you have a claim, do three things first:

• Put every paper in one place: the contract, the receipts, the registration certificate and your messages.
• Write to the company and ask for what you want, with a date. A court will want to see that you asked.
• Ask a UAE lawyer for a written opinion on your chances and the full cost, before you file anything.

How Dubai Protects Property Buyers Before You Need to Complain

The best complaint is the one you never have to make. Dubai gives buyers four protections that work before anything goes wrong, and you can check each one yourself for free.

• The title deed. It names the owner of a finished home on the DLD's register, so check it before you pay a seller.
• Oqood. This is the DLD's register for homes that are not built yet. Read the full guide: Oqood in Dubai.
• The escrow account. Your payments for an unfinished home can only go into the project's own bank account. Read the full guide: escrow accounts in Dubai.
• Licences. Every broker and developer must be licensed, and every advert needs a permit. Read the full guide: Dubai property scams, which shows how to run each check.