Dubai Land Department Cracks Down on Misleading Property Listings with New Three-Day Removal Mandate

Dubai Land Department Cracks Down on Misleading Property Listings with New Three-Day Removal Mandate

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has issued a directive to all real estate agents in the city, instructing them to remove any properties that are no longer available for sale or rent from their digital platforms within three days.

The DLD announced on social media that it had observed the presence of listings for properties that are no longer on the market through its regular inspections of electronic real estate portals. “All estate agencies must update their digital real estate platform portals within three working days, resulting in the removal of all properties that are not available for rental or sale,” the department stated.

The move comes in the wake of a report by Khaleej Times last week, highlighting fraudulent property advertisements that have deceived residents. According to a poll conducted by the newspaper, which received over 2,800 responses, 21.5% of respondents were enticed by adverts for either unavailable or already occupied properties. Additionally, 32.4% reported that agents had posted misleading photos of attractive properties, only for the reality to be markedly different.

In response to these issues, Dubai’s regulatory authority imposed fines of Dh50,000 on 30 real estate firms last week for failing to comply with the terms and conditions specified in real estate advertisements. These measures aim to enhance transparency in the market, which has experienced significant growth in the post-pandemic period.

Several online platforms in the UAE, including Dubizzle, Property Finder, Bayut, Asteco, and Allsopp & Allsopp, offer properties for sale and rent. In 2023, Dubai recorded a record 1.6 million real estate transactions across various market segments, marking an increase of nearly 17%, with the total value of real estate deals reaching Dh634 billion. Approximately 71,000 investors invested in Dubai’s property market for the first time last year.

The DLD has requested all property brokerages and portals to email licensing@rera.gov.ae with evidence of removing unavailable properties from their websites.