UAE Property & Snagging Glossary

Terms

Short, plain-language definitions of the terms UAE property buyers run into most.

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Glossary terms

1. Snagging: A professional inspection of a newly built or newly handed-over home that identifies defects, incomplete work and safety issues before the buyer accepts the keys.
2. Snag List: The written, room-by-room record of every defect found during a snagging inspection, each one photographed and rated by severity, used to request rectification from the developer or contractor.
3. Handover Inspection: The snagging inspection carried out when a developer hands a completed property to its buyer, ideally before the buyer signs to accept it.
4. Defect Liability Period (DLP): The period set out in a property's sale and purchase agreement during which the developer is normally responsible for rectifying genuine construction and finishing defects reported by the buyer.
5. RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency): The Dubai government body, part of the Dubai Land Department, that regulates the emirate's real estate sector, including off-plan sales, developer registration and escrow accounts.
6. DLD (Dubai Land Department): The Dubai government department responsible for registering property transactions and regulating the real estate sector across the emirate.
7. Off-Plan Property: A property purchased directly from a developer before or during construction, ahead of handover.
8. Ready Property: A completed property that has already been handed over at least once and is bought or sold on the secondary (resale) market rather than directly from a developer.
9. Oqood: The Dubai Land Department's initial registration for an off-plan property, issued before construction completes and replaced by a title deed once the property is handed over.
10. Title Deed: The Dubai Land Department document confirming legal ownership of a completed property, issued once an off-plan unit's Oqood registration converts after handover.
11. Non-Conformance (Snag): A single defect or deviation from the expected quality standard or developer specification, recorded as one line item in a snag list.
12. Thermal Imaging: An inspection technique using a heat-sensing camera to reveal moisture, insulation gaps and electrical hotspots that are invisible to the naked eye.
13. Moisture Mapping: An inspection technique using a moisture meter to test walls, ceilings and floors for damp or water ingress before it becomes visible as staining.