Dubai Law No. 3 of 2026: building quality and safety.
What does Dubai Law No. 3 of 2026 require? Building owners in Dubai must obtain a Quality and Safety Certificate once 20 years have passed since the building’s Completion Certificate. A Dubai Municipality-registered Engineering Firm inspects the building first, and the defects it finds must be fixed. Younger buildings need periodic maintenance. A certificate lasts 10 years, or 5 years once the Completion Certificate is 40 years old. The law covers all of Dubai, including free zones such as the DIFC. It was published in Official Gazette issue 764 on 12 March 2026 and came into force 60 days after publication; owners, contractors and engineering firms have one year from that date to comply.
20 years
A certificate is needed 20 years after the Completion Certificate.
Engineering report
A registered Engineering Firm inspects and reports first.
10 or 5 years
Certificate validity, depending on whether the building is under 40.
Up to AED 1 million
Per violation, doubled for a repeat, capped at AED 2 million.
Who the law applies to
Article 3 applies the law to all buildings in the Emirate of Dubai, including Special Development Zones and free zones such as the Dubai International Financial Centre, whether they were built before or after it took effect. The Chairman of the Executive Council can exempt a building. Dubai Municipality leads, and the “competent entity” is whichever authority licenses construction in the zone: Dubai Municipality or the authority for a special zone or free zone.
The duties fall on the owner, which includes owners of units in jointly owned buildings. In those buildings the Management Entity under Law No. (6) of 2019 carries out the owner’s tasks, including obtaining the certificate and contracting the firm and contractor, while owners stay liable for fees and deposits. Engineering firms, contractors and occupants have duties too.
What owners must do
- Buildings 20 years past their Completion Certificate: contract an Engineering Firm to assess the building and issue a Technical Report, fix the defects in it within the timeframes the competent entity sets, and obtain the Quality and Safety Certificate.
- Younger buildings: carry out periodic maintenance, on the owner’s initiative or when the competent entity asks, and fix any defect that risks the structure, the safety of people and property, or neighbouring buildings.
- During the process: contract a Contractor, supervised by the Engineering Firm, to do the repairs; let the competent entity’s inspectors in; and take the steps needed for occupants to vacate where the works require it.
- After the certificate: maintenance continues. The certificate does not remove the duty to maintain the building or to fix defects if the structure is damaged.
From application to certificate
Article 8 sets the steps. Applications go through the Digital Window, Dubai’s single online platform for these certificates.
1.Apply through the Digital Window
The owner applies for a Quality and Safety Certificate and names the Engineering Firm it will contract.
2.Initial approval
The competent entity checks the firm meets the technical requirements. The owner then has up to 6 months to submit the Technical Report, extendable to up to 2 years on request where there is no risk to life or property.
3.Inspection and Technical Report
The Engineering Firm inspects the building against the Technical Checklist, uses an accredited laboratory for any tests, and submits the report through the Digital Window.
4.Repair plan
With the owner’s approval, the firm proposes a timeframe and plan to fix the defects. The competent entity approves or amends it.
5.Repairs
The owner appoints a registered Contractor to do the work, supervised by the Engineering Firm.
6.Certificate
The Engineering Firm applies for the certificate. The competent entity visits, checks every defect in the report has been fixed, and issues it.
What the Technical Report covers
The report must cover every item on the Technical Checklist that Dubai Municipality approves and publishes through the Digital Window, and in particular the six items in Article 7(d):
- Structural integrity of the building
- All types of exterior cladding
- Electrical and mechanical installations in external and common areas
- Windows, doors and security barriers on the façades and in common areas
- Safety and security requirements of the Dubai Civil Defence
- CCTV requirements of the Security Industry Regulatory Agency
The Engineering Firm must hold a classification that matches the building’s height, give a neutral technical opinion, and not change the report after submitting it without the competent entity’s approval. Any laboratory it uses must be licensed in Dubai and accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre.
Validity, tenants and demolition
A certificate is valid for 10 years where the Completion Certificate was issued less than 40 years ago, and 5 years where it was issued 40 or more years ago, renewable for the same period (Article 13).
Where the approved Technical Report says works are needed before the certificate can be issued, occupants must vacate within three months of the approval. If they do not, the owner can seek eviction, which the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre hears on a summary basis. Occupants who leave have priority to return at the rent in their lease, unless both sides agree otherwise.
An owner who plans to demolish instead can be exempt, with a grace period of up to one year and a refundable deposit of AED 50,000, forfeited if the building is not demolished in time (Article 14).
Fines and other measures
Article 16 sets fines from AED 100 to AED 1,000,000, doubled for the same violation within two years, with a ceiling of AED 2,000,000. The Chairman of the Executive Council decides which acts are violations and the fine for each. The competent entity can also suspend building permits for the building, and suspend or reject applications about it, including the attestation of lease contracts for its units, in coordination with the Dubai Land Department.
Dates and what is still to come
- Issued: 27 February 2026 (10 Ramadan 1447).
- Published: Official Gazette issue 764, dated 12 March 2026.
- In force: 60 days after publication (Article 25). The Dubai Legislation Portal lists the law as in force.
- Compliance window: owners, contractors and engineering firms must comply within one year of the law coming into force. The Chairman of the Executive Council can extend this once, for the same period (Article 22).
- Still to be set by resolution: the list of violations and fines, the certificate fees, and the renewal conditions. The Director General of Dubai Municipality issues the other implementing resolutions, and the Dubai Land Department sets rules for management entities.
Where PropertySurvey Pro fits
The certificate itself needs a registered Engineering Firm. What owners, management entities and facilities teams can do is keep a clear record of the building between certificates, which is what periodic maintenance and defect tracking rely on.
- Common areas and façades: record condition of cladding, windows, doors, barriers and external services with dated photos and notes, area by area.
- Before and after repairs: photograph each defect in the Technical Report and again when the contractor has finished, so the record follows the repair plan.
- On site and offline: capture in plant rooms, basements and roofs without signal; the PDF is built on your device. Survey software in the UAE.
A PropertySurvey Pro report is not a Technical Report, is not the Dubai Municipality Technical Checklist, and does not certify quality or safety.
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Frequently asked questions
When did Dubai Law No. 3 of 2026 come into force?
Article 25 says the law comes into force 60 days after it is published in the Official Gazette. It was issued on 27 February 2026 and published in Official Gazette issue 764, dated 12 March 2026. The Dubai Legislation Portal lists it as in force.
Which buildings need a Quality and Safety Certificate?
Under Article 9, an owner must obtain the certificate once 20 years have passed since the building’s Completion Certificate was issued. Where there is no Completion Certificate, the competent entity sets the date to count from. The law covers all of Dubai, including Special Development Zones and free zones such as the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Who prepares the Technical Report?
An Engineering Firm registered with Dubai Municipality and licensed to practise engineering consultancy in Dubai, with a classification that matches the height of the building. It inspects against the Technical Checklist approved by Dubai Municipality and must not pass the report to another firm.
How long does the certificate last?
Ten years where the Completion Certificate was issued less than 40 years ago, and five years where it was issued 40 or more years ago. It can be renewed for the same period, on conditions to be set by the Chairman of the Executive Council.
What are the fines under Dubai Law No. 3 of 2026?
From AED 100 to AED 1,000,000 per violation, doubled for a repeat within two years, up to AED 2,000,000. The Chairman of the Executive Council sets which acts are violations and the fine for each. The competent entity can also suspend building permits and applications for the building, including the attestation of lease contracts.
Do tenants have to move out for the works?
Only where the approved Technical Report says maintenance or repairs are needed before the certificate can be issued. Occupants then have three months from the approval to vacate. Occupants who leave under the law have priority to return at the rent in their lease, unless the parties agree otherwise.
Can PropertySurvey Pro produce the Technical Report or a certificate?
No. Only a Dubai Municipality-registered Engineering Firm prepares the Technical Report, and only the competent entity issues the Quality and Safety Certificate. PropertySurvey Pro records condition and maintenance evidence: dated photos, notes and a PDF report.