DIFC Law · Dubai International Financial Centre
DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018 — Real Property Law
A reference record of DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018, drawn from the instrument's own official text. It sets out how the law is organised — its Parts, its article count and its length — and links to the text itself. It does not interpret the law or offer advice on it.
Where this instrument arises in our work: Real Estate
At a glance
| Citation | DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018 |
| Short title | Real Property Law |
| Instrument type | DIFC Law |
| Enacted | 2018 |
| Jurisdiction | Dubai International Financial Centre |
| Parts | 25 |
| Numbered articles | 175 |
| Length of official text | 71 pages |
How DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018 is organised
The 25 Parts below are the instrument's own divisions, in the order the official text sets them out.
| Part | Heading |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | General |
| Part 2 | Administration |
| Part 3 | The Real Property Register |
| Part 4 | Initial Registration Of Real Property And Titles |
| Part 5 | Joint Holders |
| Part 6 | Transfers |
| Part 7 | Eminent Domain |
| Part 8 | Leases |
| Part 9 | Mortgages |
| Part 10 | Statutory Charges |
| Part 11 | Easements |
| Part 12 | Covenants |
| Part 13 | Trusts |
| Part 14 | Deceased Estates |
| Part 15 | Insolvency |
| Part 16 | Writs |
| Part 17 | Caveats |
| Part 18 | Instruments |
| Part 19 | Subdivisions |
| Part 20 | Powers Of And Proceedings Against Registrar |
| Part 21 | Compensation For Loss |
| Part 22 | Searches |
| Part 23 | Off Plan Sales |
| Part 24 | Master Community Administration |
| Part 25 | Miscellaneous |
What DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018 covers, article by article
The 166 article headings below are the instrument's own, reproduced in its order. They are a map of the law, not a summary of it — for the wording of any article, read the official text.
- Title and Repeal
- Legislative authority
- Application of this Law
- Background to this Law
- Purpose of this Law
- Date of enactment
- Date of commencement
- Real Property governed by this Law
- Non-applicability of certain other laws
- Concept of freehold ownership of Real Property
- Interpretation
- Appointment of Registrar and other officers
- The objectives, functions and powers of the Registrar
- Stamp of office
- Registrar shall establish and keep a Real Property Register
- Contents of Real Property Register
- Information Registrar shall Register
- Information Registrar may Register
- Duty to create Instrument and lodge for Registration
- Order of Registration of Instruments
- Registration after death of party executing Instrument
- Priority of Registered Instruments
- Instrument of postponement
- Conclusive evidence of information in Real Property Register
- Need for Registration of Real Property Interests
- Effect of Registration on Real Property Interest
- Consideration not needed
- Conclusive effect of Registration
- Quality of Registered Real Property Interests
- Exceptions to Article 30
- No title by adverse possession
- Creation of Folios
- Sale occurring after commencement of this Law
- Information to be included in Folio
- Registering co-owners
- Corporate entity may own Real Property as joint tenant
- Dissolution of corporate entity joint tenant
- Severing a joint tenancy
- Conversion of tenants in common to joint tenancy
- Registering a Transfer
- Effect of Registration of Transfer
- Merger
- Transfer of Mortgaged Lot
- DIFCA to compensate on just terms
- Transfer under statutory vesting or grant
- Lease of Real Property
- Lease Registration
- Requirements for Lease to be Registered
- Variation and Assignment of Registered Lease
- Binding Nature of a Lease on a Mortgagee
- Expiry or termination of Lease
- Rights and obligations under the Leasing Law
- Implied powers of Lessors and termination for breach
- Right to Mortgage
- Requirements for Mortgage
- Mortgage as charge only
- Submortgage
- Registration of second or subsequent Mortgage
- Variation of Mortgage
- Discharge of Mortgage
- Powers of Mortgagees
- Exercise of power of sale
- Injunction to restrain power of sale
- Effect of Transfer after sale by Mortgagee
- Application of proceeds of sale
- Appointment of Receiver
- Entry into possession
- Right to make further advances
- Registration of statutory charges
- Easements in Gross permitted
- Easements by prescription or implication
- Rights to support of Real Property and structures
- Implied Easements for services in development
- Creation of Easement by Registration
- Requirements for Easement
- Easement benefiting and burdening same Registered Owner's Lots
- Variation or release of Easement by parties
- Same person becoming Registered Owner of benefited and burdened Lots
- Cancellation of Easement
- Court order varying or extinguishing Easement
- Right of way, right of footway, and party wall
- Easements created by Court order
- Contribution to repairs
- Covenants in Gross permitted
- Positive Covenants permitted
- Creation of Covenant by Registration
- Requirements for Covenant
- Covenant benefiting and burdening same Registered Owner's Lots
- Variation or release of Covenant by parties
- Same person becoming Registered Owner of benefited and burdened Lots
- Duration of Covenant
- Court order varying or extinguishing Covenant
- Dealing by trustee
- Registration of personal representative
- Dealings without Registration of personal representative
- Notice of death
- Transmission on Insolvency
- Request to Register Writ of Execution
- How a Writ of Execution is Registered
- Effect of Registering Writ of Execution
- Cancellation of Registration of Writ of Execution
- Discharging or satisfying Writ of Execution
- Transfer of Lots sold under a Writ of Execution
- Who may Register a Caveat
- Requirements of Caveat
- Registering a Caveat
- Notifying Caveat
- Effect of lodging Caveat
- Withdrawal of Caveat
- Lapsing of Caveat
- Removal of Caveat by Court order
- Further Caveat
- Cancellation of Caveat by Registrar
- Order for security
- Compensation for improper Caveat
- Notices to Caveator
- Right to injunction not affected
- Execution of Instruments
- Indicating consent when required for dealing
- Execution of Instruments by corporations and natural persons
- Execution of Instrument under power of attorney
- When Instrument capable of Registration
- Address for service to be provided
- Lodgement of Instruments by electronic or other means
- Rejecting Instrument if requisitions not complied with
- Requiring plan of survey to be lodged
- Protection of persons under disability
- Minors
- Standard terms document
- Prescribed standard terms
- Obligations in Registered Instruments: successors in title implied
- Registration does not impute validity or enforceability
- Subdivision approval before dealing with part of Lot
- General powers of the Registrar
- Registrar may correct Real Property Register
- Registrar may prepare and Register a Caveat
- Registrar may state a case
- Registrar may demand Prescribed Fees
- Registrar may issue Approved Forms
- Registrar may be summoned for refusal to perform duty
- Protection from liability
- The Assurance Fund
- Compensation from Assurance Fund
- Time limit on claims against Assurance Fund
- Court order about deprivation, loss or damage
- Matters for which there is no compensation
- Subrogation
- Entitlement to search Folio and Instruments
- Evidentiary effect of Documents issued by Registrar
- Off Plan Register
- Developer license
- Off Plan Development Registration
- Off Plan Sales Agreements
- Disclosure Statement
- Escrow Account
- Construction Defect Rectification by the Developer
- Registered Owners and Occupiers Bound by Master Community Declaration
- Registrar may Issue Orders
- Form and Variation of Master Community Declaration
- Words and expressions used in Instruments under Law
- Service of notices
- Deemed receipt in certain cases
- Contraventions of this Law
- Orders by Registrar in relation to breaches of this Law
- DIFCA may make Regulations
- Waivers of Fines and Penalties issued under this Law or Regulations
Decisions applying this instrument
DIFC Courts decisions on this estate that cite it, most recent first. Each link goes to our record of that decision, not to commentary on it.
- CFI 015/2025 — CFI 015/2025 Ward Holdings Limited (Trading as Waldorf Astoria Dubai Int 10 Jul 2025
- SCT 426/2023 — Nurjah v Nabyt [2023] DIFC SCT 426 16 Jan 2024
- SCT 380/2023 — Mikhru v Mimba [2023] DIFC SCT 380 12 Dec 2023
- SCT 265/2022 — Lihant v Liqt [2022] DIFC SCT 265 23 Dec 2022
- SCT 342/2022 — Limone v Livat [2022] DIFC SCT 342 18 Oct 2022
- SCT 015/2020 — Lenru v (1) Lelan Restaurant Ltd. (2) Lattein [2020] DIFC SCT 015 17 May 2020
- SCT 338/2018 — (1) Izyk (2) Izzie v Ineka [2018] DIFC SCT 338 27 Nov 2018
- CFI-041-2017 — Amlak Finance Pjsc v (1) Mr Nigel Anthony John Herbert (2) Mrs Deborah J 4 Mar 2018
- SCT 334/2017 — Indira LLC v Ingram LLC [2017] SCT 334 29 Jan 2018
- xxxx — Embla v Elton [2014] DIFC SCT 074 21 Dec 2014
Primary sources
Everything on this page comes from these two. Links go to the issuing legislator.
Acting on DIFC Law No. 10 of 2018
This page is a record, not advice. If real property law bears on a matter you are dealing with, speak to us about the facts.