Mollak is the Dubai Land Department’s mandatory digital platform for managing service charges across all jointly owned properties in Dubai. Every apartment, villa, and townhouse in a shared community is required to be registered on the system. Oplus International Realty includes a Mollak record check as standard in every Dubai property transaction it handles — because a clean title deed does not always mean a clean service charge history.
What Mollak Is and Why It Exists
Mollak — Arabic for “owners” — is a web-based system developed by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department (DLD). According to DLD’s official Mollak portal at mollak.dubailand.gov.ae, the system was built to regulate jointly owned properties, monitor service charge payments, and provide support services for all parties involved in shared property ownership across Dubai.
Before Mollak, service charge management in Dubai was fragmented. Management companies could set and collect charges with limited external oversight. Budgets were not standardised. Disputes between owners and Owners’ Association managers were common, and residents often had no reliable way to verify whether funds were being spent correctly. Mollak was introduced to fix this by creating a single regulated digital space where every dirham collected as a service charge flows through DLD-monitored accounts and RERA-approved budgets.
The governing legislation is Law No. 6 of 2019 Concerning Ownership of Jointly Owned Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai, which replaced Law No. 27 of 2007 and restructured the entire framework for how service charges are regulated and collected.
The Legal Foundation: What Law No. 6 of 2019 Establishes
Law No. 6 of 2019 is the primary legislation behind Mollak’s authority. Under Article 25, every owner of a unit in a jointly owned development is legally obligated to pay service charges and usage charges to their management entity. The calculation method is based on the ratio of each unit’s area to the total area of the development — larger units pay proportionally more.
The law also establishes the sinking fund requirement. Under Article 25(e)(8), every jointly owned property must maintain a reserve fund covering emergency expenses and the eventual replacement of major building systems: elevators, fire safety equipment, and structural components. This fund is held in a separate account from routine service charges and cannot be spent without RERA approval outside of genuine emergencies.
One provision that property owners often miss: under Article 16(b), as confirmed by the DLD’s Rental Disputes Centre, the property owner — not the tenant — is the party legally liable for service charges. Even where a lease agreement assigns payment responsibility to the tenant, the owner remains liable to the management entity if the tenant defaults. This is not a technicality. It is an enforcement position that DLD actively upholds.
How Mollak Works: The Budget-to-Payment Flow
The Mollak process runs in a defined sequence from budget approval to owner payment, managed through the platform:
A management company seeking to operate under Mollak must first hold a valid RERA licence and register both its organisation and its key staff on the system. Each property it manages is registered as a separate “property group.” An online management agreement is then executed through the platform to formalise the relationship.
Once registered, the management company sets a budget for each property group and submits it to Mollak. An independent audit firm reviews the budget before it goes to DLD for final approval. No service charge can be invoiced to owners until this approval has been issued. Once DLD approves the budget, Mollak generates quarterly invoices for each registered owner, reflecting their proportional share of the approved total.
Owners pay through the Mollak portal directly, which supports several electronic payment options including Noqodi. All collected funds must be deposited into a DLD-regulated escrow account within seven working days of collection, under Law No. 6 of 2019. This account is monitored by RERA and cannot be accessed by the management company for unapproved expenditure.
One practical detail worth noting: once a third-quarter invoice is issued on the Mollak system, payment links for the first and second quarter become invalid. Owners in arrears should not attempt to pay older invoices through outdated links. Contact your Owners’ Association manager directly to resolve quarter-specific payment issues.
Two-Layer Charges: Building Fees and Master Community Usage Charges
Owners in large master-planned communities face two separate service charge obligations, both of which flow through Mollak. The first is the building-level service charge — the fee covering maintenance of the specific tower, compound, or cluster where the unit sits. The second is a master community usage charge, collected by the master developer under Article 25 of Law No. 6 of 2019 for maintaining shared infrastructure across the wider development: roads, perimeter landscaping, district security, and community parks.
Each owner’s share of master community usage charges is calculated per a methodology determined by the DLD Director General, based on unit area as a ratio of the total master project area. Both layers must be separately RERA-approved and submitted through Mollak before any invoices are issued.
This two-layer structure is a common source of confusion for owners in communities like Dubai Hills Estate, Palm Jumeirah, or Emirates Hills, who receive two separate Mollak invoices. Both are legally mandatory. Treating the master community charge as optional has led to enforcement action for some owners who were unaware of the distinction.
A Practical Development: Multi-Year Budget Approvals
In December 2025, the Dubai Land Department worked with the Palm Jumeirah master community to approve a three-year fixed service fee structure through Mollak — the first time a multi-year budget had been approved on the platform rather than requiring annual renewal. This gives Palm Jumeirah owners and investors greater cost certainty over a three-year horizon and reduces year-on-year uncertainty in financial planning.
This is not yet a standard option across all communities. Other developments continue to operate on annual budget approval cycles. It does, however, signal that Mollak’s functionality is actively evolving beyond its original design.
What Buyers Must Check Before Purchase
Based on transactions Oplus has handled in Dubai’s secondary market, one of the most common problems buyers encounter after completion is discovering that the property carries a Mollak record showing outstanding service charge arrears accumulated by the previous owner. A No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the management company may indicate no current dues, but the Mollak system — as the official DLD record — can show a different position. If the Mollak record shows an outstanding balance and it is not cleared before transfer, the incoming owner can be held liable.
The correct pre-purchase procedure is to request that the seller and building management update the Mollak system to reflect a zero balance before the transfer is finalised. If this is not possible before completion, a legally binding indemnity from the seller is the next-best option — but clearing the Mollak record entirely is the safer route.
Any buyer or investor acquiring a Dubai property in a jointly owned development can check the Mollak portal at mollak.dubailand.gov.ae, or access registered budgets and service charge components through the Dubai REST app. This check takes minutes and can prevent a dispute that takes months to resolve.
For a detailed overview of the buying process in Dubai, the buying property guides on Oplus cover the full transaction sequence from offer to DLD transfer.
When Owners Cannot Pay: The Tayseer Programme
RERA launched the Tayseer programme in March 2025 for property owners who have accumulated service charge arrears they cannot clear in a lump sum. The programme provides a structured mechanism to address outstanding balances before the situation escalates to formal enforcement.
Under Law No. 6 of 2019, if arrears remain unresolved after engagement with the management entity, the matter can be referred to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC) — the judicial arm of DLD and the body with explicit jurisdiction over jointly owned property disputes. In cases of sustained non-payment, DLD has indicated that a unit can ultimately be sold to settle outstanding charges. Owners who are aware of arrears should contact their management entity early and explore Tayseer before enforcement begins.
A Common Misconception
Many owners believe that paying service charges directly to their Owners’ Association manager, rather than through the Mollak portal, is equally valid and faster. Payment to the OA manager is technically accepted, but it takes longer to reconcile into the Mollak system — typically a few days — compared to the 2 to 3 weeks processing time if paying online through the portal. Either route is permitted. Neither route exempts an owner from the Mollak record reflecting payment, which matters for resale and the NOC process.
How to Access Mollak
The Mollak portal is at mollak.dubailand.gov.ae. Owners can also access service charge records through the Dubai REST app, which is the DLD’s main mobile platform for property-related services. For inquiries or complaints, the Dubai Land Department is reachable at 800-4488. DLD’s offices are located at Baniyas Road, near the Etisalat Building, Deira, Dubai.
Owners Association management companies and their staff, financial auditors, banks, and real estate developers all interact with Mollak in different capacities. The system is not limited to owners — it is the operational backbone of jointly owned property governance across the emirate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every jointly owned property in Dubai — apartments, townhouses, and villas in shared communities with common areas — must be registered on the Mollak system. Registration is not optional for management companies or Owners’ Associations. No service charge invoice can be legally issued to owners before the annual budget has been submitted to Mollak, reviewed by an audit firm, and approved by the Dubai Land Department.
The property owner is legally responsible for service charges under Article 16(b) of Law No. 6 of 2019, as confirmed by the DLD’s Rental Disputes Centre. A lease agreement can assign payment to the tenant, but if the tenant defaults, the owner remains liable to the management entity. Owners renting out their properties should factor this into any lease terms that attempt to pass service charge responsibility to tenants.
Non-payment is referred to the management entity, which can escalate to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC) under the framework of Law No. 6 of 2019. In cases of sustained arrears, DLD has indicated that the unit can ultimately be sold to recover the outstanding amount. Owners with accumulated arrears should contact their management entity early and enquire about the RERA Tayseer programme, launched in March 2025, which provides structured repayment options before enforcement begins.
Access the Mollak portal directly at mollak.dubailand.gov.ae, or use the Dubai REST app — the Dubai Land Department’s official mobile platform — to view your building’s approved budgets, service charge components, and payment history. This check is also strongly recommended before purchasing a property, as the Mollak record reflects any outstanding arrears from the previous owner that a standard NOC may not fully capture.
The sinking fund — also called the reserve fund — is a mandatory cash reserve under Article 25(e)(8) of Law No. 6 of 2019. It covers emergency expenditure and the eventual replacement of major building systems such as elevators, fire safety equipment, and structural components. It is held in a separate account from routine operational service charges and cannot be accessed by the management entity without RERA approval, except in genuine emergencies. Owners contribute to the sinking fund as part of their total annual service charge assessment.
Service charges are reviewed and approved annually through Mollak before invoices are issued. Budget submissions can increase or decrease year-on-year depending on actual maintenance costs and reserve fund requirements. In December 2025, DLD approved a three-year fixed service fee structure for the Palm Jumeirah master community — the first multi-year budget approval on the platform — giving those owners cost certainty over three years. This multi-year option is not yet standard across all communities, which continue to operate on annual approval cycles.
Owners in large master-planned developments may receive two separate Mollak invoices. Building-level service charges cover maintenance of the specific tower or compound. Master community usage charges are collected by the master developer under Article 25 of Law No. 6 of 2019 for maintaining the wider development’s shared infrastructure — roads, district landscaping, perimeter security, and community parks. Both are legally mandatory, RERA-approved, and tracked through Mollak. Treating the master community charge as optional has resulted in enforcement action for owners who were unaware of the distinction.
Tayseer is a RERA programme launched in March 2025 to assist property owners who have accumulated service charge arrears they cannot settle in a single payment. It provides a structured repayment pathway before the matter escalates to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre. Owners aware of service charge arrears on their property should contact their management entity and enquire about Tayseer eligibility before the situation moves to formal enforcement proceedings.
Written by: Oplus International Realty Editorial Team
About Oplus: Licensed UAE real estate brokerage based in Abu Dhabi, covering Abu Dhabi and Dubai off-plan, secondary market, and investment properties. RERA registered. oplusrealty.com
Last reviewed: May 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a RERA-licensed professional or qualified legal adviser for guidance specific to your property situation.
Sources Dubai Land Department (DLD) — Official Mollak portal, mollak.dubailand.gov.ae Dubai Land Department (DLD) — Official news release on owner liability for service charges, dubailand.gov.ae Dubai Government — Law No. 6 of 2019 Concerning Ownership of Jointly Owned Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai, dlp.dubai.gov.ae Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) — Tayseer programme, March 2025 Dubai Land Department (DLD) — Palm Jumeirah three-year fixed service fee approval, December 2025