Dubai service charges and Mollak: how they are set, how to check and pay them, and what happens if you don't
Summary
Short answer. A service charge is an annual fee for running the common parts of a jointly owned building. The management company cannot collect it until RERA approves the budget, and an audit firm recognised by RERA must review that budget first. Your share depends on your unit's area as recorded in the land register. You can see the approved rate for your project in the Service Charge Index (Mollak, the DLD website or the Dubai REST app). You can pay through Dubai REST, through Mollak (noqodi), to the escrow account printed on the invoice, or at the management company. If you don't pay, the management company has a lien on the unit, and the debt can be enforced through the Rental Disputes Centre.
What a service charge is and who sets it
- What it covers. Law No. 6 of 2019 on jointly owned property defines service charges as the annual charges collected from owners for the management, operation, maintenance and repair of the building (Art. 25). A DLD news item on the same law adds that district cooling for common areas is included.
- Usage charges are separate. In a master community, the master developer can collect usage charges for common facilities of the whole project (Art. 26). These can show up as a second invoice.
- Approval comes first. A management entity may not collect anything for common parts without RERA approval. RERA does not approve a budget until an audit firm recognised by RERA has approved it. A temporary budget is possible while that review is pending (Art. 27).
- How your share is calculated. By the ratio of your unit's area to the total area, using the area recorded in the Real Property Register (Art. 25). The developer pays for unsold units.
- Mollak is the DLD/RERA system that monitors service charge accounts in jointly owned properties. Each building's money sits in an escrow-style account. Mollak's own page says owners receive quarterly invoices through the system.
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Step by step: check and pay from abroad
- Find your rate in the Service Charge Index. In Mollak, on the DLD website or in Dubai REST, pick the project, the usage (residential, etc.) and the year. You will see the RERA-approved rate. Compare it with your invoice.
- Check that the invoice matches. Multiply the approved rate by your unit's area from the title deed or Oqood. If the numbers differ, ask the management company before you pay.
- Pay in one of the official ways. You can pay in Dubai REST, through noqodi in Mollak (wallet, card or net banking), by bank transfer to the building's escrow account printed on the invoice, or on the management company's own portal or at its office.
- If you paid by bank transfer, send the slip. Mollak says you must send the payment slip to the management company by email or in person. The email address is in the invoice footer.
- Keep the receipt with the unit's documents. You will need proof of payment when you sell: by law a unit with unpaid service charges cannot be disposed of (Art. 32).
- If you rent the unit out, the charges are still yours. Unless the lease says otherwise, the owner pays. If the lease puts them on the tenant and the tenant doesn't pay, you are still liable (Art. 16).
Typical emails and what to do
| Usually from | What it means | What to do | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service charge invoice | management company (OA manager) via Mollak | a new period's charges | check against the index, pay, keep the receipt | Mollak, Law 6/2019 Art. 25 and 27 |
| Usage charge invoice | master developer / its community manager | master community charges, separate from the building | check the period and area, pay | Law 6/2019 Art. 26 |
| Payment reminder | management company | invoice still unpaid | pay, or reply with your payment slip if you already paid by transfer | Mollak payment page |
| Formal payment notice | management company, RERA-approved form | the 30-day period starts | pay within 30 days, or dispute in writing | Law 6/2019 Art. 32(b) |
| Owners committee notice or minutes | management company / owners committee | the committee meets every 3 months and reviews the annual budget | read it; send complaints through the committee, which passes them to RERA if the management entity doesn't deal with them within 14 days | Law 6/2019 Art. 23–24 |
| Budget approval or change | management company | a new RERA-approved budget or a temporary budget | compare with last year's index rate | Law 6/2019 Art. 27 |
What happens if you don't pay
- You cannot refuse to pay RERA-approved charges, and you cannot avoid them by giving up your interest in the common parts (Art. 28).
- Written notice first. The management entity must give you a written, RERA-approved notice. You then have 30 days to pay (Art. 32(b)).
- Then enforcement. After that, the claim can be enforced by the execution judge at the Rental Disputes Centre (Art. 32(b)). The judge may order the unit sold at public auction to recover the debt (Art. 32(c)). You also pay the court and lawyer costs the judge awards (Art. 32(d)).
- The unit is blocked for sale. The management entity has a lien on the unit, and the unit cannot be disposed of until the charges are paid (Art. 32(a)).
- What they may not do. The developer or management entity may not stop you from using your unit or the common parts to force payment outside the legal procedure (Art. 29).
FAQ
Who approves Dubai service charges? RERA. The management entity may not collect anything for common parts without RERA approval, and RERA approves the budget only after an audit firm recognised by RERA has approved it (Law 6/2019 Art. 27).
Where can I see the approved rate for my building? In the Service Charge Index: in Mollak, on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app. Choose the project, the usage and the year.
How can I pay service charges from abroad? In Dubai REST, through noqodi in Mollak, by transfer to the escrow account printed on the invoice (then email the slip to the management company), or on the management company's portal.
My tenant was supposed to pay. Am I still liable? Yes. Unless the lease says otherwise, the owner pays. Even if the lease shifts the charges to the tenant, the owner remains liable if the tenant does not pay (Law 6/2019 Art. 16).
What happens if I don't pay? After a written RERA-approved notice you have 30 days. Then the claim can be enforced at the Rental Disputes Centre, and the judge may order the unit sold at auction. Until you pay, the unit cannot be sold (Law 6/2019 Art. 32).
Can the building block my access cards to make me pay? Not outside the legal procedure. The law forbids the developer or management entity from preventing an owner from using the unit or the common parts to force payment (Law 6/2019 Art. 29).
Next
- How to keep track of DEWA, Ejari and developer emails across several units
- Handover checklist for owners abroad
Sources (checked 2026-10-19)
- Law No. (6) of 2019 Concerning Ownership of Jointly Owned Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai, Art. 16, 23–29, 32: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2019/Law%20No.%20(6)%20of%202019%20Concerning%20Ownership%20of%20Jointly%20Owned%20Real%20Property%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- DLD, Service Charge Index: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/service-charge-index-overview/
- Mollak, About Us (quarterly invoices, escrow): https://mollak.dubailand.gov.ae/publicpages/about-us.html
- Mollak, Service Charge Payment (three payment options, payment slip): https://mollak.dubailand.gov.ae/publicpages/service-charge-payment.html?dir=ltr
- DLD, Dubai REST (pay service charges, service charge index): https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/dubai-rest/
- DLD news, "Real estate property owner is obliged to pay service and usage charges for jointly owned property": https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/news-media/real-estate-property-owner-is-obliged-to-pay-service-and-usage-charges-for-jointly-owned-property/