99 year lease

SummerOn....FYI, I don't live at AR. Hi ChilliPepper, I've been looking at residential leasehold properties yesterday! GloriousMorning was correct then there are still leasehold areas. Since you're not at Arabian Ranches, would you mind if I asked how you found the leasehold vs. freehold prices? Which area are you in or if you don't mind whether you know other leasehold areas? What made you decide to purchase leasehold instead of freehold? Sorry, if it's too much. Thank you in advance! p.s. I meant to ask what you thought about leasehold vs. freehold prices. Sorry! <em>edited by Summer0n on 19/07/2013</em>

This was what I was referring to, it lists area types for non-national title holders. http://www.dubailand.gov.ae/Download.aspx?file=Upload/Issues_20433c.pdf That's correct AmyAus82, the same one I wrote in my other thread. That mentions "Non-locals may own properties as freehold not limited by time, or may have the usufruct right or hire right for a period not exceeding (99) years". :) Which ones are leasehold and which ones are freehold?

SummerOn....FYI, I don't live at AR.

Could Chilli Pepper's previous owner not registered and converted the property?!!!! http://gulfnews.com/business/property/land-department-ready-for-big-emaar-wave-1.254615 http://www.zarinakhan.net/clippings/Construction%20Real%20Estate/49ocr.pdf Just to share. Here are a few more too. Arabian Ranches is freehold. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/emaar-announces-free-hold-ownership-1.389052 http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/construction-begins-on-arabian-ranches-1.321479 http://gulfnews.com/business/property/freehold-clarification-eases-real-estate-tension-1.245277 edited by Summer0n on 18/07/2013 p.s. ChilliPepper, you might have the last residential [b'>leasehold[/b'> property in Arabian Ranches if it was not converted into freehold earlier on!!! . edited by Summer0n on 18/07/2013 <em>edited by Summer0n on 18/07/2013</em>

Summer0n replied : Hi, Quinn Have you come across slightly older, cheaper leasehold properties? Can property owners here share the [b'>official information[/b'> where The Arabian Ranches is leasehold? Thank you in advance! - Preferably directly from source and not quoting third parties. TIA! The relevant law is Regulation No. 3 of 2006 and I believe it is Article 4 where you'll find the 99 year provision, but don't quote my Article no. as I'm not 100% that was the no. This is the full reference to what you had down: :) LAW NO. 7 OF 2006 Chapter Two Scope of Application and Right to Hold Title Article (4) The right to own Real Property in the Emirate shall be restricted to UAE and GCC nationals and to companies owned in full by them and to public joint stock companies. Subject to the Ruler’s approval and in specific areas in the Emirate as determined by him, non-national persons may be granted the following rights: A. The right to freehold ownership without time restrictions; or B. Usufruct right or leasehold right over a Real Property for a period not exceeding 99 years. I think there is a confusion on freehold rights in some other posts. Naturally land ownership is clearly different between leasehold and freehold. [b'>The law is the law[/b'> and that's the best we have. [u'>Read carefully in the same decree by Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai that:[/u'> “Real Property” means anything immovable fixed within its boundaries which cannot be moved without damaging or changing its features; “Real Property Rights” means any right in rem, whether principal or collateral, over a Real Property; “Real Property Register” means a set of documents held in written or electronic format in the electronic register at the Department, which point out the description and location of each Real Property and the rights attached thereto; “Real Property Unit” means any plot of land and any constructions, plants and other things thereon located in a single Real Property Area without any part thereof being separated from the other parts by any public or private property and without having any rights or liabilities on any part thereof other than the rights and liabilities of the other parts; “Real Property Area” means a group of Real Property Units identified by main streets or fixed and clear landmarks, bearing an approved name and independent serial number in accordance with the regulations applied by the Department; edited by Summer0n on 19/07/2013 <em>edited by Summer0n on 19/07/2013</em>

MG - yep; but there is a different between a long lease in the UK and here; half of Westminster is owned by one person, and most of those properties are on 99 year long leases; which many also see as exploitative - even in the UK. but to be honest; does anyone really think that a property on AR will actually last 100 years? If i was a betting woman, then i would be shocked if they lasted more than 25 years.

when you buy property here what happens to it when you die ? If you have a next of kin they would have to get a visa to live here and would they be able to inherit ? Yes, you can pass the property on, but your next of kin would need to obtain a visa. Property ownership does not guarantee the right to live here. that is until they get stunk and realise they have a very expensive rental FWIW, leasehold is a reasonably common form of property ownership in the UK, at least in terms of apartments. After all, if you have a building divided into separate apartments all individually owned, how do you divide up the land the building sits on between those owners? You can't. So, 99-year or 125-year leases are common in those situations. The alternative is buying a share of the freehold, where all the apartment owners own a share of the company that owns the freehold.

CP- you can say it till you're blue in the face but some will know better, that is until they get stunk and realise they have a very expensive rental .....and I have been blue in the face! But now I know what I know and am not going to argue or prove my contract to anyone. We are happy with what we have.

when you buy property here what happens to it when you die ? If you have a next of kin they would have to get a visa to live here and would they be able to inherit ?

CP- you can say it till you're blue in the face but some will know better, that is until they get stunk and realise they have a very expensive rental

We bought from someone else in the first year of release of the property. So got 99 years. But my understanding is that if you buy from someone who has previously owned the property you will get what is left on the lease.....like you say 93 years if they have owned it 6 years. Do be prepared for people to tell you all kind of scenarios about this on EW. My advice is to contact someone officially linked to the property. If its an Emaar property they will tell you. <em>edited by ChilliPepper on 12/06/2013</em>

I got shot down by a EW when I said my contract says I have a 99 year lease on the land my villa is built on. An Emaar property. She advised me I didn't and wanted proof! Yeah, right. It's a forum not a court of law! But, for me anyway, it's true. 99 year lease.

It's not a 99 year lease at AR. It's freehold and you own the land. Various owners confirmed this one with Dubai Land Department, Developer and Bank Anyone who believes that they really, truly own the land here - in a country where they have no right to live permanently and where the government could, at any time, revoke their temporary permission to remain (which is all a residence visa is) and give them 30 days to leave - is deluding themselves. Whatever the Land Department or developers or banks might say, I personally don't believe for a moment that any non-Emirati genuinely owns any land here in any meaningful legal sense. The actual building on it, yes, but not the land itself. If someone can point me to a published court judgement that establishes beyond any doubt that non-national owners of "freehold" property own the land and the government retains no claim to it at all, then I'd be very interested to read it.

The maximum expats can get is 99 yr lease. Emirates Hills is 85 yrs.