Question: I purchased a townhouse off-plan in Dubai South in 2021. The keys were handed over in October this year, but I was surprised to receive a service charge invoice covering the entire year of 2023, even though I only took possession recently.
The developer says service charges are applied “from the moment the community becomes operational”, not from handover. I don’t think it’s fair to pay for a full year when I was not even allowed to access the property. What is the usual practice in Dubai and do I have any grounds to challenge this? ES, Dubai
Answer: This is a situation many new owners find themselves in, particularly in large master communities where different phases become operational at different times.
In Dubai, service charges are governed by the
Continue Reading on The National UAE
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.