What your developer must fix, and for how long: defect liability in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
The one year and ten year periods in Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, the federal decennial liability, Abu Dhabi's rules, and what structural and installation mean.
By the Ajusteur team5 minute read
Two clocks, two kinds of defect
Dubai's law on jointly owned property, Law No. 6 of 2019, sets two liability periods for developers in its Article 40. The first is ten years for the structural parts of the building, counted from the date the project received its completion certificate. The second is one year for defective installations, counted from the date your unit was handed to you. If you never take possession, that year runs from the completion certificate instead.
The law describes installations as mechanical and electrical works, sanitary fittings, sewerage and the like. In a snag list that is the cooling, the wiring and sockets, the taps and toilets, the drains and the water heater. It is also, not by accident, where most of the real snags live.
Source: Afridi & Angell: Law 6 of 2019 on the ownership of common property in the Emirate of Dubai
Can the contract shorten these periods?
No. Commentaries on the law are consistent that an agreement contradicting these protections is void. A developer may offer you more, and some do, counting the year from the completion of snagging rather than from handover. They may not offer you less. Read the defects section of your sales agreement with that in mind.
Source: Chambers and Partners: Construction defects in Dubai, legal remedies for new property owners
The federal ten year rule
Above the Dubai law sits the UAE Civil Transactions Law, which has long held contractors and designers liable for ten years for the collapse of a building or defects that threaten its stability and safety. Commentaries call this decennial liability, and they note that a claim must be brought within three years of the collapse or of the discovery of the defect.
The 1985 law was replaced by Federal Decree Law No. 25 of 2025, in force from 1 June 2026, and the commentaries we read say the new law keeps the ten year liability for serious defects. Because the numbering changed, we do not quote article numbers here. Ask a lawyer for the current text before you rely on a clause.
Source: Kayrouz & Associates: Decennial liability in UAE construction under the 2026 Civil Code
Who can claim under the federal rule?
The decennial liability runs between the parties to the construction contract, the employer on one side and the contractor and designer on the other. A homeowner is usually a third party to that contract, so lawyers describe the owner's route as a claim in which fault, damage and the link between them have to be shown. That is a heavier lift than the Dubai law's Article 40, which names the developer and the owner directly. For an apartment owner in Dubai, Article 40 is the first place to look.
Source: The Legal 500: Developers' decennial liability in the UAE towards the owners of the properties
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi's Law No. 3 of 2015 regulating the real estate sector introduced a ten year developer liability for fundamental structural defects and a one year defects liability period, in force from January 2016. We have not read the statute's own wording, so we do not quote its article or the date each period starts from. Your sales agreement will state the defects period the developer applies, and it cannot fall below the law.
Source: The National: 10 things to know about Abu Dhabi's new property law
Structural or installation: why the label matters
The two periods are so different that the first question about any defect is which side of the line it sits on. A rough guide:
What to do when you find a defect
Report it to the developer in writing, with the date, the location and photographs, through the channel your agreement or handover pack names. Keep the sales agreement, the floor plans and specifications, every snag report and all correspondence together. If the developer does not act, your agreement's dispute clause says where the matter goes, usually a court or arbitration. For the day to day of lists and follow up, read how to keep a snag list that gets things fixed.
If you want an independent record before you start that conversation, we inspect homes and write up what we see, room by room. We do not give legal advice, and we say when a finding needs a specialist. The scope and the fee are agreed before we book. Start on the home inspection page.
Source: Chambers and Partners: Construction defects in Dubai, legal remedies for new property owners
Quick questions
How long is the defect liability period in Dubai?
Under Article 40 of Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, one year from handover for installations such as electrical, mechanical, sanitary and sewerage works, and ten years from the completion certificate for structural parts.
Does the one year start at handover or at completion?
At the handover of your unit. If you do not take possession, it runs from the date of the project's completion certificate.
Can a developer limit its liability in the sales agreement?
Commentaries on the law say any agreement contradicting these protections is void. A developer can give you more than the law, not less.
Is a leaking tap a structural defect?
No. Taps, pipes and drains are installations, which fall under the one year period. Structural means the parts that hold the building up.
Sources
- Afridi & Angell: Law 6 of 2019 on the ownership of common property in the Emirate of Dubai
- Chambers and Partners: Construction defects in Dubai, legal remedies for new property owners
- Kayrouz & Associates: Decennial liability in UAE construction under the 2026 Civil Code
- The Legal 500: Developers' decennial liability in the UAE towards the owners of the properties
- The National: 10 things to know about Abu Dhabi's new property law