Sakani guide

Form F (MOU) in Dubai: the unified DLD sale contract, explained

What Form F is, what it actually covers, the 90-day MOU rule, the 10% security cheque, extensions, cancellations, and what buyers and sellers must verify before signing — with or without a broker.

Sakani editorial team 10 min readUpdated 4 June 2026

What Form F is

Form F — officially the Unified Property Sales Contract between Seller and Buyer — is the standard contract published by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) for every secondary-market (ready) sale in Dubai. It sits between offer acceptance and title transfer: it converts a verbal deal into a written, enforceable agreement, and is the document the trustee office uses to register the new title deed. Once both parties sign, Form F is legally binding under Dubai law.

What Form F actually covers

Form F captures far more than price. The official DLD template records: property details and title-deed reference, project and plot numbers, full buyer and seller identification, any existing mortgage on the unit, tenancy status, the agreed price and payment structure, the 10% security deposit terms, contract duration, allocation of the DLD 4% transfer fee, developer NOC details, and an 'additional conditions' section for anything specific to the deal (chiller clearance, furniture, snagging, handover date, financing contingencies, etc.). The seller warrants ownership and discloses any liens, claims, leases or unpaid service charges. The buyer's payment timeline and remedies for default are spelled out. Amendments after signing must be in writing and signed by both parties — verbal side-deals have almost no protection.

Do you need a broker to sign it?

No. Form F can be signed directly between buyer and seller. A RERA-licensed broker is required to generate Form F through the DLD broker workflow if one is acting on the deal, but two private parties can also use the official DLD template and complete the transaction at a registration trustee office. On Sakani you pick the closing track when a match is accepted — direct at the DLD, via our RERA-licensed sister company, or supervised by a UAE law firm — and the right party prepares Form F for that track.

The 10% security cheque

The security deposit is typically 10% of the sale price, provided as a manager's or personal cheque from the buyer at the time of signing Form F. The cheque is NOT cashed. It is held by a neutral custodian — the conveyancer, broker's agency, or law firm running the file — and is only released once the new title deed is issued at the trustee office. If the buyer walks away without a valid contractual reason, the deposit can be forfeited to the seller. If the seller backs out, the buyer typically gets the cheque back and may be entitled to compensation equal to the deposit, subject to the contract's wording.

Disputes: who can release the deposit?

If the parties disagree mid-deal, the custodian (conveyancer, broker, or lawyer) cannot unilaterally hand the cheque to either side. The cheque can only be released by: (a) a written amicable agreement signed by both buyer and seller, or (b) a final court order or DLD ruling. This is exactly why the custodian matters — pick someone neutral and regulated, not a friend of either party.

MOU duration: the 90-day rule

The DLD system does not allow a Form F (MOU) to be generated for more than 90 days. There is no minimum — you can set 30, 45 or 60 days depending on how quickly NOC, mortgage clearance and trustee booking can realistically be completed. For a cash, mortgage-free, NOC-ready deal, 30–45 days is normal. For a deal with a buyer mortgage and a seller mortgage to settle, 60–90 days is more realistic.

Extensions and cancellations

Form F can be extended or cancelled only while the contract is still valid. The minimum extension is 30 days, the maximum is 90 days, and both parties must agree. Once the original Form F expires, the DLD system will not accept any extension or cancellation request — a brand-new Form F must be issued, re-signed and re-registered. The lesson: track the expiry date and request extensions before, not after.

What buyers should verify before signing

Before you sign Form F, confirm: (1) the title deed matches the seller's Emirates ID and the property in front of you; (2) any existing mortgage balance with the seller's bank — this will be settled on transfer day; (3) the Mollak service-charge ledger is clear or the outstanding amount is allocated in writing; (4) developer NOC fees and the DLD 4% fee split are specified; (5) tenancy status — if the unit is tenanted, the buyer inherits the contract; (6) any financing contingency you need (clause voiding the deal and refunding the deposit if your bank declines within X days); (7) the additional-conditions section reflects every promise made in negotiation.

What sellers should verify before signing

Before signing, confirm: (1) the buyer is real — Emirates ID / passport sighted and KYC'd; (2) the 10% cheque is in hand and held by a neutral custodian named in the contract; (3) if the buyer is mortgaged, a pre-approval letter from a UAE bank is attached and the timeline is realistic; (4) the price, payment mechanism and transfer deadline are exactly as agreed; (5) the default clause entitles you to retain the deposit if the buyer fails to complete through their own fault.

What happens after signing

Once Form F is signed and the 10% cheque is lodged with the custodian: (1) the seller applies to the developer for the NOC (3–14 working days, AED 500–5,000); (2) if there is a buyer or seller mortgage, the banks issue valuation, liability and clearance letters in parallel; (3) a trustee-office slot is booked; (4) on transfer day, both parties attend, manager's cheques are exchanged at the exact moment the new title deed is issued, and the 10% security cheque is returned to the buyer. The whole process typically runs 14–60 days depending on mortgage and NOC complexity.

Sakani is a property-technology platform. Brokerage services, Form A / Form B / Form F contracts and DLD trustee transactions are handled by our RERA-licensed brokerage partner, Cedara Core Realty L.L.C (RERA ORN 54063).

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