# How do post-handover payment plans work in Dubai?

URL: https://www.dxbrealtor.ai/answers/post-handover-payment-plans-dubai/
Topic: Full cost
Updated: 2026-09-28

## Short answer

A post-handover plan splits the price into payments during construction and further payments after handover, often 1% of the price a month for one to five years. Danube's current towers use 10% at booking, 59% during construction and a final 30% spread over 30 months after handover (Danube Properties; Dealr.ae, 2026). The title deed is not issued until the whole price, including the post-handover part, is paid, and a missed instalment lets the developer keep up to 40% of the unit's value under Dubai's Law 13 of 2008, as amended.

## Key figures

- Danube's post-handover tail: 30% over 30 months (Dealr.ae, 2026; Danube Properties)
- Developer's maximum retention, under 60% built: 25% (Law 13/2008, as amended, Article 11)
- Maximum retention, above 60% built: 40% (Law 13/2008, as amended, Article 11)
- Notice before a developer can terminate: 30 days (Law 13/2008, Article 11)

## How the split works

A post-handover plan has three parts. A deposit and instalments during construction, a payment at handover, and a further balance paid after handover, usually monthly or quarterly.

Two structures come up most often. A 60/40 split, with 60% paid by handover and 40% after. And a 50/50 split, paid half and half. The post-handover part typically runs two to five years, depending on the developer and unit.

## A worked example

Danube Properties uses a 10/59/1/30 structure on several current towers: 10% at booking, 59% during construction paid at 1% of the price a month, 1% at handover, then 30% paid at 1% a month for the following 30 months (Dealr.ae, 2026).

| Stage | Share | Amount (AED) | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking | 10% | 100,000 | At booking |
| DLD registration fee | 4% | 40,000 | At booking or SPA signing |
| Construction instalments | 59% | 590,000 | Monthly, at 1% of the price, during construction |
| Handover | 1% | 10,000 | On handover |
| Post-handover | 30% | 300,000 | 30 monthly instalments of AED 10,000 after handover |
| **Total** | | **1,040,000** | Includes the DLD fee |

This example uses a round AED 1,000,000 price to show the mechanics. It is not a specific unit for sale, and the split is Danube's published structure, not every developer's.

## Projects currently offering a post-handover plan

| Project | Developer | Published split | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayz 102, Sparklz, Timez | Danube Properties | 10% booking, 59% during construction, 1% at handover, 30% over 30 months post-handover | Dealr.ae, 2026; Danube Properties |
| Golf Views Seven City | Seven Tides | 5% at launch, 35% during construction, 60% post-handover. Delivery Dec 2025 | Property Finder, accessed 28 Sep 2026 |
| Mangrove Residences | Expo Dubai Group | 10% at launch, 35% during construction, 5% at handover, 50% post-handover. Delivery Mar 2026 | Property Finder, accessed 28 Sep 2026 |

Payment plans change between launches and even between units in the same building. Confirm the current plan for your unit with the developer's sales team, not an older listing.

## What to check before you book

1. **Whether the title deed follows handover or the final payment.** A deed is issued only once construction is 100% complete, the payments are cleared and DLD registration is finalised, typically 30 to 90 days after handover if there is no balance left. Under a post-handover plan, that can be years after you move in.
2. **Whether a bank will let you refinance the balance.** A post-handover balance is a debt to the developer, not a bank facility. The UAE Central Bank caps off-plan mortgages at 50% loan to value, so get a lender's confirmation before you rely on refinancing.
3. **What happens if you miss a post-handover instalment.** Under Law 13 of 2008, as amended by Law 19 of 2017 and Law 19 of 2020, the developer must report the missed payment to DLD, which gives you 30 days' written notice to pay. After that, the developer can terminate and retain up to 25% of the unit's value if construction was below 60% complete, or up to 40% if it was 60% or more complete.
4. **Whether post-handover payments sit in the project's escrow account.** Escrow accounts under Law 8 of 2007 are built around construction-linked instalments. Ask the developer to confirm in writing where post-handover payments go.

## Frequently asked

### What is the difference between a construction-linked plan and a post-handover plan?

A construction-linked plan has the full price paid by handover. A post-handover plan leaves a share of the price, commonly 30% to 60%, to be paid in instalments after handover.

### Do all Dubai developers offer post-handover payment plans?

No. Sobha's launches from 2024 to 2026, for example, have no post-handover component, with the balance due at handover (Dealr.ae, 2026). Check the specific project, not the developer's reputation.

### Is the post-handover balance covered by the project's escrow account?

Not necessarily. Escrow accounts under Law 8 of 2007 are built around construction-linked instalments. Ask the developer in writing whether payments due after handover are still held in escrow.

### What happens to a post-handover balance if I sell the unit early?

The buyer normally takes over the remaining payment plan as part of the resale, once the developer issues a No Objection Certificate for the transfer.

## Sources

- Danube Properties, 1% Payment Plan, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://danubeproperties.com/1-payment-plan/
- Danube Properties, BAYZ102, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://danubeproperties.com/portfolio/bayz102/
- Danube Properties, Sparklz, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://danubeproperties.com/portfolio/sparklz/
- Dealr.ae, Danube payment plans explained, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://dealr.ae/guides/danube-payment-plans
- Property Finder, list of projects with post-handover payment plans, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://www.propertyfinder.ae/blog/post-handover-payment-plan-dubai/
- Dubai Land Department, Law No. 13 of 2008, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2008/Law%20No.%20(13)%20of%202008.pdf
- Records Legal, DLD termination, amended law 2020, 23 Jan 2021: https://recordslegal.com/2021/01/23/dld-termination-amended-law-2020/
- Danube Properties, title deed after off-plan payments, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://danubeproperties.com/title-deed-after-off-plan-payments-dubai/
- Driven Properties, escrow accounts in Dubai real estate, accessed 28 Sep 2026: https://www.drivenproperties.com/blog/escrow-account-in-dubai-real-estate