What can I do if my Dubai building's Owners Association keeps raising service charges without explanation?

Service Charges in Dubai Must Be Approved and Published Through RERA's System

Owners Associations in Dubai are required to have their annual service charge budgets approved and published through the Dubai Land Department's Mollak system, so a service charge increase should be traceable to an approved budget rather than an arbitrary figure set without process. This is general information, not legal advice — for a specific dispute, check current rates through Mollak or consult a legal advisor. If your building's charges seem to have jumped without a clear published budget behind them, that's worth investigating first.

Where to Check the Actual Approved Rate

The Mollak platform allows owners to check the approved service charge rate per square foot for their specific building, which lets you compare what you're actually being charged against the officially approved figure. A discrepancy between what's billed and what's approved is a concrete, checkable issue rather than a subjective complaint about fairness.

What Options Exist If a Genuine Dispute Remains

Owners can raise concerns directly with the property management company or Owners Association committee first, and if that doesn't resolve things, formal disputes over service charges can be escalated through the Rental Dispute Centre or relevant RERA processes. Attending or requesting minutes from Owners Association general meetings also gives insight into how budget decisions are actually being made and voted on.

Finding a Reliable Property Professional in Dubai

You can post the job free on BidMyJob.ae and compare quotes from multiple professionals in Dubai if you want an independent view on whether specific maintenance work the service charge is funding is being carried out to a reasonable standard. Keeping your own record of service charge invoices year over year makes it much easier to spot and query unusual jumps early.