Dubai off-plan property delayed: what can a buyer do?

Start with what the contract committed to

The date a purchaser remembers is frequently not the date the contract records. Brochures, agent conversations and payment plans all circulate dates, and the SPA may define completion differently again. Before anything else, establish the contractual position: what date does the SPA commit to, how is it defined, and what does the contract permit the developer to do to it.

Establish what the developer has actually done

Extensions are usually asserted through notices or letters. Whether an extension has been validly exercised can depend on the clause relied on, how the notice was given and the circumstances at the time. Collect every communication about the date, in order, with dates attached.

Know your own position

A purchaser raising delay is in a weaker position if instalments are outstanding. Developers commonly answer a delay complaint with a payment demand. Establish your payment record before you open the conversation, not after the demand arrives.

Decide what you actually want

Delay does not have a single remedy, and the sensible strategy differs sharply by objective.

• Completion — you want the property built and want leverage to achieve it
• Compensation — you want to be compensated for a delay you have absorbed
• Exit — you want out of the purchase and want your payments back
• Clarity — you want to know whether the developer can keep extending before deciding

What not to do

Do not stop paying unilaterally. Do not sign an addendum accepting a new date without having it reviewed. Do not delete the marketing material. Do not wait another year on an assurance that handover is imminent.