Power of Attorney for Property
DLD’s guidance on property POAs (Circular No. 29/R/2025) expects a property Power of Attorney to expressly authorise the specific transaction the agent is to perform. Generic language such as “full authority to manage property” may not be accepted at the Real Estate Registration Trustee however broadly the instrument is drafted in other respects; confirm the wording the receiving service currently expects for the transaction type.
The policy intent of the Circular is to prevent agents from acting beyond the principal’s actual instruction and to support the DLD’s verification system. Where wording is precise, the act authorised by the principal is unambiguous on the face of the document. Where wording is generic, the scope of authority becomes a matter of interpretation, exposing the principal to acts they did not contemplate and creating registration risk for counterparties.
The POA must use one of the following formulations:
The instrument must reference the named property and the title deed. Where the agent may purchase the property from themselves — sale to oneself — that authority must be expressly stated. The general formulations above do not, on their own, authorise self-dealing unless “sale to oneself or to others” is specifically included.
The POA must use one of the following formulations:
Where the purchase is in partnership or for joint ownership, the ownership share must be specified explicitly. The Circular treats the share as a material term of the authority granted, not as a matter to be resolved in subsequent documentation.
The POA must use one of the following formulations:
A distinction operates here between two roles. Authority to grant the property — to act on behalf of the donor — is one set of formulations. Authority to accept the grant — to act on behalf of the beneficiary — is another. A POA addressing only one side of the transaction does not authorise the other.
The POA must use one of the following formulations:
Where the mortgage is granted as in-kind surety for a third party’s debt, the POA must specify whether the guarantee is for the third party’s debt or for the principal’s own debt. The Circular treats this as a distinct term of authority. A POA that merely authorises mortgage without identifying the secured obligation is incomplete in the in-kind surety scenario.
The POA must use one of the following formulations:
Usufruct is the right to use and enjoy property owned by another, including any income it produces, without holding ownership. In Dubai it is a registrable right with its own title under the DLD framework.
The POA must use one of the following formulations:
Musataha is the right to construct on, and economically exploit, land owned by another for a fixed term. Like usufruct, it is registrable as a separate right against the underlying land.
A property POA should be drafted around the specific transaction the principal intends. Where multiple transaction types are anticipated — for example, sale of one property and mortgage of another — each must be expressly authorised using the Circular’s terminology. Stacking authorities into a single instrument is permissible, but each authority must be stated discretely. The instrument should also name each property and reference each title deed.
For drafting and notarisation execution, see poas.ae. For procedural treatment, see the Procedure subpage.
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Last reviewed: May 2026