MOU / Form F
Form F is RERA's standard contract for a Dubai resale, commonly called the MOU: it fixes the price, deposit, transfer date and who pays which costs.
What MOU / Form F means for a buyer
When a buyer and seller agree a price on a completed Dubai property, the terms are recorded in Form F, RERA's unified sale contract. The market still calls it the MOU (memorandum of understanding), but it is a binding contract, signed by both parties and both brokers.
Form F sets out the property, the price, how it will be paid, the target transfer date, which side pays the 4% transfer fee, trustee fee and broker commission, and any special conditions. On signing, the buyer customarily hands over a deposit cheque for 10% of the price, made out to the seller and held by the broker until transfer. If the buyer withdraws without a contractual reason, that deposit is normally forfeited; if the seller withdraws, the same sum is usually payable to the buyer.
The special conditions are where a buyer protects themselves. If you need a mortgage, make the sale conditional on final loan approval and on the bank's valuation supporting the price. State what happens to the deposit if the developer's NOC is refused, and list anything included in the sale.
Form F is not used when buying off-plan from a developer; that contract is the SPA. In a resale of an off-plan unit, Form F is typically signed alongside the developer's own assignment paperwork.
Guides that use this term
Where MOU / Form F comes up in practice, with the costs, rules and steps around it.
Questions about the buying process?
An adviser can explain how this applies to the property you're considering.
- Current price list and availability, direct from the developer
- No fee to you on off-plan purchases: the developer pays us
- One salaried adviser, not on commission, from first call to handover
