Question: I recently purchased a villa in a well-known Dubai community and plan to partition the living room to create an additional room, which will require minor construction work. Do I need regulatory approvals for this?
Answer: The Dubai Municipality's Building and Government Housing Department is the authority responsible for approving construction and repair works, as defined in Article 3 of the Local Order No. 3 of 1999 governing construction in Dubai. According to Article 4 of the same order, no individual can undertake permanent or temporary work on a building without a permit from the Dubai Municipality's Competent Department. Article 5 specifies that an application, signed by the applicant, must be submitted to the Competent Department along with the necessary documents.
Additionally, Article 14 stipulates that all construction must adhere to approved plans, drawings, and technical standards, and no changes can be made without the Competent Department's approval. Articles 19 to 26 outline the responsibilities of contractors and engineers, including safety conditions during construction. Schedule No. 1 and Schedule No. 6 detail the application fees for engineering audits and modification fees, respectively.
To proceed with your renovation, you should engage a licensed contractor or engineer to help secure the necessary permissions from Dubai Municipality. You may also need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the master developer or community management to ensure compliance with their guidelines, as well as those of Dubai Municipality and Dubai Development Authority (DDA).
Ashish Mehta, founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates, a law firm qualified to practice in Dubai, the UK, and India, provides further legal insights. For more information, visit www.amalawyers.com. Questions can be emailed to news@khaleejtimes.com or sent to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.
