Service charges can feel like the “fine print” of property ownership until you’re the one paying them. If you own (or plan to buy) a home in Dubai with shared facilities, you’re contributing to the costs that keep the building running, maintained, and compliant. Mollak matters because it’s designed to make those charges easier to follow, verify, and hold to account.
At its core, Mollak brings budgets, invoices, payments, and account activity into one regulated flow so service charges are not just requested, but documented and routed through a controlled process owners can check against approved rates.
What Mollak is & who it connects
Mollak is Dubai’s regulated digital platform for jointly owned properties. It is managed through the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), with the goal of improving transparency and accountability around service charges.
In practical terms, Mollak links the key parties involved in service charges owners, property managers, auditors, banks, and regulators so budgets, invoicing, and payments move through one controlled process rather than a patchwork of separate systems.
How service-charge budgets are built, reviewed, and approved
Each year, management companies prepare annual budgets for shared costs in the property. These budgets are meant to cover the building’s planned operating and upkeep needs for the relevant period.
Before a budget can be approved, a RERA-certified auditor reviews it. This audit review step is a key control point: it supports consistency and helps ensure the budget that leads to service charges has been assessed through the proper, regulated channel before owners are billed.
From invoice to escrow: where your payment goes (and what it can be used for)
Once service charges are approved, they are invoiced to owners. Importantly, payments don’t go into a general-purpose account. Under Mollak, payments go into a dedicated service-charge escrow account for that specific property helping keep funds tied to the building they’re meant to support.
There’s also a timing control: the funds must be deposited within seven working days. That reinforces traceability and helps keep the collection and banking of service charges within clear expectations.
Just as important as where money goes is what it can be used for. The escrow account can only be used for approved property-related expenses, such as maintenance, repairs, cleaning, security, insurance, audits, and reserve allocations.
How to verify charges and what to do if something looks off
As an owner, you’re not expected to take a figure on faith. Owners can use Dubai channels to check approved rates and verify invoices against what’s been approved for the property. This is especially helpful when you want to confirm you’re being billed the right amount for the right period.
If you’re buying, service charges should be part of your due diligence not an afterthought. Before purchase, buyers should review service charges, unpaid amounts, reserve needs, and the building’s management company. These items help you understand the building’s ongoing cost profile and how the property is being run.
If a charge seems incorrect, start by checking the basics in a structured way. Compare the invoice with the approved rate, the title-deed area, and the budget year. Then request a written explanation from the relevant party so you have clarity and a record of how the amount was calculated.
A practical framework for transparency
Mollak’s value is simple: it creates a regulated route where budgets are reviewed, charges are invoiced, payments go into a dedicated escrow account, and spending is limited to approved property-related expenses. That structure supports transparency and accountability for jointly owned properties in Dubai.
For owners and buyers, the takeaway is equally practical: verify approved rates, review building fundamentals before purchasing, and challenge anything suspicious with clear checks and a written request. That’s due diligence and it’s exactly where Mollak is meant to help.
