Dubai built fast. A large share of the city that rose in the 1990s and early 2000s is now crossing the 20 year mark, and the government has decided that age alone is reason enough to look closely. Under Dubai Law No. 3 of 2026 on the Quality and Safety of Buildings, owners of buildings completed 20 or more years ago must obtain a Building Quality and Safety Certificate based on a full technical assessment.

On 9 October 2026, Dubai Municipality issued a circular to property owners, owners' association committees, engineering consultancies and contractors setting out how long these certificates will last and how the rollout will work.

How long a certificate lasts

  • Buildings aged 20 to under 40 years: certificate valid for 10 years.
  • Buildings aged 40 years and above: certificate valid for 5 years.
  • Renewal: applications must be filed within the final 90 days before the certificate expires.

The logic is simple. The older the building, the more often it is checked.

Who goes first

The Municipality is phasing the programme in. Multi-storey buildings older than 40 years come first, followed by the rest of the eligible stock. Owners will receive an official notification when their building is called up.

What the audit covers

Once notified, an owner must appoint a licensed engineering consultancy to assess the building against the checklist set by the law. The assessment covers:

  • Structural integrity
  • Façade and cladding
  • Electrical and mechanical systems
  • Compliance with Civil Defence and Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA) requirements

If the building fails

Where defects are found, the consultant submits remedial proposals through the Dubai Building Platform and supervises corrective works by licensed contractors. The Municipality then carries out a final inspection before issuing the certificate. The Municipality has also said it will train consultancies on the electronic certificate service.

What this means for you

For owners and owners' associations, the question is no longer whether an older building will be inspected, but when. A building that has not been surveyed in years may hide problems in its cladding, services or structure that are cheaper to find on your own schedule than on the Municipality's.

Three practical steps make sense now:

  1. Check your completion date. If your building is approaching or past 20 years, it falls within the law.
  2. Gather your records. Original drawings, past maintenance logs and any earlier façade or MEP reports will shorten the audit.
  3. Consider a pre-assessment. A condition survey before the official notice gives you time to budget and plan any remedial works.

URU Design Services LLC works with owners and associations across Dubai on building condition assessments, remedial design and supervision of corrective works. If your building is likely to be called up, we can help you prepare.