Trakheesi Permit System: Why Every Dubai Property Listing Needs One

Every legal property advert in Dubai must carry a Trakheesi permit number. The permit is generated by RERA, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department, and is mandatory under Decree No. 6 of 2010 on real estate marketing. If you see a property listing without one, the advert is illegal, the agent is operating outside the law, and any contract signed on the back of that listing is open to legal challenge.

This guide explains what Trakheesi is, why it matters to you whether you are a buyer, tenant, seller, or landlord, how to verify a permit in 30 seconds, and what to do if the listing in front of you is missing the number.

• Trakheesi is RERA's permit system for property adverts in Dubai. Every listing on Property Finder, Bayut, dubizzle, agency websites, and printed materials must show a Trakheesi number.
• Permits are valid for 60 days. After that the agent must renew or remove the listing.
• Verification takes 30 seconds through the Dubai REST app, the dubailand.gov.ae website, or by texting the permit number to the RERA helpline.
• Listings without a Trakheesi number are illegal under Decree No. 6 of 2010. Fines start at AED 50,000 per listing for the agent and the brokerage.
• The permit system protects you from duplicate listings, unauthorised agents, and inflated price quotes.

Trakheesi means licences in Arabic. It is the umbrella name for RERA's marketing permit platform. Every time a RERA-licensed broker wants to advertise a property for sale or rent, they must generate a Trakheesi permit before posting on any portal or printing any brochure.

Generating a permit is a structured process. The broker uploads a signed Form A (the seller's authorisation to market the unit), the property reference from the title deed, the asking price, the photographs, and the listing copy. The system runs verification checks: the seller's name on Form A must match the title deed, the title deed must be active, the broker BRN must be valid, and the brokerage trade licence must be current.

If everything checks out, RERA issues the Trakheesi permit number. The number is a unique reference that lets RERA trace any advert back to the responsible broker, the responsible brokerage, and the underlying authorised seller.

From an investor's perspective, the Trakheesi permit is your verification mechanism. Three problems that plagued the Dubai market before Trakheesi are blocked at source by the permit system.

Duplicate listings. Before Trakheesi, the same property could appear on multiple portals under multiple agents at multiple prices. Each agent would race to find a buyer first, often at the expense of the seller. Today, only the broker holding the live Form A can pull a permit. The same unit can have multiple Trakheesi numbers if the seller appoints multiple agents, but each is traceable back to a signed authorisation.

Unauthorised agents. Before Trakheesi, anyone could claim to be selling a property. Today, the permit ties to a verified BRN. If the BRN is invalid or the listing has no permit, the person you are speaking to is not a licensed broker.

Price inflation. Before Trakheesi, agents would inflate asking prices with no link to the seller's actual authorisation. Today, the price on the Trakheesi listing must match the price on the signed Form A within a reasonable tolerance. Inflated quotes are flagged at upload.

Verification takes under a minute. There are three official channels.

Channel 1: Dubai REST app. Open the app, tap Services, tap Verify Permit, and enter the Trakheesi number. The app returns the permit status, the property reference, the agent name, the brokerage name, and the permit expiry date.

Channel 2: dubailand.gov.ae. The DLD website has a public Trakheesi check tool under Services then Verify Permit. The same data appears as on the app.

Channel 3: RERA SMS. Send the Trakheesi number to 6655 from any UAE mobile. RERA replies with the permit status within seconds.

If the verification returns an error or the agent details do not match the person you are speaking to, treat the listing as illegitimate. Do not pay any deposit. Do not sign Form F. File a complaint through Dubai REST.

Trakheesi numbers must appear in every advertisement. The position varies by platform but the number is always present and machine-readable.

On Property Finder and Bayut, the number sits in the listing footer alongside the broker BRN. On dubizzle, it appears in the listing description and the bottom of the photo block. On agency websites, it usually sits beside the price or in a footer.

Printed materials including brochures, flyers, hoardings, and newspaper inserts must show the Trakheesi number in a legible font. RERA inspectors actively patrol developments and properties and issue fines on the spot for non-compliant advertising.

If the platform you are browsing does not surface the Trakheesi number prominently, ask the agent directly. Any reluctance to share the number is a major red flag.

Most buyers and tenants never see the Trakheesi back-end, but understanding the broker-side flow helps you ask the right questions when something feels off.

The broker logs into the Trakheesi portal at trakheesi.dubailand.gov.ae using their RERA BRN credentials. They start a new permit application and upload the signed Form A from the seller. Form A is a one-page authorisation that names the broker, the property, the asking price, and the marketing window.

The portal validates the seller's name on Form A against the title deed on the DLD register. If the names match and the title deed is active, the application moves to the price-check stage. RERA's automated system flags adverts where the asking price differs from the Form A price by more than 5% above market reference data.

Once approved, the system issues the Trakheesi permit number with a 60-day validity. The broker can then list the property on Property Finder, Bayut, dubizzle, their own agency website, or in print. Each platform that hosts the listing must surface the permit number in a publicly visible location.

Decree No. 6 of 2010 makes unauthorised property advertising a serious offence in Dubai. RERA enforcement has tightened in recent years as the volume of digital listings has grown.

Standard fines for a missing Trakheesi number: AED 50,000 per listing for the broker, AED 50,000 for the brokerage, and a 30-day suspension for the broker BRN on a second offence. Repeat offenders face permanent BRN cancellation.

Property portals also face penalties. RERA can issue blanket take-down orders if a portal hosts non-compliant listings. In 2023, RERA suspended a major portal for 72 hours after a sweep found over 4,000 listings without valid permits. Source: RERA enforcement bulletin.

These penalties are not theoretical. RERA actively scrapes listing portals and cross-references against the Trakheesi register. Non-compliant listings are usually taken down within a week of going live, often before any buyer makes contact.

Off-plan listings carry a separate class of Trakheesi permit called the project marketing permit. The fee is AED 330 per permit and covers a marketing campaign for a specific developer-launched project. The verification chain is stricter than for resale listings because off-plan markets in Dubai have historically been the highest-fraud segment.

To pull an off-plan Trakheesi, the agent or developer must submit the RERA project registration number, the escrow account number, the approved master plan, and the approved sales price list. RERA cross-checks every advert against the approved sales price. Adverts that quote prices below the developer's approved list are blocked at upload.

When you see an off-plan listing, the Trakheesi number gives you instant access to the project file. Run the verification on Dubai REST: it tells you whether the project is registered, whether the escrow is open, whether construction has started, and whether the developer holds a current trade licence.

If you discover an off-plan listing that promises pricing or terms inconsistent with the registered information, do not engage. Report the listing through Dubai REST. Off-plan fraud cases that cite a Trakheesi number are easier for RERA to investigate because the trail starts from a clear regulatory record.

If you own a Dubai property and want to list it, the Trakheesi process is structured to protect you. You do not pull permits yourself; only RERA-licensed brokers can. But you control the upstream document that makes any permit possible: the signed Form A.

Form A is RERA's standard exclusive (or non-exclusive) authorisation to market. You sign it once with your chosen broker. The broker uses it to pull a Trakheesi permit. Each form is valid for the length you set, typically 60 to 90 days.

Your protections under the form-permit system: you know who is authorised to market your property, you know the asking price the agent has registered with RERA, and you can revoke Form A at any time, which voids the related Trakheesi permits.

If you discover an unauthorised agent is advertising your property without a signed Form A from you, file a complaint through Dubai REST. The agent and brokerage face the standard AED 50,000 fines and your listing is taken down within 48 hours.

Start every Dubai property search with a verification habit. When you find a listing you like, copy the Trakheesi number into the Dubai REST app before you call the agent. The 30 seconds save you from agents operating outside the system.

If you are selling or letting a property, sign Form A with one or two trusted brokers, not five or ten. Each signed form generates fresh Trakheesi permits, and a fragmented agent panel makes it harder to track who is doing what.

If you have already engaged an agent and want to verify their setup, ask them to forward the Trakheesi permit number for their listing of your property. Cross-check the number on Dubai REST. The agent should welcome the question; if they push back, that is a signal worth investigating.

Oliva works exclusively with RERA-licensed agents and Trakheesi-permitted listings. Browse our verified catalogue at /en/projects. RERA BRN 1573501.

Information above reflects RERA Trakheesi rules as of April 2026. Permit fees, validity windows, and enforcement penalties may be amended over time. Always check the latest RERA bulletin or speak with a licensed real estate professional before relying on specific figures.