PropertySurvey Pro
DampApp ProDubai Municipality
Dubai Building Code
Sets minimum requirements for building design across Dubai, from health and safety to sustainability. It applies in Dubai; check the emirate's own requirements elsewhere.
Official sourceSurvey software for the UAE
Snagging, move-in and mould survey apps for the UAE
In the UAE, use PropertySurvey Pro for snagging a new-build handover, move-in and move-out inspections and condition reports, and DampApp Pro for mould and condensation around air conditioning. Both are free to download, work offline and finish the PDF on site.
Survey work in the UAE clusters around three jobs: snagging a new home before the developer hands over, recording condition when a tenancy starts or ends, and finding out why mould has appeared in an air-conditioned flat. PropertySurvey Pro handles the first two. DampApp Pro handles the third, where the cause is usually condensation from the cooling system rather than rain getting in.
The stock is young and dense: apartment towers, townhouse and villa communities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, many of them bought off-plan. Homes are sealed and cooled for most of the year while the coastal air outside, especially in summer, holds a lot of moisture. Where that air meets a chilled duct, a fan-coil unit or a cold ceiling void, water condenses and mould follows on grilles, ceilings and the backs of wardrobes.
Rules vary by emirate, so name the emirate before you quote a law. In Dubai, Dubai Municipality issues the Dubai Building Code; the Dubai Land Department registers leases through Ejari; and its Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) oversees owners' associations, property management companies and developers' escrow accounts. Abu Dhabi runs its own system through the Department of Municipalities and Transport and the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, and the northern emirates have their own authorities again.
Snagging inspectors, buyers' surveyors and handover teams
Snagging inspections for new-build handovers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
PropertySurvey Pro is the app for a snagging inspection in the UAE: walk the unit room by room, photograph each snag with a numbered caption, and give the developer a snag list as a PDF before you leave the building.
In Dubai the timing is set by law. Under Law No. (6) of 2019 on jointly owned real property, the developer remains liable for one year from handover to repair or replace defective installations, such as mechanical, electrical, sanitary and sewerage works, and for ten years from the completion certificate to put right defects in the structural parts. A dated snag list at handover, and a follow-up visit before that first year ends, gives the owner a clear record inside the window.
Most snags in new Gulf apartments are finishing items: hollow or cracked tiles, open silicone joints around showers, doors that bind, poor falls on balconies, dripping AC grilles and dead sockets. Keep contract questions, such as the specification or the area sold, for a separate document review.
What PropertySurvey Pro records
- Room-by-room snag lists with numbered photo captions
- Markup to circle or arrow each defect (Pro)
- A follow-up visit started from the first snag list
- Floor plans, with AR room scanning on LiDAR iPhones and iPads
- Floor areas on IPMS and other bases, converted to square feet
- The PDF produced offline, even in basements and service risers
Landlords, property managers and leasing agents
Move-in and move-out inspection reports in the UAE
Use PropertySurvey Pro for move-in and move-out inspections in the UAE: the same room-by-room report at the start and the end of a tenancy shows exactly what changed.
In Dubai, Law No. (26) of 2007 on landlords and tenants requires the landlord to hand over the property in good condition, and the tenant to return it in the condition it was received, apart from ordinary wear and tear. It also lets the landlord take a security deposit to cover maintenance at the end of the lease. When the two sides disagree, the dispute goes to Dubai's Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, and a report with photographs and plain descriptions from both visits is the evidence each side reaches for.
Other emirates have their own rules and registration systems. Dubai leases are registered through Ejari with the Dubai Land Department; in Abu Dhabi, tenancy contracts are registered and renewed through the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre. Keep the report factual and let the contract and the local rules decide who pays.
What PropertySurvey Pro records
- Condition and cleanliness of every floor, wall, ceiling and fitting
- AC units, grilles and filters noted at both visits
- Appliances and furniture in furnished units
- Keys, access cards and remotes handed over
- Talk through a room: speak the walk-through, then check the entries
- A move-out visit started from the move-in report
Damp and mould specialists, MEP engineers and facilities teams
Mould and AC condensation surveys in the UAE
Use DampApp Pro when the complaint is mould, damp patches or a dripping ceiling: it records air and surface readings, works out the dew point on site and shows whether condensation is likely where the mould is growing.
In a UAE apartment the water usually comes from inside the building. Chilled-water pipes and ducts with gaps in their insulation, blocked condensate trays in fan-coil units, and supply grilles throwing cold air across a warm, humid ceiling can all wet finishes. So can a unit shut up over summer with the cooling off. Readings taken at the unit and at the stain, at the same visit, separate these causes far better than a photograph alone.
Plumbing leaks and rain through façades and balconies happen too, particularly after the region's occasional heavy storms. DampApp Pro ties each reading and photograph to a location, so the report shows the evidence and the diagnosis stays with the surveyor.
What DampApp Pro records
- Air temperature, relative humidity and surface temperature at each point
- Dew point and condensation risk worked out on the device
- Moisture readings up each wall on a grid (Pro)
- Ventilation tests for bathrooms, kitchens and closed rooms
- Photos of grilles, ducts and stains, with markup on Pro
- AI Polish turns shorthand into draft wording you check and edit
Rules that shape the report
Laws, standards and regulators in the UAE
Dubai Land Department
Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) and Ejari
RERA, part of the Dubai Land Department, regulates owners' associations, jointly owned property management companies and developers' escrow accounts. Leases in Dubai are registered through the department's Ejari system.
Official sourceGovernment of Dubai
Law No. (6) of 2019 Concerning Ownership of Jointly Owned Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai
Makes the developer liable for one year from handover for defective installations and for ten years from the completion certificate for structural defects in jointly owned property. The reason snag lists are dated.
Official sourceGovernment of Dubai
Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai
Sets the landlord's duty to hand over in good condition and the tenant's duty to return the property as received, apart from ordinary wear and tear. Move-in and move-out reports evidence both.
Official sourceGovernment of Dubai
Rental Disputes Settlement Centre
Hears rental disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai, including disagreements over condition and deposits at the end of a lease.
Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC)
Set up in 2023 by the Department of Municipalities and Transport. Registers and renews tenancy contracts and publishes the rules on leasing and ownership in Abu Dhabi.
Official sourceOn site in the UAE
What surveyors meet on site
Condensation on AC grilles, ducts and ceiling voids
Cold supply air and chilled-water services sit below the dew point of humid indoor air, so any gap in insulation or a blocked condensate tray wets the ceiling. Measure at the unit and at the stain, and note whether the system was running.
Mould in homes closed up over summer
Homes left empty with the cooling off or set high can grow mould on furniture, wardrobes and walls. Record how long the property was closed and the settings you found.
Wet-area and balcony waterproofing
Failed membranes and poor falls in bathrooms and on balconies send water into the unit below. Photograph drains, thresholds and sealant lines, and check the ceiling underneath where access allows.
Finishing snags in fast-built communities
Tiling, joinery, sealant and paint defects are the bulk of most UAE snag lists. A consistent room order and a numbered photo for each item make the list quick for the developer to action and easy to re-check.
More guides for the UAE
Run a real survey on the free tier
DampApp Pro and PropertySurvey Pro can be used without an account or card. The free tier supports full offline surveys, watermarked PDF export, 3 free uses a month of each AI tool and a reusable on-device capacity of up to 25 surveys. Export or delete completed work to free a slot.
Pro is optional and adds cloud sync, greater storage, the full AI allowance, premium integrations and white-label branding. Eligible new subscribers start Pro with a free trial. Review the current entitlements, free trials and store prices on the ProSurvey pricing page.
Survey app questions from the UAE
Is there a free snagging app for Dubai?
Yes. PropertySurvey Pro is free to download and use for real snagging inspections in Dubai and across the UAE. The free tier works offline, exports watermarked PDF reports, keeps up to 25 surveys on the device and includes 3 free uses a month of each AI tool. Pro is optional at £19.99 a month or £199.99 a year, and the App Store and Google Play show the price in your local currency.
When should I book a snagging inspection in Dubai?
Before you accept the keys, so the snag list reaches the developer at handover. Under Dubai's Law No. (6) of 2019, the developer remains liable for defective installations for one year from handover, so a second visit before that year ends lets you check repairs and record anything new. Check your sale contract for any longer warranty.
Why does mould grow in air-conditioned apartments in the UAE?
Because humid air meets cold surfaces. Chilled ducts, pipes, grilles and ceiling voids often sit below the dew point of the indoor air, so water condenses on them, and mould grows where it collects. DampApp Pro records air and surface temperatures and humidity, works out the dew point and ties the readings to photographs, so the surveyor can show where condensation is likely and decide the cause.
Do the apps follow Dubai Municipality or RERA rules?
They help you structure a report and name the rules that apply, such as the Dubai Building Code or Dubai's tenancy law, but they do not decide compliance. Neither app is endorsed by Dubai Municipality, the Dubai Land Department, RERA or any Abu Dhabi authority. Rules differ between emirates, so the surveyor confirms which apply to each property.
Can I show floor areas in square feet and costs in AED?
Yes. PropertySurvey Pro's floor area tool works in square metres and converts to square feet automatically, which matches how many UAE listings quote size, and both apps let you add cost notes in AED to the report. Pro subscriptions are shown in your local currency in the app stores.
Does it work offline in basements, plant rooms and risers?
Yes. Both apps capture photos, notes and readings with no signal and build the PDF on the device. With Pro, cloud sync catches up once you are back online.
Not in the UAE? Choose your country
Start your next survey in the UAE free
Download the app that fits your work, run a real survey offline and hand over the PDF on site. Pro is optional, with a free trial first.
Compare prices and free trials on the pricing page.