Editorial Policy

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Dubai Livin is an independent resident-written guide that helps expats choose where to live in Dubai and how to rent or buy a home. This policy explains how we research, write, review and update content, including property and money topics.

Dubai Livin
Al Fosool Street, Barsha Heights (Tecom), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Editorial and corrections: chat@dubailivin.com

Our purpose

We publish practical guides so readers can make better housing and daily-life decisions in Dubai. Real estate, renting, communities and mortgages are our core topics. Travel, visas and lifestyle pieces support that purpose; they are not a substitute for it.

How we research and source

Writers start from a clear reader question (for example “Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?” or “What does Ejari cost?”). We prefer primary sources over reseller blogs.

Typical primary sources include:

• Dubai Land Department (DLD) — ownership, transfer fees, Oqood, trustee services;
• Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) / Dubai Land Department regulatory pages — brokerage licensing (Trakheesi), escrow, rental index;
• Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) — mortgage loan-to-value and related rules;
• Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) and GDRFA Dubai — residence and Golden Visa rules;
• DEWA, Ejari / Taqyees-related tenancy registration guidance;
• official UAE Government portal (u.ae) for public holidays and federal services;
• developer and bank primary pages only for product-specific terms, clearly labelled as such.

Market prices, rents and yields are labelled with an as-of date. Where a figure cannot be confirmed on an official page the same day, we avoid presenting it as settled fact and prefer dated ranges or a link to the primary source.

Fact-checking and dating

Before publishing, an editor checks:

• numbers, fees and legal claims against the cited source;
• internal consistency with other Dubai Livin pages (we aim for one sitewide figure for the same fee);
• that titles and introductions answer the main question in plain language;
• that “Last updated” / “Last verified” dates reflect a real review.

Topics that affect money, housing or immigration (buying, mortgages, visas and major money guides) get a stricter pass before publication.

Who writes and who reviews

Articles are attributed to a named author with a public bio. Pseudonyms are not used for new property and money guides.

Stephen Njenga, founder of Dubai Livin and a Dubai resident since 2020, writes and reviews Dubai Livin’s guides on real estate and living in Dubai. He checks property, buying, renting, community and money pieces against the primary sources listed above before publication. Dubai Livin does not provide personalised lending, legal or brokerage advice, and does not file visa applications for readers.

First-person living guides (“I lived in…”) are written only by people who actually lived in that community. We do not invent residency experience.

AI use policy

AI tools may assist with research outlines, drafting and editing suggestions. No article is fully auto-published. Every article is reviewed and edited by a named human (Stephen Njenga, or another named editor if one is credited on the page) before it goes live. Automated publishing tools are not used to put posts live without that human review.

AI must not invent statistics, court cases, licence numbers or personal experience. Any AI-assisted draft that cannot be sourced is rewritten or cut.

Updates and freshness

We update pages when fees, laws or major product terms change, or when Search Console and reader feedback show the page is wrong or incomplete. We do not change dates without a substantive edit.

Corrections

If we get a material fact wrong, we correct it promptly and note significant corrections on the page when useful. Email corrections to chat@dubailivin.com with the URL and the source you believe is right. We aim to review correction requests within five working days.

Affiliate links and commercial independence

Dubai Livin uses affiliate links and may earn a commission if you click a link and later complete a qualifying purchase or signup. That commission does not change our editorial verdicts, rankings or risk warnings.

“Best of” and comparison pieces follow stated criteria such as fees, eligibility and fit for expats — not commission size. Sponsored or paid-partner content is labelled. Commercial partners do not approve or rewrite our conclusions.

Lead forms that connect readers to brokers or mortgage advisers state who receives the lead. Those parties are responsible for their own regulated advice.

Comments and community

Comments are welcome when they add experience or ask a clear question. We remove spam, abuse and unlawful content. Comments are not editorial endorsement.

Conflicts of interest

Authors and reviewers must disclose relevant conflicts (for example owning a unit in a project they review, or being paid by a developer). Material conflicts are disclosed on the article or to the editor before publication.

Contact

Editorial and corrections: chat@dubailivin.com
About the team: About Dubai Livin