How to read owners’ association meeting minutes in Dubai: a Living Legends example

The minutes of a general meeting of owners tell you more about a building or community than any viewing. They are provided on request, rarely read, and there are six things to look for in them.

What to look for

• Attendance and quorum. Meetings that fail for lack of attendance mean decisions have not been taken for years. It is the clearest sign of a building without management.
• The approved budget and the arguments around it. Which lines were cut and why — that shows where corners are being cut.
• The reserve fund: how much has been accumulated, what is paid in, and whether it has been drawn on for routine work. The last is a warning sign.
• Major works: what is planned, what quotes have been obtained, what has been postponed and how many times.
• Arrears. The share collected and the enforcement measures taken: a management company that pursues debts protects the owners who pay.
• Disputes. Recurring arguments — over short-term letting, parking, or how costs are split between property types — show what will occupy you as an owner.

Why it matters most in a mixed community

Where towers and villas share one management, interests diverge: some owners care about landscaping, others about the size of the charge. Votes are usually weighted by area, and the minutes show whose side carries the decisions. That is not a reason to walk away from a purchase — it is a reason to know in advance which position you will be in.

How to request them

• Ask for three years of minutes, not just the latest.
• Separately request the itemised budget and the collection report.
• If the documents are not provided, that is an answer too, and it says enough about the management.

Based on the framework for owners’ associations in Dubai. Request the documents from the management company of the specific community.