Developer rules guide
Aldar community renovation rules
Fifteen Aldar community handbooks carry the same renovation clause word for word. What changes from one community to the next is the hour noisy work must stop, and that decides how long your job runs.
Aldar
Aldar renovation rules: who approves the work?
Aldar renovation rules live in the community handbooks that Aldar Estates, Aldar's owners' association manager, publishes through its owners' portal. We read fifteen of them, from Al Ghadeer and Al Raha Gardens to Saadiyat Beach, Yas Acres and The Bridges on Al Reem, and all fifteen carry one identical clause: no alterations, additions or renovations without the prior written approval of the Owners Union Director.
Do I need Aldar's approval to renovate?
Yes. Every Aldar community handbook we read requires the Owners Union Director's prior written approval for any alteration, addition or renovation, and starting without the Review Committee's approval carries an AED 10,000 fine and a halt to the work. That approval is separate from the government permit: in Abu Dhabi the permit comes from the Department of Municipalities and Transport, reviewed by Tasareeh on the plots within its scope. You need both before the contractor starts.
The clause, word for word
Al Ghadeer carries it at section 1.3(l); Al Raha Gardens, Saadiyat, Yas and Reem at 1.3.2(m). It reads: "Owners and Occupiers must not, without the prior written approval from the Owners Union Director, carry out any alterations or additions or renovations, or install any fittings or fixtures that deviate from approved plans and specifications. Owners and Occupiers shall be responsible for and shall pay for fines or penalties imposed by any government authorities for any unauthorized additions or alterations found within their units." Anything built on common areas without approval can be demolished after 14 days' written notice, at the owner's cost, legal fees included.
Aldar renovation rules: the penalty table
| Breach | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Starting work without Review Committee approval | Work stopped, AED 10,000 fine, alteration removed if not approved |
| Application still not received after the cure window | AED 400 to AED 4,000 for each further 30 days |
| Deviating from the approved plans | AED 800, then AED 800 each month until put right |
| Continued deviation | AED 2,000 per incident and the project halted |
| Unauthorised alterations, Al Ghadeer handbook | AED 800 plus the cost of repair |
The handbooks give 7 working days in the same table, and that figure is easy to misread: it is the window to put a breach right, not the time Aldar takes to approve an application. No approval turnaround is published anywhere.
When must noisy work stop?
| Community | Noisy works stop | Moves stop |
|---|---|---|
| Al Raha Gardens, Yas Acres, Mamsha, Al Ghadeer | 8 PM | 8 PM |
| Gate & Arc, The Bridges, Sun & Sky, Shams Meera | 8 PM | 8 PM |
| Saadiyat Beach Villas and Saadiyat Beach Residences | 6 PM | 6 PM |
| The Bridges 2, Al Reem | 6 PM | 8 PM |
Two hours a day is a lot on a programme measured in weeks, and Saadiyat Beach loses them while Mamsha, on the same island, does not. Gate & Arc spells out the full window: no noisy work from 8 PM to 8.30 AM on working days, or from 8 PM to 10 AM on weekends and public holidays. The handbooks share the logistics too: 48 hours' notice for bulk deliveries, moves booked five business days ahead, contractor vehicles parked no more than 24 hours in a row, mover vehicles no taller than 1.2 m, and lift bookings of two hours at most.
What does Aldar not publish?
A fee, a turnaround or a deposit amount for community approval. Across fifteen handbooks the deposit wording is only that owners may be required to pay a refundable deposit. The Al Raha Beach master community declaration, headed as a draft dated 17 May 2007, lets the developer charge a fee at its discretion, payable whether or not approval is granted, and it says plainly that the community approval does not replace planning permission from the relevant authority. Two practical notes: the owners' portal has moved from myportal.provis.ae to myportal.asteco.com, and Khidmah handles facilities management and common areas, not renovation approvals. The AED 262.50 charge at Gate & Arc is a car-park access card, not a renovation deposit.
Which communities are Aldar-managed?
Aldar Estates manages about 120 communities listed on the owners' portal, including Al Ghadeer, Al Raha Gardens, Al Muneera, Mamsha, Saadiyat Beach Villas, Yas Acres and several Al Reem towers. Some familiar names are not on it. Al Reef was developed by Manazel PJSC, not Aldar, with 2,376 villas in four architectural themes and 1,818 apartments in 46 buildings. Hydra Village, Khalifa City, Mohammed Bin Zayed City and Zayed City are absent too. On Saadiyat, Bloom's facilities arm lists renovation in its own remit at Soho Square and Park View. Al Ghadeer's handbook settles its border question: it cites Abu Dhabi law and routes violations to Abu Dhabi Municipality.
Aldar approval and the Abu Dhabi permit
The community approval sits on top of the statutory permit. Tasareeh, Aldar's delegated permit reviewer for plots in its scope, publishes a fee structure in which a single-villa modification carries about AED 5,900 before any building, and its maintenance permit takes 7 working days and must be filed by a contractor registered in DMT's classification system. On Al Reem, ADGM's strata-title consent under By-Law 3(2) of its Strata Title Regulations 2015 joins the tower's Owners Union, but ADGM issues no building permits: the permit still comes from DMT through TAMM. Our Abu Dhabi permits guide has the full chain, our investment zones guide explains what your title allows, and the developer comparison sets Aldar beside Dubai's developers. To get quotes from contractors who already work under Aldar's handbooks, start at our renovation hub.
Questions
Aldar renovation approval, answered
- Is there a fee for Aldar's renovation approval?
- None is published. The Al Raha Beach master community declaration allows the developer to charge a fee at its discretion, paid on application whether or not approval is granted, but no handbook or portal page states an amount. Ask the community management office for the figure in writing.
- How long does Aldar take to approve a renovation?
- No turnaround is published. The 7 working days in the handbooks' penalty table is the window to cure a breach, not an approval time. The only published turnaround in the chain is the government side: 7 working days for a maintenance permit reviewed by Tasareeh.
- Is Al Reef an Aldar community?
- No. Al Reef was developed by Manazel PJSC and is managed through the Al Reef community management office by Manazel's own specialists. It is absent from Aldar's community list and from the Aldar-managed portal. Manazel publishes no renovation rules, fees or turnaround.
- Why does Saadiyat Beach stop at 6 PM?
- Because its handbook says so. The Saadiyat Beach Villas and Residences handbooks stop noisy work and moves at 6 PM, where most Aldar communities, including Mamsha on the same island, run to 8 PM. Build the shorter day into the programme before you compare contractors' timelines.
- Does Khidmah issue renovation NOCs?
- No. Khidmah describes itself as a facilities management company covering maintenance, landscaping, cleaning and technical services. Renovation approval in Aldar communities comes from the Owners Union Director, through the community management office.
- Does ADGM issue permits on Al Reem Island?
- Not building permits. Since 24 April 2023 Al Reem Island falls under ADGM, whose role in a renovation is the strata-title consent under By-Law 3(2), alongside the tower's Owners Union. The building permit still comes from DMT through TAMM, with Tasareeh reviewing where the plot is in its scope.
Who you are dealing with
- OperatorWebsiteOS LLC
- Licence2646567.01
- Cost to homeownerNone
- Figures datedSeptember 2026
Tell us about the renovation
The community, the rooms and what you want changed. We come back with contractors registered in Abu Dhabi who quote against the published bands.