Tenant Rights When Moving Out in Dubai

When you move out of a rented home in Dubai, the law gives you the right to get your security deposit back, less the cost of any damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, and protects you from paying for wear and tear that is not your fault. In return you must give notice as your contract requires, hand the home back in the condition you received it, and close the tenancy properly: cancel Ejari, close DEWA, get the building’s move-out permit and return every key against a receipt.

The rules below come from Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 on landlords and tenants, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, which applies to ordinary leases registered with Ejari. Your tenancy contract can add terms, so read it alongside this guide.

Giving notice

• Check your contract first. It should say how much notice you must give if you do not want to renew, and how to give it.
• Changes at renewal need 90 days. Under Article 14, a landlord or tenant who wants to change any term of the lease at renewal, including the rent, must tell the other side at least 90 days before the lease ends, unless the contract says otherwise.
• Staying on renews the lease. If you stay after the lease ends and the landlord does not object, the lease renews on the same terms for the same period or one year, whichever is shorter (Article 6). If you plan to leave, say so in good time.
• Give notice in a way you can prove. The law defines a notice as a written notification sent through a notary public, by registered post, by hand, or by an electronic method the law accepts. An email or message is easier to prove than a phone call; keep a copy.

Leaving before the lease ends

A valid lease cannot be ended early by one side alone; it ends early only by agreement or as the law allows (Article 7). In practice that means:

• Look for an early termination clause in your contract. If there is one, it sets the notice and any penalty.
• If there is no clause, ask the landlord for an agreement to end the lease, and get the date and any payment in writing.
• Keep the signed agreement. You will need it to cancel Ejari and to close DEWA on the agreed date.

Your security deposit

The landlord may take a security deposit when you sign the lease, and must refund it, or what is left of it, when the lease ends (Article 20). The law does not set the amount; your contract does.

What can be deducted is limited. You must hand the home back in the condition you received it, except for ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by reasons beyond your control (Article 21). The landlord is responsible for wear and tear that is not the tenant’s fault (Article 17).

Your security deposit

Usually counts as ordinary wear and tear	Usually counts as damage
Paint faded by sunlight	Large holes or heavy marks on walls
Light wear on floors and carpets in walkways	Burns, stains or deep scratches
Small picture-hook holes	Broken fittings, doors or handles
Fittings that wore out through normal use	Damage by pets
Minor scuffs where furniture stood	Changes you made without permission

To protect the deposit:

• Find the photos or video you took when you moved in. If you have none, the handover report from move-in is your next best record.
• Report problems to the landlord in writing during the tenancy, so they cannot be blamed on you later.
• Ask for any deduction in writing, item by item, with the cost.
• If you cannot agree, the law sends disputes about the condition of the property to the rental disputes tribunal, today Dubai’s Rental Disputes Center (RDC); your photos and written records are your evidence.

The move-out inspection

• Book a joint inspection with the landlord or agent for the day you hand over, after the movers have left and the home is clean.
• Walk through every room together, take dated photos and agree a written list of anything that needs fixing.
• Do any cleaning or repairs your contract requires before the inspection; our move-out checklist lists what landlords usually check.
• Remember Article 23: unless you agreed otherwise, improvements you made to the property stay when you leave. Ask before removing anything you installed.

Cancelling Ejari

When the tenancy ends, the Ejari registration is cancelled through the Dubai Land Department’s cancel tenancy contract service. The service is free; if it is done through a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre, there is a service fee of AED 40 plus VAT. Agree with your landlord or agent who will file it, and keep the cancellation confirmation. Our Ejari guide covers registration at your new home.

Closing DEWA and district cooling

Request the DEWA move-out for your last day in the home. You can do it online with a DEWA login or UAE PASS, or with your contract account number and premise number. DEWA emails the final bill within 24 working hours of the move-out date you choose, sets your security deposit against it and refunds any balance by bank transfer to your IBAN, by cheque or to another active DEWA account. If the building has district cooling, close that account separately. See DEWA and utilities when you move for both.

The building’s move-out permit

Most towers and gated communities ask for a move-out permit before the movers can use the service lift or the gate. Some ask for a letter or NOC from the landlord, so request it when you give notice, not on moving day. Our guide to building management approval lists the usual documents.

Handing back the keys

• Return every key, access card, parking card and remote control you were given.
• Get a signed and dated receipt for the handover, listing what you returned.
• Photograph the meters on the day.
• Give the landlord your bank details in writing for the deposit refund, and ask for the refund date in writing.

Move-out timeline

Move-out timeline

When	What to do
Before the notice deadline in your contract (at least 90 days before the end if you want to change terms)	Give written notice and keep proof
Four to six weeks before	Ask the landlord for any NOC the building needs; book movers
Two weeks before	Apply for the building’s move-out permit and lift slot; book the inspection
One week before	Request the DEWA and district cooling move-out for your last day
Moving day	Move out, clean, inspect together, photograph meters, hand over keys against a receipt
After handover	Make sure Ejari is cancelled, keep the DEWA final bill and follow up on the deposit

Documents to keep

• The tenancy contract and Ejari certificate, and the Ejari cancellation confirmation.
• Your notice and any early termination agreement.
• Move-in and move-out photos and inspection reports.
• The key handover receipt.
• The DEWA final bill and refund confirmation.
• Emails and messages with the landlord about repairs, notice and the deposit.

Once your move-out date is agreed, request a free quote; a mover that serves your area can work around the building’s permit and lift slot while you deal with the handover. Our moving day guide covers the day itself.