Getting Your Deposit Back When You Move Out

To get your rental deposit back in Dubai, return the property in the condition you received it, apart from normal wear and tear, with dated photos and your bills settled. Dubai's tenancy law says the landlord must refund the deposit, or what remains of it, when the lease ends. If they refuse, you can claim at the Rental Dispute Centre.

Deposit disputes are among the most common rental disagreements in Dubai, and almost all of them come down to evidence. This guide covers how much the deposit usually is, what a landlord can and cannot deduct, what to do at move-in and move-out, and how a claim works.

How much is a rental deposit in Dubai?

By common practice it is 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property and 10% for a furnished one, but the law does not fix the amount. Article 20 of Law No. 26 of 2007, Dubai's tenancy law, simply allows the landlord to take a security deposit to cover maintenance of the property, and requires the landlord to refund it, or what remains of it, when the lease ends. Check the figure written in your tenancy contract.

What can a landlord deduct: fair wear and tear or damage?

Article 21 of the same law says the tenant must hand the property back in the condition it was received, except for ordinary wear and tear and damage from causes outside the tenant's control. In practice:

Fair wear and tear, not deductible	Damage, deductible
Scuff marks on walls	Holes needing filling and repainting
Faded paint	Stains from spills
Worn carpet in walkways	Burns or tears
Sticking door from humidity	Broken handle or forced lock
Limescale on taps	Cracked basin

Deductions for anything else, such as unpaid bills, depend on what your contract says. Ask for the basis of every deduction in writing.

What should you do at move-in?

Photograph everything, dated, on the day you get the keys. Every room, every existing mark, inside cupboards, the condition of appliances. Email the set to the landlord or agent the same day so there is a timestamped record both sides hold.

This single habit prevents most deposit disputes. It takes twenty minutes.

What should you do at move-out?

1. Clean properly, including the air conditioning filters and the oven.
2. Repair anything you damaged, which is usually cheaper than the landlord's contractor.
3. Settle DEWA and chiller accounts and keep the final bills. See how to cancel Ejari when you move out.
4. Photograph everything again, dated.
5. Attend the inspection if you can, rather than handing back keys and leaving.

How long does a landlord have to return the deposit?

The law says the deposit is refunded on the expiry of the lease but does not set a number of days, and practice varies from days to several weeks. Agree a timeframe in writing when you hand back the keys rather than leaving it open.

What if the deposit is not returned?

Ask for an itemised list of deductions with receipts. A landlord who cannot evidence a deduction is unlikely to defend it. If that does not resolve it, the Rental Dispute Centre handles deposit claims: see how the process works.

The RDC lists these costs for a money claim, as of November 2026:

RDC charge	Amount
Filing fee for a money claim	3.5% of the amount claimed, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 15,000
Knowledge and innovation fees	AED 10 each
Process service	AED 100
Filing through a trustee centre	AED 130 + VAT on top

Because of the AED 500 minimum, a claim for a small deposit can cost a large share of the amount, so a written request first is worth the effort. Documents must be in Arabic or legally translated, and hearings are held remotely.

Related reading

Our complete tenant guide covers the whole tenancy, and renewing your tenancy explains the rules if you are staying.

Speak to an adviser if you are unsure where you stand.

See our furnished or unfurnished apartments.