A Dubai landlord may deduct from your security deposit only what it costs to restore the property to the condition you received it in. Dubai's tenancy law, Law No. (26) of 2007, exempts "ordinary wear and tear" from that obligation — and the word "clean" does not appear anywhere in the law. A professional move-out clean in Dubai costs AED 400–2,500.
You handed back the keys three weeks ago. The agent stopped replying. When the message finally lands it says the deposit is "being processed", minus AED 1,800 for cleaning, minus AED 900 for "repainting", minus AED 600 for scuffs on a skirting board you never noticed. Nobody sends you an invoice. Nobody sends you a photograph. And because almost every tenant in Dubai assumes the landlord holds all the cards, almost every tenant pays it.
Most of that is negotiable, and some of it is not supportable under the law at all. Below is what the actual legislation says, clause by clause, quoted from the text published on the Dubai Legislation Portal — plus what a move-out clean really costs, so you can tell a fair deduction from an invented one.
⚡ The short version
- The deposit exists "to ensure maintenance of the Real Property" and the landlord "undertakes to refund" it — Article 20.
- You return the property in its original condition "except for ordinary wear and tear" — Article 21.
- During the tenancy, maintenance and repairs are the landlord's responsibility unless your contract says otherwise — Article 16.
- A move-out cleaning deduction is a contract term, never a statutory one. It is only enforceable if your tenancy contract actually says so.
What does Dubai law actually say about a security deposit?
Dubai security deposits are governed by Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, published by the Government of Dubai on the Dubai Legislation Portal. Article 20 is one sentence long, and it is the entire legal basis for every deposit held in the emirate.
The clause reads, in full: "When entering into a Lease Contract, the Landlord may obtain from the Tenant a security deposit to ensure maintenance of the Real Property upon the expiry of the Lease Contract, provided that the Landlord undertakes to refund such deposit or remainder thereof to the Tenant upon the expiry of the Lease Contract."
Two things follow from that wording. The deposit is tied to a single purpose — maintenance of the property — not to the landlord's convenience, redecoration preferences, or an admin fee. And the refund is framed as an undertaking the landlord gives, with "or remainder thereof" as the only carve-out. The burden sits with the landlord to justify what was withheld.
The table below sets out the four articles that decide a Dubai deposit dispute, each quoted from the published law.
What counts as "ordinary wear and tear" in a Dubai rental?
💡 Definition
Ordinary wear and tear is the deterioration a property suffers from being lived in normally for the length of the tenancy, with no misuse, neglect or accident involved. Dubai's Law No. (26) of 2007 uses the phrase in Article 21 but does not define it, so a Dubai tribunal decides it case by case on the facts.
The practical test a Dubai tenant can apply is simple: would this have happened anyway to a careful occupant over the same period? Sun-faded curtains in a west-facing Dubai apartment after two years are wear and tear — the UAE sun does that to fabric regardless of who lives there. A cigarette burn in the same curtain is damage. The comparison table below splits the deductions Dubai tenants argue about most.
Can a landlord deduct for cleaning in Dubai?
A Dubai landlord can deduct for cleaning only where the tenancy contract creates that obligation, or where the property is returned genuinely unclean rather than merely lived-in. Law No. (26) of 2007 does not mention cleaning at all — the word "clean" appears zero times across the entire law, including every article covering the tenant's obligations and the return of the property.
The absence of the word "clean" from Dubai's tenancy law changes the conversation. When an agent tells a Dubai tenant that "the law requires a professional deep clean before handover", there is no such law. What usually exists instead is a clause in the tenancy contract — and a clause is negotiable, quotable and, above all, capped at what the work actually costs.
⚠️ The line that is not law
"Dubai Municipality requires a professional deep clean at the end of every tenancy" is not a rule anyone can point you to. Ask which regulation, in writing. A cleaning obligation binds you when your contract says it does — read the clause before you accept the deduction, and check whether it names a required standard or simply a required receipt.
How much does move-out cleaning cost in Dubai?
Move-out cleaning in Dubai costs AED 400–2,500 depending on property size and whether the job includes extras such as internal window glass, a full AC filter clean or upholstery. That range matters for a deposit argument, because a deduction only stands up to the extent the landlord actually spent it. The table below shows what a Dubai deep clean typically runs by property size.
Prices reflect 2026 averages and may vary by provider, scope, and season. Figures are TaskRight's adjudicated Dubai market ranges, cross-checked against published UAE cleaning company rate cards.
Set that against the deduction. If a landlord withholds AED 1,800 for cleaning a 1-bedroom Dubai apartment, the published market for that job is AED 350–600. The gap is the question — and asking for the invoice is how you ask it.
Who pays for maintenance during the tenancy in Dubai?
In Dubai the landlord pays for maintenance and repairs during the lease term unless the tenancy contract shifts that duty. Article 16 states that "unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the Landlord will, during the term of the Lease Contract, be responsible for the Real Property' maintenance works and for repairing any defect or damage that may affect the Tenant's intended use of the Real Property."
The qualifier "unless otherwise agreed" is where most Dubai tenancy contracts intervene, typically by making the tenant liable for minor repairs under a stated cap. Check yours. A landlord cannot leave a fault unrepaired for a year, then bill your deposit for it at the end, if the contract left that repair on their side.
Article 19 pulls in the other direction and is worth knowing before you improve anything: the tenant must maintain the property "in such a manner as an ordinary person would maintain his own property", and "may not make any changes or carry out any restoration or maintenance works to the Real Property unless so permitted by the Landlord and after obtaining required licences from the competent official entities." Article 23 then adds that on vacating, "the Tenant may not remove any leasehold improvements made by the Tenant." Unapproved work you paid for stays behind and can still be charged for.
How do you protect your deposit before you hand back the keys?
Deposit arguments in Dubai are won with evidence gathered before handover, not with arguments made after it. Run this list in the last week of your tenancy.
✅ Seven checks before you hand over the keys
- Find your move-in evidence. The handover report, snag list or the photos you took on day one set the Article 15 baseline. No baseline, no argument.
- Photograph every room dated, after cleaning. Wide shot plus close-ups of walls, floors, wet areas and appliances.
- Read the cleaning clause in your contract. If it requires a receipt, get a receipt. If it says nothing, no cleaning deduction was ever agreed.
- Clear the utilities. Final DEWA settlement, chiller or district cooling account, internet and Ejari cancellation — unpaid dues are a legitimate deduction.
- Fix the cheap things yourself. Filling picture holes and replacing dead bulbs costs you AED 100 and removes the landlord's easiest line items.
- Do the handover walkthrough together. Get the agent on site with you and agree the list in writing that day.
- Ask for invoices, not totals. Request a written breakdown with supplier invoices for every deduction. A number with no invoice behind it is the one that moves.
What happens if a Dubai landlord refuses to refund the deposit?
A Dubai tenant whose deposit is withheld without justification can file at the Rental Disputes Centre, the judicial body that hears rental cases in the emirate. Article 21 says so directly: "In the event of dispute between the two parties, the matter must be referred to the Tribunal to issue an award in this regard." Filing costs a percentage of your annual rent, subject to a minimum and a maximum, calculated and shown on the payment summary at the point you file.
In practice, most Dubai deposit disputes end long before that. A written request for itemised invoices, alongside the published market cost of the work being claimed, resolves the majority — because a landlord who charged AED 1,800 for a AED 500 clean does not want that comparison in a file.
The strongest move is upstream of all of it: book the move-out clean yourself, from a provider who gives you a proper invoice. You control the scope, you pay the market rate rather than the landlord's markup, and you hold the receipt that ends the argument. TaskRight is a verified, zero-commission home services platform in the UAE — every cleaning company on the platform is RightPro-verified, you compare real quotes, and you hire and pay them direct.
👉 Compare verified move-out cleaners in the UAE →
Frequently asked questions about Dubai security deposits
How much is a security deposit in Dubai?
A Dubai security deposit is commonly 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property and 10% for a furnished one. Law No. (26) of 2007 sets no percentage — Article 20 only permits the landlord to take a deposit and requires its refund, so the amount is whatever your tenancy contract states.
Can my Dubai landlord keep the whole deposit for cleaning?
A Dubai landlord cannot keep the whole deposit for cleaning unless the cleaning genuinely cost that much. Move-out cleaning in Dubai costs AED 400–2,500 depending on property size, so a deduction far above that range needs an invoice behind it. Ask for the supplier invoice in writing before you accept any cleaning deduction.
Does Dubai law require a professional deep clean at the end of a tenancy?
No Dubai law requires a professional deep clean at the end of a tenancy. The word "clean" does not appear anywhere in Law No. (26) of 2007. A cleaning obligation in Dubai comes from the tenancy contract alone, so read the clause — if your contract is silent on cleaning, no cleaning standard was ever agreed.
Can a Dubai landlord charge me for repainting?
A Dubai landlord can charge for repainting where you damaged or altered the walls, but not for paint that simply aged over the lease. Article 21 exempts "ordinary wear and tear", and Article 17 makes the landlord responsible for wear and tear not attributable to the tenant's fault. Unapproved colour changes are a different matter and are chargeable.
How long does a Dubai landlord have to return the deposit?
Law No. (26) of 2007 sets no deadline for returning a Dubai security deposit. Article 20 requires refund "upon the expiry of the Lease Contract" without stating a number of days, so a tenant facing an open-ended delay should make a written demand and, failing that, refer the matter to the Rental Disputes Centre under Article 21.
Who pays for AC servicing in a Dubai rental?
In a Dubai rental the landlord pays for AC maintenance during the term unless the tenancy contract says otherwise, under Article 16 of Law No. (26) of 2007. Many Dubai contracts do say otherwise and place minor servicing on the tenant, so check the clause — an AC that failed from neglected filters is a chargeable fault either way.
Related reading:
Sources: Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, Government of Dubai, published on the Dubai Legislation Portal (dlp.dubai.gov.ae) — Articles 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 23 quoted directly from the published text. This article explains the legislation and is not legal advice. Last updated: August 2026.
