How much deposit do Dubai landlords usually ask for?
Article 20 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 lets a landlord take a security deposit but does not set a percentage. In practice the Dubai market norm is 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property and 10% for a furnished one, and this calculator uses those figures. Because the law sets no cap, the amount written into your signed contract is what binds you. If a landlord asks for well above the norm, negotiate it before you sign; it is much harder to argue later.
Worked examples
- AED 60,000 unfurnished — maximum deposit AED 3,000
- AED 60,000 furnished — maximum deposit AED 6,000
- AED 120,000 unfurnished — maximum deposit AED 6,000
- AED 120,000 furnished — maximum deposit AED 12,000
Getting the deposit back
The deposit is your money, held in trust against damage — it is not an advance payment of rent and it is not the landlord's to keep by default. It must be returned at the end of the tenancy, less any deductions that are genuinely documented. A landlord may deduct for damage you caused beyond normal wear and tear, and for unpaid bills you were responsible for. They may not deduct for routine repainting, for general ageing of the property, or on the strength of a verbal claim with no receipts behind it.
Protect yourself on day one
The single most effective thing you can do is photograph the property thoroughly before you move a single box in. Every room, every wall, every appliance, every existing scratch and mark, all timestamped, and emailed to the landlord the same day so there is a dated record both sides hold. Almost every deposit dispute in Dubai comes down to whether damage was pre-existing, and the tenant who has photographs wins that argument. Ask for a joint move-out inspection as well, and get any agreed deductions in writing before you hand over the keys.
If the deposit is withheld
Write to the landlord requesting either the refund or an itemised list of deductions supported by receipts. If 30 days pass with no refund and no documented justification, you can file at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre. Bring your tenancy contract, the Ejari certificate, your move-in and move-out photographs and the written correspondence. Cases of this kind are usually straightforward when the tenant has kept records.
See also our deposit refund guide and what to check before signing.