Upfront Costs of Renting in Dubai: Every Fee in 2026

Most newcomers are surprised less by the rent itself than by how much of it is due at once. In Dubai the annual rent is paid in advance through post-dated cheques, and several fees and deposits land in the same week you sign.

Here is the full list, in roughly the order you pay them:

Dubai's tenancy law allows a landlord to take a security deposit when the lease is signed and requires it to be refunded, or the remainder refunded, when the tenancy ends. The law does not set a percentage.

In practice, the market convention is about 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished home and around 10% for a furnished one, because there is more inside that could be damaged. Some landlords ask for it as a separate cheque.

You get it back at the end, less any deductions for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear or unpaid bills. Our guide on how much deposit you need to rent in Dubai covers how to protect it at move-in and move-out.

If you rent through a broker, you usually pay a one-off commission. The UAE government portal states that brokers in Dubai may charge up to 5% of the annual rent, and VAT at the standard 5% rate is added to the fee.

So on AED 120,000 a year, a 5% commission is AED 6,000 and the VAT on it is AED 300. Some landlords, developers and property managers let homes directly with no tenant commission, so it is worth asking.

Before paying, confirm the broker is licensed. You can check a broker's registration and a listing's advertising permit on the Dubai Land Department's verification service or the Dubai REST app.

Ejari is the registration of your tenancy contract with the Dubai Land Department. The DLD lists the fee as AED 177.75 through its website or the Dubai REST app, and AED 220 at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. Who pays is often negotiated, so agree it in writing. See our Ejari guide for the full process.

Once Ejari is issued, you activate electricity and water with DEWA. DEWA's move-in service requires a refundable security deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa, plus a small non-refundable activation charge. The deposit comes back when you close the account. Our DEWA setup guide covers the steps.

The Dubai Municipality housing fee is often missed in budgets. It is 5% of the annual rent, and according to the UAE government portal it is added to your monthly electricity and water bills. It is not an upfront payment, but on AED 120,000 a year it adds about AED 500 a month to your DEWA bill.

Some buildings, especially in master communities served by district cooling, bill air conditioning separately through a cooling provider rather than through DEWA. These accounts can come with their own deposit or connection fee, and monthly cooling charges vary a lot between buildings.

Always ask at viewing stage whether cooling is included in the rent, billed by DEWA, or billed by a separate provider. A cheaper rent in a building with a separate chiller account is not always cheaper overall.

Finally, budget for moving: removals or shipping, furniture if the home is unfurnished, curtains and white goods if not supplied, and internet installation. These vary too much to give reliable figures, so get two or three quotes.

This is a hypothetical example for illustration only. It assumes an unfurnished apartment at AED 120,000 a year, rented through a broker charging 5%, with Ejari registered online.

One-off fees and refundable deposits come to about AED 14,478 before the DEWA activation charge and moving costs. Add the first rent cheque: on 4 cheques that is AED 30,000, giving roughly AED 44,478 due at the start. On a single cheque it is the full AED 120,000, giving roughly AED 134,478.

Of that, the security deposit and DEWA deposit (AED 8,000 together here) are refundable. After move-in, expect the 5% housing fee of about AED 500 a month on your DEWA bill. Line by line, the figures are:

The cash you need on day one depends heavily on the cheque split. Choosing 4 cheques rather than 1 can reduce the first payment dramatically, though the annual rent may be a little higher. Directly managed buildings can also remove the commission.

If you are relocating and want a clear budget before you arrive, share your budget, preferred areas and move-in date with EQT and we will send a shortlist of rental homes, and talk you through the upfront costs for each. You can start on our rental page. This article is general information; fees change, so always confirm current amounts with the official channel before paying.