# Dubai security deposit: refund and the refusal path > A Dubai security deposit is a private refundable sum, not a fee the landlord keeps because the year ended. This note covers a full refund when there is no damage, fair deductions, the refusal path through the Rental Dispute Centre, and why a DEWA deposit is separate. 29 September 2026 Expat Pocket Editorial A Dubai security deposit is the refundable sum you pay the landlord before you move in. It is usually a bank transfer or a post-dated cheque, beside the cheques that cover the rent. No government office fixes the amount or collects it. The figure is a private term in the tenancy contract you register with the Dubai Land Department. The landlord holds it against unpaid rent or damage. At the end of the lease it comes back, minus deductions that match that purpose. This note covers the refund, and what to do if the landlord refuses. It is not a ruling in your case. In Dubai that ruling comes from the Rental Dispute Centre. A renewal argument belongs with the [RERA rent index increase rules](/blog/rera-rent-index-increase-rules.md). ## What a Dubai security deposit is held for The [UAE page on leasing a property](/information-and-services/moving-to-the-uae/leasing-a-property-in-the-uae.md) calls the deposit a private arrangement. You pay before you move in. The landlord returns it at move-out, minus agreed deductions. The contract is registered with the Dubai Land Department. [Ejari for a new renter](/blog/ejari-basics-for-new-renters-uae.md) is that record, and it does not hold the cash. If you are asked to pay before a contract exists, or to a person who does not match the lease, read the [housing scam notes](/blog/scam-patterns-housing-uae-expat.md) before you send anything. Keep the cheque copy or the transfer receipt with the keys. A chat screenshot will not carry the same weight later. ## When the full refund is the starting point [Dubai Land Department guidance](/frequently-asked-questions.md) is direct on condition. Vacate as you received the property, with no damage beyond normal wear and tear, and the landlord has no legal basis to withhold any part of the deposit. A tenant who leaves in good condition has the right to recover the full value, and the landlord must return it in full. In practice, you are the person who has to show that condition. Photos from move-in, and a signed check-in report if one was made, are the record. The same corners at check-out, in daylight, are the comparison. These sources state no fixed number of days for the landlord's transfer. If the contract names a timing, quote that clause. If it names none, ask in writing and keep the reply. Do not treat a utility window as tenancy law. ## Deductions, damage, and unpaid rent Agreed deductions still need a real reason. A deduction is legitimate when it is tied to documented damage you caused. It is not legitimate simply because the lease ended. A routine repaint, or a standard clean between tenants, is not that damage. Unpaid rent is the other reason the deposit is held. If a last cheque did not clear, ask for that figure in writing, and ask which item sits behind any damage claim. A round number with no invoice is the claim you can contest. ## If the landlord will not return it Write to the landlord or their agent when the lease ends. Name the amount you paid, and ask for the refund or a deduction list tied to documented damage. Many disputes are resolved before a formal case. The message is not, by itself, a binding order. [Dubai REST](/eservices/dubai-rest.md) is also where lease registration, renewal, and cancellation are handled. The Centre's decision is the binding one. The path is specific to Dubai. ## The DEWA deposit is a separate refund DEWA's security deposit is not the landlord's sum. A new connection is AED 2,000 for a flat and AED 4,000 for a villa, with non-residential deposits calculated from expected consumption. Activation is a separate charge on the [DEWA move-in page](/consumer/supply-management/activation-of-electricity-water-move-in.md) and in the [utilities note for a new apartment](/blog/dewa-and-utilities-new-apartment-dubai.md). That AED 4,000 villa figure is not the same thing as the fast-refund ceiling. [DEWA's refund page](/consumer/billing/request-for-refund.md) times the payment by amount and method: - Up to AED 4,000 by IBAN, with no outstanding balance on any related account: about 8 minutes. - More than AED 4,000, or an outstanding balance on a related account: 3 working days by IBAN. - Transfer to another active DEWA account under the same business partner: 3 working days. - Refund by cheque: 6 working days. The final bill is emailed or texted within 24 working hours of the disconnection date and time you selected. The clearance certificate is issued automatically once that bill is settled. None of these windows is a deadline for your landlord. The refund still comes from the landlord, from DEWA, or from the Rental Dispute Centre.