Moving out of a Dubai apartment is really three jobs at once: giving notice and booking the move, restoring the property to handover condition, and closing the admin that releases your deposit. Do all three in the right order and your full security deposit comes back; miss one and it sits — or shrinks.
This is the complete step-by-step guide, from the notice you give months ahead to the final inspection that decides your money. Each step links to a deeper guide if you want the detail.
How much notice do you give to move out in Dubai?
Most tenancy contracts require 90 days' written notice before the end date if you are not renewing — but the binding figure is whatever your contract states, so read it first. Serve notice in writing, keep proof of delivery, and note that missing the window can trigger an automatic renewal or a penalty.
This is the one step you cannot compress: it happens months before everything else. Everything below happens in the final week or two.
What's the timeline for moving out of a Dubai apartment?
Work backwards from your handover date. A clean run looks like this:
- Weeks ahead: notice served, new home sorted, movers shortlisted.
- 1–2 weeks before handover: start the restoration and the admin together — repaint, AC service, make-good, deep clean, and begin the DEWA, Ejari and permit steps.
- A few days before: move-out permit approved, service lift booked, DEWA final reading requested.
- Handover day: movers out, property inspected, keys and access cards returned.
The tenants who lose money almost always compress that final window and hand back a property that is "almost" ready. Almost is where deductions live.
Do you need a move-out permit?
In almost every managed tower, yes. Building management or the owners association issues a move-out permit and NOC, and you book a service lift, before movers can enter. Apply early — a pending permit is one of the most common, most avoidable move-out delays. Our full guide covers what Emaar, Damac and building-management communities each require.
How do you restore the apartment to handover condition?
Return the apartment, point by point, to the state you received it in. Landlords deduct only for what falls below handover standard, so this is where most of your deposit is won or lost. The reliable order:
- Repaint walls and ceilings to the original handover shade, filling nail holes and resetting any feature walls — see move-out painting.
- Service the AC, with clean filters and coils and a receipt — see AC servicing.
- Make-good the plumbing and electrics — no leaks, resealed wet areas, patched fixture holes.
- Repair the flooring — chipped tiles, grout, and marble polishing where fitted.
- Deep clean the kitchen, bathrooms, glass and AC grilles to a brand-new standard — see deep cleaning.
Work from the free room-by-room inspection checklist so nothing is missed. If you would rather not manage five trades, this is exactly the scope a specialist restores as one project.
What happens at the final inspection?
A landlord or agent walks the property against its move-in condition and prices every unresolved fault as a deduction. Knowing exactly what they check — walls, AC, plumbing, electrics, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms and balcony, plus the admin — lets you pre-empt every line item. Bring your move-in report and photos; documented condition settles most disagreements on the spot.
How do you close Ejari and DEWA?
Cancel your Ejari and settle your DEWA final bill — a landlord can legally hold your deposit until both clear. Request the DEWA move-out and final meter reading, settle the balance, and cancel the Ejari registration; in chiller-cooled towers, clear the cooling account too. The full sequence, documents and timing are in our Ejari and DEWA guide.
How do you get your full deposit back?
Put the two halves together: a property restored to handover standard and the admin closed, both landing on your handover date. With nothing below standard and no open account, the landlord has no grounds to deduct. Our deposit-recovery guide goes deeper on the deduction list and what to do if a landlord still resists.
Should you do it yourself, or hand it over?
Both work — it comes down to time. Booking each trade yourself means five quotes, five visits to schedule around your handover, and you project-managing it all on a deadline. A specialist restores every trade as one fixed-quote project, built to pass inspection first time, and coordinates the movers, permit and admin around the same date.
If that sounds like the easier half of your move, send a few photos on WhatsApp and we will scope the whole thing in a fixed quote within 24 hours. Either way — start from the checklist, give notice on time, and treat the deposit as something to pass for, not hope for.