One bedroom apartment on 14th floor in a JVC tower in morning day of handover. It’s 68 square metres, no furniture, and it’s been left with two split units which have not been in use since spring. There’s a musty dusty aroma to the air and a little fresh silicone is in the air as well. The old tenant’s final DEWA bill is folded into four on the counter in the kitchen.

Omar Haddad, 29, a sound engineer at a studio in Dubai Media City, comes in with a roll of blue painter’s tape. He cuts out a section of the strip for each piece of wood, scratches it before taking a photo of it so that the mark appears on the photo. He never turns on or off a light switch without taking a picture of the meter.

Omar is well aware of what most people learn the first time they move into a Dubai apartment – there’s a sequence to the move-in checklist, and the paperwork establishes this sequence. They unlock each other, in succession. Here are 6 steps in order in Dubai’s systems, along with the cost of each.

Step 1. Register Ejari before anything else

Since 2010, Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) register of tenancy contracts, known as Ejari, has been mandatory. Prior to that, a lease was merely some piece of paper signed by private individuals, which no government body could vouch for. Today, everyone’s asking for the Ejari number, all the way down stream.

Jake Fletcher, Head of Leasing at Engel & Völkers Dubai, told Gulf News in January 2026 that the certificate was a must if the buyer were to have any doubts.

Tenants are unable to use key services inclusive of DEWA.

The whole list is essentially Ejari. All of these permits, including Ejari, electricity and move-in permits, are complicated.

The registration is available online via the Dubai REST app and will cost approximately AED 178. Registration AED 100, Knowledge fee AED 10, Innovation fee AED 10, Service partner fee AED 55 and VAT. A typing centre will cost you as much as AED 220. Typically, it will be the tenant’s responsibility to pay, unless stated otherwise in the contract.

Step 2. Activate DEWA move-in

Afterwards, using the Ejari number, you can apply for move-in with DEWA through the DEWA application or website. It is a refundable security deposit with a small activation fee and AED 10 in knowledge and innovation fees, AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa.

Within 15 working days of payment, the electricity and water connection should be ready, says DEWA. Work Time, NOT Calendar Time! If you submit your application on Thursday afternoon you may be unpacking by torchlight on Saturday.

Another point for district cooling building management: is the tower on district cooling. Many people use Empower or Tabreed as their provider and the chiller account is different from your DEWA account.

Step 3. Get the building’s move-in permit

The majority of the managed towers and communities will not let the movers enter without a move in permit and many require the Ejari certificate to issue a move in permit. Remember to reserve the service elevator along with it.

Here are two things people don’t know. Many communities consider Friday to be a day off. Newer buildings will require a move-in deposit that is often in the range of AED 1,000 to AED 3,000 that is refundable if the tenant fulfills the terms of the lease agreement. One of the licensed Dubai property advisors told me that’s what it is. They said it’s to cover any damage to the shared areas. Be sure to ask both questions at permit application time.

Step 4. Inspect and photograph everything

This is the blue tape step. Walk around the house prior to the boxes arriving. Do pictures of walls, floors, cupboards, oven, shower glass, all AC grilles and electric and water meters. Date the folder.

That’s because it’s legal. A signed condition report can be submitted to Dubai’s Rental Disputes Centre and pictures will be your evidence that there was a scratch before you arrived. Just be sure to inform your landlord in writing of the issues. In other words, under Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, Article 16, landlords will be held liable for the maintenance during the tenancy period, unless otherwise stated in the contract.

Step 5. Deep clean before the furniture arrives

Handover day – book the clean for when all the cupboards are clear and corners can be accessed. With the sofa and wardrobes in place, half the job is out the window. Deep cleaning can be arranged in advance with ease; post the job on Everlook and compare offers from license-checked cleaning companies before they hand over the keys.

The dust in an empty Dubai flat isn’t just normal household dust. A 2023 research published in the journal Toxics examined indoor dust settlings in 20 locations throughout the city, and concluded that the highest concentrations were of calcium, potassium, magnesium, aluminium and iron. Desert signature, you’re in for it. It goes in through the windows and doors during a strong wind and since there are no people living there, it remains there for months.

But mineral dust is abrasive, which means it requires special treatment. When wiped on a glass table with a dry cloth, it will scratch the glass. A deep clean crew will use the appropriate method to lift it, and then degrease the oven, descale the shower screen and clear the window tracks.

The cost of deep cleaning in Dubai is AED 350 to AED 650, averaging at AED 500 per job. Everlook offers typically range AED 746-912, hinting that real employment is frequently bigger than price lists predict. The time for a one bedroom is 4 – 8 hours.

Deep cleaning typically only cleans hard surfaces. Sofa, mattress, carpet and curtains can be cleaned separately, also full AC chemical wash.

Step 6. Run every AC before the first hot night

Since spring, those two units are not working. Simply turn them on, and run each one for 20 minutes, and supervise the ceiling around them and the grill. If you can smell something musty, see a drip or find a damp patch on the false ceiling, you will most likely find the drain there. Take a picture and let the landlord know if the contract states that you’re responsible for the air conditioning. Schedule a coil and drain service for the summer.

The document that you will need on move-out day is the move-in folder.

This is only a partial list. It involves a tenant who lives in an apartment in a condominium facility. The steps 1-3 are changed if one buys a property, moves to a villa or rents in a free zone community and the DEWA move-in rules are different for both owners and tenants.

FAQ

Is it possible to register DEWA prior to Ejari? The first thing No. DEWA move-in requires is an Ejari certificate, so please register the tenancy first.

How many days does it take for DEWA to connect? Within 15 working hours after the deposit and fees have been paid, DEWA states.

In an empty flat, is move-in deep cleaning something that’s worthwhile? Yes, if the unit was unoccupied for weeks. Fine mineral dust deposits everywhere and only when it is empty, every surface can be reached.

Who is responsible for cleaning up at move in? Depending on the contract. See if it states that the unit is handed over “cleaned. Otherwise, it is typically the tenant’s responsibility.

The boxes are in 6 days later. The blue tape has been removed from the walls and the photos are kept in a folder that is labelled with the date of the handover. The first picture in it is the meter.

Sources: Gulf News, “What is Ejari?” (January 2026), including Jake Fletcher’s quote; Ejari fee components as published by the Dubai Land Department and reported by BusinessDubai; DEWA Move-in service guide (deposit and 15-working-hour connection); move-in permit requirements from Apil Properties, Gulf Business and Oliva; Rental Disputes Centre evidence from NoBrokerHood’s tenant documentation guide; Toxics (2023) indoor dust study; deep cleaning scope, duration and prices from Everlook’s deep cleaning page and blog, accessed October 16, 2026. Omar Haddad and the JVC apartment are a composite, not a real person or address.

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