---
title: "Tenant deposit"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/tenant-deposit
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/tenant-deposit.md
type: glossary-term
description: "A tenant deposit is a refundable sum the tenant pays the landlord at the start of a lease as security against damage and unpaid bills."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Tenant deposit

> A tenant deposit is a refundable sum the tenant pays the landlord at the start of a lease as security against damage and unpaid bills.

Also known as: Security deposit, Tenant security deposit, Rental deposit.

## What Tenant deposit means for a buyer

Dubai's tenancy law allows a landlord to take a security deposit from the tenant and requires it to be refunded, in whole or in part, when the tenancy ends. The amount is not fixed by law. Market custom is 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished home and 10% for a furnished one, and the figure is written into the tenancy contract registered in [Ejari](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ejari).

The deposit is held by the landlord, or by the managing agent on the landlord's behalf. There is no government deposit protection scheme of the kind UK landlords are used to, and no requirement to keep the money in a separate account or pay interest on it.

At the end of the lease the landlord may deduct the cost of damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning or repainting if the contract provides for it, and unpaid utility or cooling bills. The balance should be returned promptly once the keys are handed back and the tenant shows final bill clearances. Disagreements are decided by the Rental Disputes Centre.

Advice for overseas landlords:

- Have a dated, photographed inventory and condition report signed at move-in. Without one, deductions are hard to justify.
- Keep the deposit available. It is the tenant's money, and it has to be repaid when they leave, often at short notice.
- State in the contract what the tenant must do on departure, such as repainting and proof of final [DEWA](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dewa) and [chiller](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/chiller-fee) settlement.

## Related terms

- [Ejari](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ejari): Ejari is Dubai's mandatory online register of tenancy contracts, run by the Dubai Land Department; a lease is not fully enforceable until it is recorded there.
- [Long-term lease](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/long-term-lease): A long-term lease normally means a standard residential tenancy of a year, registered with the authorities; in law it can also mean a lease of 10 to 99 years.
- [Rental index](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/rental-index): The rental index is the Dubai Land Department's official benchmark of market rents, used to decide whether and by how much a landlord may raise rent at renewal.
- [DEWA](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/dewa): DEWA is Dubai's state-controlled electricity and water utility; every home needs an active DEWA account in the name of the owner or the tenant.

## In depth

- [Dubai rental yields by area and property type: gross, net and what 2026 changed](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/dubai-rental-yields)


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Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/tenant-deposit. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.