For a bed space, partition or room in Dubai, the deposit is normally one month's rent, taken once at the start and held until you leave. On a typical AED 750 bed space that is AED 750; on an AED 2,850 private room, AED 2,850.
Some operators ask for a month's deposit plus the first month's rent up front, which is normal. Some ask for two months' deposit, which is not, and is worth questioning.
What a deposit is for
It covers damage beyond fair wear, unpaid rent, and anything left behind that has to be removed. It is not a fee, it is your money being held — and the whole of the argument, when there is one, is about the word "damage".
What can fairly be deducted
- Genuine damage: a broken door, a burnt worktop, a hole in a wall.
- Rent you did not pay.
- Cleaning beyond normal, if you left the room in a state.
What should not be
- Ordinary wear: faded paint, a worn mattress, a scuffed floor.
- An "administration" or "processing" fee taken from the deposit.
- Repairs to things that were already broken when you arrived.
That last one is where most disputes come from, and it is entirely preventable.
The five minutes that protect your deposit
Photograph the room the day you move in. Every wall, the bathroom, the mattress, the wardrobe, anything already damaged, with the date on the file. Send them to the operator the same day so there is a record you both hold. It takes five minutes and it ends the argument before it starts.
Do the same the day you leave. On Qozey, tenants can attach move-out photos directly through their portal, so both sides are looking at the same evidence rather than two memories.
Getting it back
- Give proper notice — usually a month. Leaving early or without notice is the most common reason a deposit shrinks.
- Ask when it will be returned and in what form. A week or two is normal.
- Ask for any deduction in writing, with what it is for.
- Keep your receipts. A written receipt naming the amount, date and room is the whole of your protection.
If a deposit is refused without reason
Ask, in writing, for an itemised explanation. Most disputes end there, because most are misunderstandings rather than bad faith. Renting from a managed operator rather than an anonymous account matters here: there is someone accountable, and a record of what was agreed.
More on the questions to ask up front: what to check before you pay a deposit.