Signing your tenancy contract is only half the move. Before your first night in a new Dubai home, you need the electricity and water switched on, and that means an account with DEWA, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. The process is called Move-in, it is mostly done online, and for tenants it starts with your Ejari. Here is the order to do things in, what it costs, and the small details that stop most delays.
Start With Ejari, Then DEWA
DEWA links a tenant’s account to the registered tenancy, so complete your Ejari registration first and keep the certificate handy. Once the Ejari is issued, DEWA’s systems can pick up the tenancy details, and many tenants receive a welcome message prompting them to activate the account and pay. If that message does not arrive, you can start the Move-in request yourself on DEWA’s website or through the DEWA Smart App, using the service called Activation of Electricity and Water (Move-in). Property owners follow a similar route, using their title deed instead of an Ejari.
What You Need Before You Apply
- Ejari certificate for tenants, or the title deed for owners.
- Emirates ID of the account holder, and passport details where asked.
- DEWA premises number: the nine-digit number for the property, usually displayed on a plate near the entrance or electricity meter of the unit, or available from your landlord or building management.
- Your contact details, including a UAE mobile number and email, so DEWA can send the account number and payment requests.
- Move-in date, so the account starts when the home becomes your responsibility.
The Security Deposit and Activation Fees
The biggest upfront cost is a refundable security deposit. For a standard residential connection it is currently around:
- Apartment: AED 2,000 refundable security deposit.
- Villa: AED 4,000 refundable security deposit.
On top of the deposit you pay a one-off activation charge. For a standard small meter this is roughly AED 130 to AED 155 in total, including small registration, knowledge and innovation fees. Larger meters cost more. None of these figures is guaranteed to stay fixed, so confirm the exact amount shown in your own DEWA application before you pay; DEWA states the final charges during the Move-in process. Once payment is made, supply is typically activated within about 15 working hours, and DEWA confirms it by message and email.
What Your Monthly Bill Will Include
Your DEWA bill covers electricity and water based on meter readings, plus sewerage where applicable. Tenants also see a Dubai Municipality housing fee on the same bill, generally worked out as 5 percent of the annual rent and collected in monthly instalments, so your first bill may be higher than the meter charges alone suggest. Check one more thing before you sign your lease: cooling. Some buildings include air conditioning in the service arrangements, while others use a separate district cooling provider with its own registration, deposit and bills. Ask the landlord or building management which arrangement applies to your unit.
On Moving Day
Take dated photos of the electricity and water meter readings as soon as you get the keys. It takes a minute and protects you if there is ever a question about consumption from before you moved in. Then test the essentials: lights, water pressure, water heating and air conditioning, and report anything that does not work to your landlord straight away, while it is still clearly a handover issue.
When You Eventually Move Out
Do not just hand back the keys and forget the account. Apply for DEWA’s Move-out service, settle the final bill, and request your security deposit refund. The deposit is returned once the account is closed with nothing outstanding, and closing the account also stops bills building up in your name for the next tenant’s usage. Keep your final bill and refund confirmation with your tenancy papers.
Done in the right order (Ejari, Move-in application, deposit, activation), setting up DEWA is a same-day admin task rather than a moving-day problem.