Move out cleaning · Dubai
Move out cleaning in Dubai, ready for the handover inspection.
Your landlord or the property manager will walk through the apartment with a checklist, and the deposit conversation starts there. We clean empty apartments, villas and townhouses for that moment: kitchen, bathrooms, cupboards inside, windows, floors and, if you want, the AC on the same day. One fixed price, agreed before we start.
Free and without obligation. No extra charges on the day.
European standard. German precision.
Our own AC technician
on every job, not a subcontractor
Official HYLA partner
water filtration, no dust blown back
Steam up to 180 °C
measured on the machine, no harsh chemicals
Fixed price up front
agreed on WhatsApp before we start
Move out cleaning in Dubai means returning an empty apartment or villa in the condition you received it: kitchen, bathrooms, cupboards inside, windows, floors and AC grilles. No Dubai law requires a professional clean. If you have to book one, that obligation comes from your tenancy contract, so read it before you agree to anything.
What a move out clean in Dubai includes
- Kitchen, oven, hob, extractor hood and cupboards inside
- Bathrooms, tiles, grout, limescale on taps and glass
- Wardrobes, shelves and drawers, inside and out
- Windows, frames, tracks and the balcony
- AC grilles, or full duct cleaning by our own technician
- Move in cleaning before your furniture arrives
Do you legally have to pay for professional move out cleaning in Dubai?
No law in Dubai requires it. The tenancy law asks for something narrower: that you return the property in the condition you received it, allowing for normal use. The words clean and cleaning do not appear in it at all.
Where an obligation to have the home professionally cleaned exists, it comes from your contract, normally from the additional terms or an addendum to the unified tenancy contract. Some contracts contain such a clause, many do not. So the first step before any booking, including one with us, is to read that part of your contract.
What we write here is general information, not legal advice. If you and your landlord disagree, the place for that in Dubai is the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre at the Dubai Land Department, and your contract plus your evidence from move in will matter more than anything on a website.
What does the law say about the deposit and normal wear and tear?
The landlord may hold a security deposit for maintenance and has to return it, or what remains of it, when the contract ends. The law does not fix the amount. Figures you read online are market practice, and the amount that applies to you is the one in your contract.
The law also sets the standard of care during the tenancy. Article 19 expects the tenant to look after the property the way an ordinary person would. On the other side, the landlord has to hand the property over in a good condition that allows full use, so the starting point matters as much as the end point.
Normal use is the key exception. Faded paint where furniture stood, light marks on the floor from everyday life and wear on door handles are part of living somewhere. Burnt grease in an oven, limescale on the shower glass and dust in the cupboards are not wear, they are cleaning, and they are exactly what an inspection notices.
What do landlords and property managers typically check at handover?
Every inspection is different, and there is no official checklist. In practice, inspections tend to focus on the same places, because that is where dirt and damage show first. The table lists what is usually looked at, room by room, and what helps.
| Room | What is typically checked | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Grease on cabinet fronts and splashback, cupboards inside, sink and tap | Clean cupboards inside out, descale the tap |
| Oven and hob | Burnt residue inside the oven, trays, glass door, hob surface | Oven taken apart where possible, trays and racks soaked |
| Extractor hood | Grease on the filter and the underside of the hood | Filter removed and degreased |
| Fridge and appliances | Inside of fridge and freezer, door seals, washing machine drawer | Switch off and empty in advance, leave doors open |
| Bathrooms | Limescale on glass and taps, grout, toilet, extractor fan grille | Steam on grout and silicone, descale fittings |
| Wardrobes and shelves | Dust and marks inside, rails, drawers | Wiped inside, top shelves included |
| Floors and skirting | Dirt along skirting boards and in corners | Edges cleaned by hand, not only mopped |
| Windows and balcony | Sand in sliding door tracks, glass, balcony floor and drain | Tracks vacuumed and wiped, balcony washed |
| AC | Dust on grilles, grey filter, marks around vents | Grilles and filter cleaned, ducts by our technician if needed |
| Walls and doors | Marks, nail holes, scuffs | Light marks can be cleaned, holes and paint need a handyman |
How does a move out clean work, step by step?
We work top down and from the inside out, so dust from higher surfaces never lands on a floor we have already finished. The AC is done first if it is part of the booking, because opening grilles and ducts releases dust into the room.
Our order of work in an empty home
- Walk through with you or with your photos, note anything that will not come off with cleaning.
- AC grilles, filter and, if booked, ducts and coil by our own technician.
- High surfaces: light fittings, AC vents, tops of wardrobes and doors.
- Kitchen: oven, hob, hood filter, cupboards inside and out, sink, splashback.
- Bathrooms: glass, tiles, grout with steam up to 180°C, fittings, toilet, extractor grille.
- Wardrobes, shelves, drawers, doors and handles.
- Windows, frames, sliding door tracks and the balcony.
- Floors and skirting boards last, then a final walk through with you or photos on WhatsApp.
Why should you photograph the home at move in and move out?
Because the law measures you against the condition at the start, and only evidence shows what that condition was. A tenant who documented the apartment on the first day has a much easier conversation on the last.
Practically: on the day you get the keys, take dated photos or a slow video of every room, inside cupboards and appliances, the oven, the bathrooms, the AC grilles, walls and floors. Note meter readings and existing marks, and send the file to the landlord or agent by email, so there is a timestamp both sides can see.
Do the same on the day you move out, after the clean. If there is a dispute later, two sets of photos taken the same way are clearer than any description.
When should you book, and what do you need to prepare?
Book the clean after the last furniture has gone and before the inspection, ideally the day before, so there is time to fix anything that comes up. Electricity and water need to be connected on the day. If they will be disconnected earlier, tell us, because lighting and water decide what we can do.
In summer, timing matters more. From June to October the outdoor dew point in Dubai sits above 24 °C in more than half of all hours (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2015 to 2024). An empty apartment that stands closed with the AC switched off for weeks can develop a musty smell in cupboards on external walls and in the AC. If your home will be empty for a while before the handover, a clean close to the inspection date is better than one weeks earlier.
Preparation is short: empty all cupboards and the fridge, switch the fridge off the day before, book the service lift or arrange the NOC if your building needs one, and leave the keys for every room, the balcony and the storage. Tell us about anything you want to keep in place.
What is not included in a move out clean?
Cleaning returns surfaces to their condition, it does not repair them. It is better to know where the line is before the inspection than after it.
- Painting, filling nail holes and repairing scuffs. That is a job for a handyman or painter.
- Removing furniture, rubbish or items left behind. We clean around them or after they have gone.
- Permanent damage: burns, ink, chemical stains and etched glass may not come off, and we tell you on the spot.
- AC repairs or gas refills are a separate job. If our technician finds a fault, we tell you first and agree the next step with you.
- Pest control. It needs its own approval from Dubai Municipality.
- A guarantee that you get your deposit back. That depends on your contract and your landlord, not on us.
What decides the fixed price for a move out clean?
We give one fixed price on WhatsApp before we start, and it does not change on the day. We do not publish a rate card, because the same number of bedrooms can mean very different amounts of work.
Five things move the price. First, layout: bathrooms and kitchens carry most of the work, so the number of bathrooms matters more than the floor area. Second, condition: an oven that has not been cleaned in years is a different job from one cleaned last spring. Third, appliances and fitted furniture that have to be cleaned inside. Fourth, whether the AC grilles, filter or ducts are included. Fifth, access: service lift booking, NOC, parking and whether water and electricity are connected.
A few photos of the oven, the bathrooms and the balcony tell us most of what we need to give you a reliable price.
How do you choose a move out cleaning company in Dubai?
Ask four things before you book. What exactly is included, room by room, inside cupboards and appliances? What is not included? Is there a fixed price, or an hourly rate that grows on the day? And what happens if the landlord points at something after the clean?
A good answer to the last question is concrete. Ours: send us a photo on WhatsApp and the same team comes back to fix it. Be careful with companies that promise a guaranteed deposit return. Nobody but your landlord can promise that, and the promise usually replaces a clear scope.
Add the AC before you hand back the keys
Dusty AC grilles and a grey filter are easy to spot on an inspection. Our own technician can clean grilles, filter, coil and ducts on the same visit as the move out clean, so the home is handed back in one go.
See what a full home deep clean includesFrequently asked questions
What does it cost?
You get one fixed price before we start, sent to you on WhatsApp. Every home is different, so a list price would either be wrong or too high. Whatever we find on the day, the price stays what we agreed.
Do I have to be at home?
No. Many customers hand over a key or let us in and leave. You tell us how you prefer it when we agree the appointment.
Can you clean on the day I hand over the keys?
Yes, if the home is empty and electricity and water are still connected. Many tenants prefer the day before the inspection, which leaves room to fix anything the inspection finds. Tell us your handover date on WhatsApp and we plan backwards from it.
Do you also do move in cleaning?
Yes. Before your furniture arrives is the easiest moment to clean cupboards inside, bathrooms and the kitchen, because nothing is in the way. Many customers add the AC grilles and filter at the same time.
Can my landlord deduct cleaning costs from my deposit in Dubai?
The law allows a deposit for maintenance and requires it to be refunded at the end of the contract, but it does not mention cleaning. Whether cleaning costs can be deducted depends on your contract and on whether the home was returned in the condition you received it, allowing for normal use. If you disagree, the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre decides. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is move out cleaning the same as end of tenancy cleaning?
Yes. End of tenancy cleaning is the British term, move out cleaning the more common one in Dubai. Both mean the same job: an empty home cleaned for the handover inspection, including cupboards, appliances, bathrooms, windows and floors.
Do I need move in cleaning if the apartment looks clean?
Not always. Look inside the cupboards, the oven, the fridge and the AC grilles, and check the sliding door tracks. If those are clean, a normal clean before unpacking is enough. If they are not, the moment before your furniture arrives is the easiest and fastest time to do it properly.
How long before the inspection should I book the clean?
Ideally for the day before the inspection, once the home is empty. That leaves time to fix anything that comes up. Booking weeks earlier is less useful, especially in summer, because a closed apartment collects dust and can start to smell musty in cupboards and around the AC.
Do you guarantee that I get my deposit back?
No, and no cleaning company can. The deposit decision lies with your landlord and your contract. What we stand behind is the scope we agreed with you: if something on it was missed, send us a photo on WhatsApp and the same team comes back.