Move-In Day in Dubai: Record the Home Before Your Furniture Arrives
Photograph each room, check keys and equipment, and get the condition record acknowledged.
The best time to document a rental is before boxes cover the floor and furniture hides the walls. A clear shared record helps you request repairs now and explain the condition when you eventually leave.
Record the empty home and what you receive
Photograph rooms, appliances, meter readings and existing damage
Take wide views and close-ups, labelled with the room and date. Include existing scratches, stains, cracked tiles, appliance condition and visible meter readings where safely accessible. Keep the original files. Avoid photographing other people’s private information and ask before recording occupied spaces.
Count keys, cards, parking tags and facility access
Record the number received and what each opens. Check the allocated parking space and access to the pool, gym or other included facilities. Report missing or inactive items to the agent or management promptly. Put any replacement charge or unresolved entitlement into the written handover notes.
Share the record while the condition is clear
Send a dated inventory and ask for acknowledgement
Email or message the landlord or authorised agent with the unit, date, photo folder and concise defect list. Ask them to acknowledge receipt and confirm any repair commitments. A signed handover sheet or written reply is more useful than keeping photographs only on your own phone.
Store original files beside the tenancy documents
Keep full-resolution photographs, the sent message, replies, contract, inventory and repair requests in a protected folder labelled by property and tenancy date. Save a backup you can access after changing phones. Retain originals rather than only compressed images forwarded through messaging apps.
Check that the home works
Try cooling, water, drainage, appliances and locks safely
Operate ordinary controls one at a time. Note equipment that cannot be tested because a service is not active, and ask when it will be checked. Leave electrical panels and unfamiliar equipment to management or qualified technicians. Use the maintenance responsibility guide to identify the person who should respond.
Record uncompleted connections and billing start dates
Note electricity and water readings, account activation status and any outstanding cooling or internet visit. Keep the appointment reference and provider contact. Ask which date billing begins and how an unresolved installation affects your ability to move in; do not assume collecting keys completes every connection.
Make the record useful when you leave
Compare the same surfaces at move-out
Photograph the same locations and compare them with the acknowledged move-in record. Distinguish ordinary wear from damage under the applicable agreement and rules. Security deposits are typically 5% of annual rent unfurnished or 10% furnished; keeping evidence matters regardless of the amount. Ask for an explanation and supporting details of proposed deductions.
Keep repair requests and replies in the same folder
Add dated reports, contractor visits and landlord responses throughout the tenancy. The chronology can show that a problem existed at handover or was reported promptly. It supports a clear discussion of the final settlement without promising that photographs alone decide every disagreement.
Official requirements, provider terms and market conventions are identified separately. Confirm the terms that apply to your household before committing.