Key Takeaways
Moving into a typical AED 80,000/year apartment in Dubai can require over AED 32,000 in upfront costs, including rent cheques, deposits, and various fees.
Many tenants underestimate the total cash needed on day one, focusing on monthly affordability instead of the large lump-sum payments required by landlords.
Be cautious of "deposit-free" offers that demand a single cheque for the full year's rent, as this can significantly increase your initial cash outlay.
Rently UAE helps you avoid large upfront payments by splitting your annual rent and security deposit into manageable monthly payments.
You've found it. The 1BHK in a decent building, not a matchbox, not a 45-minute commute from everything. The annual rent is AED 80,000 — painful, but manageable on your monthly salary. You're ready to sign.
Then reality hits.
Your landlord wants four post-dated cheques. That's AED 20,000 just for the first one. Then there's the security deposit — 5% of the annual rent, so another AED 4,000 in cash. The agency commission? AED 4,000. Ejari registration, DEWA deposit, connection fees, movers — add another AED 6,000–8,000 on top. All of it due before you get a single key.
In total, you're looking at over AED 32,000 out of pocket before you spend a single night in the apartment.
It's a common frustration for many renters. The significant upfront costs can be a major hurdle, especially as rental prices continue to rise. This financial barrier is a frequent topic of discussion among tenants navigating the Dubai property market.
So what are your real options if you want to move in without a deposit in Dubai — or at least without draining your savings in one shot? Let's break it down properly, with real numbers.
More Than Just Rent: The Full Anatomy of a Traditional Dubai Rental Bill
Most people budgeting for a Dubai move underestimate the upfront costs because they're thinking about monthly affordability, not the lump sums required on day one.
Using a standard, unfurnished apartment at AED 80,000 per year as our baseline, here's every cost you'll typically face before moving in, with figures based on guides from property portals like Bayut:
First Rent Cheque (of 4): AED 20,000 (part of the post-dated cheques for the full annual rent).
Security Deposit: AED 4,000 (typically 5% for unfurnished; up to 10% for furnished).
Agency Commission: AED 4,000 (the standard 5% of annual rent + VAT).
Ejari Registration: ~AED 220 (for mandatory tenancy contract registration, including VAT and service fees).
DEWA Deposit: AED 2,000 (refundable; AED 4,000 for villas).
DEWA Connection Fee: ~AED 130 (a one-time activation fee).
Professional Movers: AED 1,500–2,500 (for a standard 1–2 bedroom apartment).
TOTAL: ~AED 32,000–33,000 before you spend your first night in the apartment.
And this doesn't include the Dubai Housing Fee — an additional 5% of annual rent (AED 4,000/year) billed monthly through your DEWA statement. That one kicks in immediately after move-in.
The grand total isn't exaggerated — it's the standard Dubai rental welcome package. It's also why so many tenants are looking for alternatives.
How to Pay Your Rent: A Comparison of UAE Rental Solutions
To tackle the upfront cash burden, several rental payment solutions have emerged in the UAE. However, they are not all created equal. Some "deposit-free" offers simply trade one large payment for another, while Rent Now, Pay Later (RNPL) services offer a true alternative. Here’s how the main options stack up.
Based on an AED 80,000/year unfurnished apartment:
1. Rently (RNPL Model)
Annual Rent: AED 80,000
Security Deposit: AED 4,000 (Rently pays)
First Rent Payment: ~AED 7,875 (first monthly payment)¹
Other Upfront Fees²: ~AED 8,350
TOTAL INITIAL CASH OUTLAY: ~AED 16,225
Ongoing Payment: ~AED 7,875/month
2. Traditional Landlord (4 Cheques)
Annual Rent: AED 80,000
Security Deposit: AED 4,000 (you pay)
First Rent Payment: AED 20,000 (first cheque)
Other Upfront Fees²: ~AED 8,350
TOTAL INITIAL CASH OUTLAY: ~AED 32,350
Ongoing Payment: AED 20,000/quarter
3. "Deposit-Free" Landlord (1 Cheque)
Annual Rent: AED 80,000
Security Deposit: Often waived
First Rent Payment: AED 80,000 (full year upfront)
Other Upfront Fees²: ~AED 8,350
TOTAL INITIAL CASH OUTLAY: ~AED 88,350
Ongoing Payment: N/A
¹ Estimated monthly payment including a personalized service fee. Your actual rate will vary. Get a free quote here. ² Includes agency fee (AED 4,000), Ejari (AED 220), DEWA deposit and connection (AED 2,130), and movers (~AED 2,000). These are paid separately regardless of the rental payment method.
As the comparison shows, Rently's Rent Now, Pay Later (RNPL) model cuts the total initial cash outlay to roughly half of the traditional approach. This is because Rently covers both the upfront rent cheques and the security deposit on your behalf.
In contrast, the "deposit-free but one full cheque" option—often marketed as a convenience—actually demands the most cash upfront. You're handing over the entire year's rent in one go, making it the most expensive option on day one.
How Rently's Rent Now, Pay Later Model Actually Works
Rently UAE is a Dubai-based proptech and fintech company that solves the upfront payment problem by acting as the financial bridge between you and your landlord. Here's the six-step process:
Fill out the online form (2 minutes): Enter your annual rent, number of cheques your landlord requires, your move-in date, the emirate, and whether you want Rently to cover your security deposit.
Submit your documents: The sales team will request a salary certificate (or bank statements if you're self-employed), your AECB credit report, and your Emirates ID for identity verification.
Get approved in 24 hours: Eligible applicants receive a decision within one business day.
Sign digitally: Your contract is sent via DocuSign — no printing, no physical paperwork, no office visits.
Make your first monthly payment: You make your first monthly payment to Rently.
Rently pays your landlord: The full annual rent (and security deposit, if selected) is transferred directly to your landlord. You get the keys. Done.
A few details worth knowing:
Works with any property: This is Rently’s #1 advantage. Unlike platform-locked services like Keyper, which is integrated only with Property Finder, Rently is property-agnostic. It works with any residential unit in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, or Ras Al Khaimah, whether you found it on Property Finder, Bayut, Dubizzle, or through a private landlord. This gives you total freedom to choose the home you want.
Earn credit card rewards on rent: Pay your monthly payments on a credit card and earn points or miles on your single largest monthly expense.
Get pre-approved before you find a place: If you're still apartment hunting, Rently offers pre-approval so you can walk into viewings with a confirmed budget and move fast when you find the right unit.
Eligibility requirements: A valid UAE working visa and a minimum monthly income of AED 7,000.
Rently vs. Other UAE Rental Payment Options
To solve the upfront cash problem, several rental payment services have emerged in the UAE. While many offer monthly payments, their features and limitations vary significantly. Here’s how Rently compares to the main alternatives.
Rently: The All-in-One Tenancy Solution Rently is designed to be a universal solution for renters. Its key advantages, backed by a 24-hour approval process, include:
Works with ANY property: You have the freedom to choose any home from any portal (Bayut, Dubizzle, Property Finder) or agent across five emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, RAK).
Bundled Security Deposit Coverage: Rently is the only provider that bundles security deposit financing into its core RNPL service, solving the two biggest upfront costs in one simple plan.
Inclusive Eligibility: It offers clear support for freelancers and the self-employed (using bank statements) and allows you to get pre-approved before you even start your property search.
Keyper: The Ecosystem-Specific Option Keyper’s RNPL service is tied directly to the Property Finder ecosystem. This means you can only use it for properties listed on that specific portal, limiting your choice of homes. Unlike Rently, it does not offer integrated security deposit coverage.
Rentify & ezy.rent: Alternative RNPL Providers Like Rently, these services also let you pay rent monthly for any property. However, the key difference is that they do not cover the security deposit, meaning you still need thousands of dirhams in cash for that upfront payment. Rentify also offers utility payment coverage, a separate feature not offered by Rently.
Rewa: The Rewards-Focused Payment App Rewa operates on a different model. It is not a Rent Now, Pay Later service. Instead, it’s a platform for paying your landlord with a credit card to earn rewards. You are still responsible for providing the full rent payment on the due date; Rewa simply facilitates the transaction.
Rently’s combination of property freedom, bundled security deposit coverage, and flexible eligibility makes it the most comprehensive solution for renters who want to minimize upfront costs and move in with their savings intact.
No Hidden Costs: A Transparent Look at Rently's Service Fee
This is the question everyone asks — and it deserves a straight answer, not marketing fluff.
Rently charges a service fee on top of the annual rent. This fee is built into your 12 monthly payments, so the amount you pay monthly is slightly higher than dividing your rent by 12. Importantly, the landlord always receives the full contracted rent amount — the service fee is purely between you and Rently.
What's the fee? The honest answer is: it depends. The fee is personalized based on:
Your credit history (pulled via your AECB report)
Your existing monthly financial obligations
The landlord's required payment method (number of cheques)
According to third-party sources, the annualized fee typically ranges from 5% to 16% depending on the applicant's profile. A Khaleej Times article referencing the RNPL model cites fees in the 5–12.5% range for standard profiles. The calculator on Rently's website shows an AED 100,000/year apartment resulting in a monthly payment of AED 9,375 — that's AED 112,500 over 12 months, implying a ~12.5% annualized service fee for that particular scenario.
Practical translation for our AED 80,000 example: If your personalized fee lands at 12.5%, your total annual cost to Rently would be approximately AED 90,000, spread across 12 monthly payments of roughly AED 7,500. At 5%, it would be closer to AED 6,999/month.
The key point: the service fee is the cost of converting a lump-sum, cheque-based payment system into manageable monthly cash flow. For tenants who don't have AED 32,000 sitting in a savings account — or who'd simply rather keep that capital working elsewhere — it's a trade-off that makes financial sense.
Truly Move In Without a Deposit: How the Security Deposit Coverage Works
The security deposit is often the most overlooked barrier to moving in without a deposit in Dubai. Even tenants who budget carefully for agency fees and DEWA sometimes forget to factor in the AED 4,000–8,000 sitting with the landlord for the duration of the lease.
Rently's deposit coverage works like this:
Opt in with a single toggle: During the online application, select "I want Rently to pay it for me" under the security deposit section.
Rently pays it upfront: The full security deposit is transferred directly to your landlord alongside the annual rent — before you move in.
It's split into your monthly payments: The deposit cost is added to the total amount handled by Rently and divided across your 12 monthly payments.
You get the full deposit back: At the end of your tenancy, your landlord refunds the full security deposit directly to you, as they would in any standard rental. Rently is not involved in the refund.
This is a genuine differentiator. Most RNPL alternatives either don't offer deposit coverage at all, or treat it as a separate product requiring its own application. Rently bundles it seamlessly — one application, one set of monthly payments, zero lump sums due at signing beyond the other fixed costs (agency fee, Ejari, DEWA).
Move In With Your Savings Intact
The biggest hurdle in Dubai's rental market isn't just the monthly rent, but the AED 30,000+ in upfront costs needed just to get the keys. As we've seen, this includes the first rent cheque, security deposit, agency fees, and more. Some "deposit-free" options simply shift this burden, demanding the full year's rent in one go, which doesn't solve the core cash flow problem for tenants.
If you're in the middle of your apartment search, you're likely running these numbers right now and feeling the pressure. This is the perfect time to consider your payment options—before you've signed a lease and committed to the traditional cheque system. The goal is to secure the right apartment without having to drain your savings account before you've even moved in.
We designed our service to solve exactly this problem. We pay your landlord the annual rent and security deposit, and you pay us in 12 manageable monthly payments. If you have viewings coming up, you can check your monthly estimate in about two minutes to know your budget ahead of time, with no commitment.
FAQs
What costs can Rently cover when I rent a new apartment?
Rently can cover your full annual rent and your security deposit. This means you avoid paying the large first rent cheque and the deposit upfront, and instead split these costs into 12 monthly payments. Agency fees and DEWA/Ejari fees are paid separately.
How much does the Rently service fee cost?
The Rently service fee is personalized and depends on your credit profile and the landlord's cheque requirements. The annualized fee typically ranges from 5% to 16% of the rent, which is then built into your monthly payments for transparency.
Do I get my security deposit back if Rently pays for it?
Yes, you get the full security deposit back directly from your landlord at the end of your tenancy, just like a normal rental. Rently pays it on your behalf initially, but the refund process remains between you and the landlord.
Can I use Rently for any property in the UAE?
Yes, you can use Rently for any residential property in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, or Ras Al Khaimah. It works whether you find the apartment on Property Finder, Bayut, Dubizzle, or through a private landlord.
