Dubai: If you are looking to quickly move in to an apartment or villa in Dubai, you may be wondering what the basic essential utility connections are, that are needed to make the unit habitable. If you are pressed for time, you can get the most important processes and utility connections in place within 24 hours. Here’s how.
Rental contract and Ejari
Once you have selected an apartment or villa in Dubai, you will need to get your tenancy contract registered online – referred to as the Ejari – from the land department in Dubai.
This will normally be applied for by your landlord or property management company and provided to you after you have handed over the first cheque or initial payment to the landlord, based on the terms of your tenancy agreement.
The process is fairly quick, and the Ejari is issued within one to two days.
Once you get your Ejari contract, you will need to note the Ejari number as well as the Dewa premise number, which will be mentioned on your contract. These are required for the next important step – which is to apply for your electricity and water connection.
Apply for your Dewa connection
Since 2016, Ejari has been linked to all Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) services and as soon as you get your Ejari contract, you will receive a link to register for a Dewa connection. You can complete the set up online, either through the Dewa website or the Dewa smartphone app, without the need to visit any customer happiness centre.
How to apply for a new connection
1. Visit the website – www.dewa.gov.ae – or download the Dewa smartphone app ‘Dewa’, which is available for Apple and Android devices.
2. Click on ‘New in Dubai’ and apply for a new connection. You will be asked for your Ejari number and your Dewa premise number, which is mentioned on your Ejari contract.
3. Make the payment.
Once you have made the payment, the service will be activated within 15 hours, according to Dewa.
What are the set up charges?
Activation Charges
Dh100 for connecting electricity and water (small meters).
Dh300 for connecting Electricity and water meters (large meters).
Dh10 for registration.
Dh10 for knowledge fee.
Dh10 for innovation fee.
*VAT will be charged as applicable
Security Deposit
Dh2,000 for an apartment (Residential Premises).
Dh4,000 for a Villa (Residential Premises).
If you make the cancellation request online, you can receive the deposit refund either through your bank account or through a Western Union branch, if you want to receive the refund in cash.If you apply for the disconnection at any of the customer happiness centres, you can come back to the happiness centre once the cancellation has been processed to get the refund in cash.
Once your water and electricity connection are set up, you can start moving in to your new apartment.
While you would still need to apply for your telephone and internet connection, as well as chiller service in some communities, you can begin the process of setting up your new home.
A telephone and internet connection can take anywhere between a couple of days to a week, depending on your service provider. However, if you are in an urgent need to access the internet, you can apply for a data package on your mobile temporarily.
