Clearing Dubai Apartment from Abroad: POA Ejari DEWA

You left for a family emergency. Or a work trip that turned into three months. Meanwhile, your Dubai apartment lease is expiring. The landlord wants the keys back. DEWA needs disconnection. Ejari needs cancellation. And you’re 5,000 kilometres away with no one in your flat.

This situation shows up in expat forums constantly. The answer always involves one document most people don’t have ready: a Power of Attorney translated into Arabic.

Why you can’t do this remotely without a POA

UAE government systems don’t accept remote requests from individuals abroad for tenancy-related actions. Ejari cancellation, DEWA final billing, and security deposit recovery all require someone physically present at a counter or office.

That person needs legal authority to act on your behalf. A WhatsApp message saying “my friend will handle it” doesn’t work. RERA, DEWA, and landlord management offices require a formal Power of Attorney, and it must be in Arabic.

The POA: what it needs to say

A general POA isn’t enough. The document needs to specifically authorise your representative to:

• Cancel the Ejari tenancy registration
• Disconnect utilities (DEWA, du/Etisalat, gas)
• Collect the security deposit refund
• Sign the move-out inspection form
• Handle any disputes with the landlord on your behalf

If you draft the POA in English, which is common when you’re abroad and using a local notary. It needs MOJ-certified Arabic translation before any UAE authority accepts it.

Getting the POA attested

Where you are determines the process:

• Hague Convention country (UK, US, India, Canada, Philippines): Notarise locally, get an apostille, then have it attested by MOFA in the UAE.
• Non-Hague country (Pakistan, Bangladesh pre-2025): Notarise locally, attest at the UAE Embassy in your country, then MOFA in UAE.

Either way, the POA arrives in the UAE in English. Your representative then needs the Arabic legal translation before they can act on it.

Ejari cancellation with a POA

Your representative takes the Arabic POA, your passport copy, the Ejari certificate, and the tenancy contract to a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre (Amer). They request Ejari cancellation.

If the Ejari was registered under a company name (common for corporate housing), additional documents may be needed. These include a company authorisation letter, trade license copy, and possibly a board resolution if the POA was granted by the company.

Ejari cancellation is important even if you don’t plan to return. An uncancelled Ejari blocks future tenancy registrations and can create problems if you return to the UAE later.

DEWA disconnection

DEWA requires a move-out request. Your representative visits a DEWA office with:

• Arabic POA (original, not a copy)
• Your passport and Emirates ID copies
• DEWA account number
• Move-out clearance from the building management

DEWA calculates the final bill and refunds the security deposit. The refund goes to the bank account registered with DEWA. If that account has been closed (common when leaving the UAE), sorting the refund becomes more complicated, and may require additional Arabic correspondence with DEWA.

Don’t forget du or Etisalat. Telecom cancellations have their own process and may involve early termination fees buried in Arabic terms.

Security deposit recovery

Your rental security deposit (typically 5% of annual rent) is held by the landlord or the property management company. Recovery requires the Ejari to be cancelled, DEWA to be cleared, and a move-out inspection showing no damage beyond normal wear.

If the landlord disputes the condition or claims damages, your representative may need to file with the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC). RDC proceedings are in Arabic. Any evidence, photos, WhatsApp conversations, emails, submitted in English needs Arabic translation.

Abu Dhabi: different system, same problem

If your apartment is in Abu Dhabi, the process uses different authorities but the same principle applies:

• Tawtheeq instead of Ejari for tenancy registration
• ADDC (Abu Dhabi Distribution Company) instead of DEWA
• ADJD (Abu Dhabi Judicial Department) for POA registration instead of Dubai Courts
• Municipality for move-out clearance

The POA still needs to be in Arabic. The specific authorities named in the POA should reference Abu Dhabi entities, not Dubai ones.

Get ahead of the deadline

If you know you might be abroad when your lease expires, prepare the POA now. Having a translated, attested POA ready means your representative can act immediately when the time comes. Otherwise, they may wait weeks for documents to be processed across borders.

Send your POA or draft via WhatsApp: +971 50 862 0217. We translate it into Arabic with the correct legal terminology for RERA, DEWA, and Ejari authorities. If you haven’t drafted one yet, we can advise on what it needs to include.