The five bills every tenant pays
| Bill | Who collects | 2026 typical range |
|---|---|---|
| DEWA (electricity + water) | DEWA (government) | AED 350–1,100 / month |
| District cooling (chiller) | Empower / Tabreed / Emicool | AED 400–1,400 / month |
| Housing fee | Dubai Municipality via DEWA | 5% of annual rent / 12 |
| Ejari registration | Dubai Land Department | AED 220 one-off |
| Home internet | du / Etisalat | AED 300–500 / month |
Chiller fees, properly explained
District cooling replaces individual ACs with a central plant that pipes chilled water to every apartment. It is cheaper and greener at city scale — and legendarily confusing at household scale. There are two line items: a capacity charge (fixed, based on apartment size) and a consumption charge (variable, based on your thermostat and how often you are home).
The landlord can pay the capacity charge, the tenant can, or it can be split. The tenancy contract addendum must state which — if it does not, you will almost always end up paying both.
The housing fee trick
Dubai Municipality charges a housing fee equal to 5% of your annual rent, collected through your monthly DEWA bill. Many tenants do not notice it until month two, then query it, then discover it is legal. It is automatic — do not try to avoid it; RERA knows your rent from the Ejari.
Frequently asked
— answers for the hurry- What is a chiller fee in Dubai?
- A chiller fee is the monthly bill from Empower, Tabreed, or Emicool for district-cooling your apartment. It replaces traditional AC. Expect AED 400–1,400 per month for a 1-bed in summer.
- Is the housing fee mandatory in Dubai?
- Yes. Dubai Municipality adds a 5% housing fee (calculated annually, billed monthly) to your DEWA account. It applies to every residential tenancy registered on Ejari.
- Can I avoid the chiller fee by turning the AC off?
- No. The capacity charge is fixed and is billed whether you use the cooling or not. You can reduce the consumption charge by setting the thermostat to 24–25°C and using the auto/economy mode.