Apartment painting in Dubai is most commonly requested for one of three reasons: a tenant moving out and wanting to restore the flat to its handover condition to recover the deposit; a landlord freshening a unit between tenancies; or an owner-occupier refreshing the space after several years. Each scenario has different expectations and slightly different requirements, but the core pricing structure is the same.
2026 Price Guide: Standard Apartment Painting
These prices assume a standard Dubai apartment in average condition (normal wear and minor scuffs, no major damage, painting white or off-white). They include labour, materials (Jotun Majestic or National Paint equivalent), and furniture protection.
| Apartment Type | Typical Price Range (AED) |
|---|---|
| Studio (up to 450 sqft) | 700 – 950 |
| 1-Bedroom (450–850 sqft) | 1,000 – 1,400 |
| 2-Bedroom (850–1,300 sqft) | 1,500 – 2,000 |
| 3-Bedroom (1,300–2,000 sqft) | 2,000 – 3,000 |
| 4-Bedroom (2,000 sqft+) | 2,800 – 4,000+ |
These are wall and ceiling painting prices for interior spaces. Doors, built-in wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, and external balcony surfaces are quoted separately if required.
What Affects the Price
Condition of the Walls
Normal wear — light scuffs, minor marks — is included in the standard price. Significant repairs add cost: filling large cracks or holes (AED 50–150 per crack depending on size), repairing water-damaged plaster (AED 200–500 per area), or skimming over uneven surfaces (AED 10–15 per sqm). If your apartment has significant wall damage, get a site visit for an accurate quote rather than relying on online estimates.
Colour Change
Going from white to white (or a very similar light colour) is the most straightforward and cheapest option — one coat may be sufficient for touch-ups. Going from a dark feature wall to white requires 2–3 coats and adds AED 200–400 to the job. If you're keeping feature walls and just refreshing the rest, specify this clearly when booking.
Ceiling Height
Most Dubai apartments have 2.8–3m ceilings. High-ceiling units (common in some Business Bay and Downtown developments with 3.5–4m ceilings) require scaffolding or tall work platforms, which adds AED 200–500 to the job.
Paint Quality
Standard residential Jotun or National Paint products are adequate for most applications and are what we use by default. Upgrading to Jotun Majestic (premium washable range) adds AED 100–200 to most apartment jobs and is worthwhile if you plan to stay in the property long-term — the washability means marks can be wiped rather than requiring a touch-up.
Move-Out Painting: What Your Landlord Actually Requires
This is an area of frequent misunderstanding. Under the standard RERA lease terms, tenants are not automatically required to paint the apartment when vacating — normal wear and tear is typically the landlord's responsibility. However, "normal wear" has a specific meaning: light scuffs and marks that occur with ordinary use. A hole in the wall, large stains, or heavily marked walls from children's drawings are not normal wear and can legitimately be deducted from the deposit.
In practice, many tenants choose to paint before leaving because it's cheaper than negotiating over deposit deductions and produces a clean handover. A fresh coat of white typically costs AED 700–2,000 depending on apartment size — often less than the deposit deduction dispute would cost in time and stress.
If your landlord requires painting as a lease condition, check that the lease specifies this — it should. If it does, make sure the painting is completed before the final handover inspection, not after.
How Long Does It Take?
- Studio / 1-bed: 1 day
- 2-bed: 1–2 days
- 3-bed: 2–3 days
- Full villa interior: 4–8 days depending on size
Same-day completion is often possible for studios and small 1-bedrooms if we start early. For move-out situations with a deadline, book at least 3–4 days before your handover inspection — this allows for a potential second coat or any touch-ups the inspection reveals.
Getting the Deposit Back: Practical Advice
Photograph the apartment in detail before you paint and again after. If your landlord later claims the painting wasn't done or wasn't to standard, photos taken on the day (with metadata timestamps) are your strongest evidence. Keep the invoice from your painting contractor — it documents the date, scope, and professional execution of the work.