Guides / Housing & utilities / Lease & tenant rights
Moving house within Qatar: a step-by-step checklist
Everything to do when you move from one home in Qatar to another: notice and handover, deposit, Kahramaa, internet, national address, movers, gas, school transport and your health centre, in the right order.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Start planning
- 6–8 weeks before the move (check your notice period first)
- Kahramaa
- Move-in and move-out requests are free; about 3 working days each
- Must update
- National address (Metrash), school transport, health centre
- Typical mover cost
- About QAR 1,000–5,500 for a local move, by home size
Moving within Qatar is mostly paperwork that has to happen in the right order. Your new lease should be registered before Kahramaa can connect the new home, your old Kahramaa account must be closed before you can get a clean clearance certificate, and your landlord may want that certificate before returning your deposit. This guide is a checklist for tenants moving from one rented home to another, whether for a cheaper flat, a bigger villa for the family or a shorter commute to a new job. It covers each task in order and links to our detailed guides on Kahramaa, home internet, the national address and rent disputes rather than repeating them. Start about six to eight weeks before your move date if you can.
Before you start
- Your current tenancy contract, to check the notice period, end date and early exit terms
- Your move-in photos, inventory and any repair messages from the old home
- Valid QID for you (and your spouse if accounts are in their name)
- The new tenancy contract, signed, plus proof the landlord has registered it
- Kahramaa electricity number (and water number if separate) for both the old and the new home
- Your IBAN, for the Kahramaa deposit refund
- Blue address plate numbers (zone, street, building) and unit number of the new home
- Your internet account number with Ooredoo or Vodafone
- Written quotes from at least two or three moving companies
- Your children's school and transport details, and your health card numbers
Step by step
Check your lease and give notice in writing
Read your current contract for three things: the end date, how much notice you must give if you are not renewing, and what happens if you leave early. Qatar's rental law does not give tenants a general right to end a fixed-term lease early, so an early exit depends on the contract or on what you agree with the landlord. Give notice in the way the contract says (often email or a signed letter) and keep proof that the landlord or agent received it. If you need to leave early, ask in writing and offer solutions such as finding a replacement tenant. Do not stop paying rent while you negotiate.
Read guide: Rent disputes and getting your deposit back in Qatar →Secure the new home and get the lease registered
Sign the new lease only after you have viewed the home, and try to make its start date overlap your old lease by a few days so you are not homeless between keys. The landlord must register the lease with the Ministry of Municipality; since 3 September 2026 the fee is a flat QAR 250 per unit. The law does not say who pays it, so agree this in the lease. If you have lived in Dubai you may know this as Ejari; Qatar has no Ejari, but lease registration does the same job. Ask the landlord or agent for proof of registration as soon as it is done, because Kahramaa's automatic connection depends on it. Our renting guide covers checking the new contract.
Read guide: Renting a home in Qatar →Book a licensed mover early
Get two or three written quotes, ideally after the company has seen your home in person or by video, because those estimates are the most accurate. Check that the company has a commercial registration, a real office address and insurance, and ask exactly what is covered if something breaks. Basic liability is often included and full-value cover is usually extra. Book one to two weeks ahead for a local move, and earlier in summer and around school holidays, when prices and demand go up. Ask whether the price includes packing materials, dismantling and reassembling furniture and beds, and taking down and refitting AC units or curtains.
Arrange building access at both homes
Many towers and compounds only allow moves at set times and need notice in advance. Ask building management at the old and the new building about move permits, booking the service lift, where the truck can park, and whether they need a list of the movers' names or a refundable damage deposit. Some buildings ask you to clear service charges or return access cards before they let you move out. In summer, try to load early in the morning: Qatar's midday heat is hard on movers and on electronics left in a closed truck.
Read guide: Surviving Qatar's summer: heat safety and staying cool →Book the internet move
Contact your internet operator two to three weeks before the move and ask to relocate the service rather than cancel it, so your contract carries on and you avoid early termination charges. Give them the new home's Kahramaa electricity number so they can check fibre at the new address first. Ooredoo charges QAR 300 to relocate Home+, with one free relocation every 12 months. If the new building has only the other operator's fibre, ask what it will cost to end your current contract before you sign a new one.
Read guide: Home internet in Qatar: Ooredoo vs Vodafone, plans and setup →Start Kahramaa at the new home
Once the new lease is registered, Kahramaa's Smart Registration can open the account in your name automatically and send you a notice; the QAR 2,000 refundable deposit is then added to your first bill. If nothing arrives within a few working days, apply yourself through the 'Move to New Premises' service in the Kahramaa app or on km.qa, with your QID, the electricity number, the registered contract, the owner's ID copy and your move-in date. Kahramaa's service manual gives about 3 working days. If utilities are included in the new rent, you skip this step. Our Kahramaa guide explains the whole process.
Read guide: Kahramaa: connecting electricity and water and paying bills →Inspect the new home before you unload
Before the boxes come in, walk through the empty home and take dated photos and video of every room, the AC units, appliances and any damage, and photograph the electricity and water meters. Run every AC and tap and check for damp or pests. Send the photos and a short list of defects to the landlord or agent the same day, so nobody can blame you for them when you leave. This record is your best protection for getting the next deposit back.
Read guide: Renting a home in Qatar →Move the gas cylinder and check cooling
A Shafaf gas cylinder belongs to you, not the flat: switch the regulator off, disconnect it and carry it upright in a ventilated part of the car, never in a hot, closed boot. If the new building has central (piped) gas, ask building management how its gas is billed. Some towers use district cooling, which may be billed by the building or a cooling company separately from Kahramaa; ask at both buildings how to close the old cooling account and open the new one. If your own split AC units are moving with you, have them fitted and checked by a technician.
Read guide: Cooking gas at home: getting a Shafaf cylinder, refills and safety →Request Kahramaa final clearance at the old home
Submit a final clearance (move-out) request for the old home in the Kahramaa app, on km.qa, at the main customer service branch in Al Hilal or at a Kahramaa counter in a government service complex. You choose the disconnection date, so set it for the day you hand over the keys, not before. Kahramaa takes the final readings and issues a final bill; once it is paid you can download a final settlement (clearance) certificate. The request is free, the certificate costs QAR 20, and the deposit balance is refunded to the IBAN you provide. Remember you are opening a new account at the same time, so your new deposit may be charged before the old one comes back.
Read guide: Kahramaa: connecting electricity and water and paying bills →Hand over the old home and ask for your deposit
Clean the home, fix small damage you caused, and return every key, access card and remote. Do a joint inspection with the landlord or agent, taking photos from the same angles as your move-in photos, and get a signed handover form or at least a message confirming the date the keys were returned. Then ask in writing for your deposit, giving the amount, your bank details and a clear deadline, and attach the Kahramaa clearance certificate if the landlord asks for it. Normal wear and tear should not be deducted. If the landlord refuses or delays without reason, our rent dispute guide explains how to go to the Rental Dispute Settlement Committee.
Read guide: Rent disputes and getting your deposit back in Qatar →Update your national address
As soon as you have the new address numbers and electricity number, update your national address in the Metrash app or on the MOI portal. This matters because official notices sent to your registered address count as received by you, even if you no longer live there, and not keeping it correct can lead to a fine of up to QAR 10,000. Updating is free. Children under 18 are linked to a parent's address, so update yours first; a spouse and children aged 18 or over update their own. Many offices also accept a Kahramaa certificate or a national address certificate as proof of your new address.
Read guide: National address in Qatar: registering and updating it →Update school transport, health centre and everyone else
Tell your children's school in writing about the new address and ask whether the school bus serves it; private school buses run fixed routes, and you may need to fill in a new transport form or pay a different zone fee. Your PHCC health centre is assigned by your home address, so if you have moved to a new area, use the 'Change My Health Center' service on the PHCC Nar'aakom e-services, with a valid health card, a QID valid for at least a year and proof of address such as your lease or Kahramaa bill. Then update your address with your bank, your employer's HR, your car insurer, home insurance, delivery apps and anyone who sends you post.
Read guide: Choosing a school in Qatar: curricula, fees and admission →
What it costs
| Kahramaa move-in and move-out (final clearance) requests | Free |
| Kahramaa deposit, standard non-Qatari residential account (refundable) | QAR 2,000 (QAR 1,200 electricity + QAR 800 water) |
| Kahramaa certificate request (e.g. final settlement) | QAR 20 |
| Lease registration (since 3 Sept 2026; agree who pays) | QAR 250 per unit |
| Ooredoo Home+ relocation (one free relocation every 12 months) | QAR 300 |
| Updating your national address | Free |
| Local move, studio or 1-bedroom flat (estimate, QIC 2025) | QAR 1,000–3,000 |
| Local move, 2-bedroom flat / 3-bedroom villa (estimate, QIC 2025) | QAR 2,000–3,500 / QAR 3,500–5,500 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Giving notice by phone only, then having no proof of the date when the landlord disputes it.
- Signing the new lease without checking the landlord has registered it, which delays the Kahramaa connection.
- Setting the Kahramaa disconnection date at the old home before you have moved out, and spending the last days without power or AC.
- Leaving the old Kahramaa account open, so the next tenant's use is billed in your name and your deposit is held up.
- Skipping move-out photos and a signed handover, which makes deposit deductions hard to challenge.
- Cancelling the internet contract instead of relocating it, and paying early termination charges.
- Forgetting to update the national address, so official notices keep going to the old home.
- Booking movers at the last minute in summer, when prices are higher and good companies are fully booked.
Questions people ask
Can I leave my flat before the lease ends?
Only if your contract allows it or the landlord agrees. Qatar's rental law has no general right for tenants to break a fixed-term lease, so check for an early termination clause, often with one to three months' notice or a set penalty. If there is none, negotiate in writing; offering a replacement tenant often helps.
My landlord will not return my deposit until I show a Kahramaa clearance. Is that normal?
Yes, it is common, because unpaid utility bills are a usual reason for deductions. Submit the final clearance request in the Kahramaa app or on km.qa, pay the final bill and download the clearance certificate. If the landlord still holds the deposit without a valid reason, you can file a case with the Rental Dispute Settlement Committee.
Can I transfer my Kahramaa account and deposit to my new home?
Kahramaa does not publish a deposit transfer service. In practice you close the old account with a final clearance, which refunds the deposit balance to your IBAN, and the new account charges a new deposit, often on the first bill. Budget for paying the new deposit before the old one is refunded.
How long does Kahramaa take to connect the new home?
If the new lease is registered and the details match, Smart Registration can start within hours of registration. If you apply yourself, Kahramaa's service manual gives about 3 working days for a move-in. In an existing home the power and water are usually already on; the request changes whose name the account is in.
Do I really have to update my national address after moving?
Yes. The national address law treats notices sent to your registered address as received by you, and failing to keep your data correct can bring a fine of up to QAR 10,000. Updating in Metrash or on the MOI portal is free and takes a few minutes.
Is there an Ejari in Qatar?
No. Ejari is Dubai's tenancy registration system. In Qatar the landlord registers the lease with the Ministry of Municipality, which since 3 September 2026 costs QAR 250 per unit. Ask the landlord for proof of registration, because Kahramaa and some other services rely on it.
Do I need to change my health centre when I move?
PHCC assigns your health centre based on your residential address. If you move to a different area, request a change through 'Change My Health Center' on PHCC's Nar'aakom e-services. You need to be 18 or over, have a QID valid for at least a year, a valid health card and proof of address such as your lease or Kahramaa bill.
How much do movers charge for a move within Doha?
A QIC guide from 2025 estimated about QAR 1,000–3,000 for a studio or 1-bedroom flat, QAR 2,000–3,500 for a 2-bedroom flat and QAR 3,500–5,500 for a 3-bedroom villa. Prices rise in summer and around school holidays, and extras such as storage or AC refitting cost more. Get several written quotes.
Official sources
- The Peninsula (Sep 2026): Kahramaa explains final clearance of accounts ↗
- Kahramaa Customer Services Manual (PDF) ↗
- Qatar Living: setting up Kahramaa utilities when you move ↗
- PHCC e-services (Change My Health Center) ↗
- Ooredoo Home+ terms (relocation fee) ↗
- QIC: choosing movers and packers in Qatar ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.