Can I Rent Out My Dubai Apartment on a Short-Term Basis?

Running a short-term rental in Dubai needs a holiday home permit, so this guide covers the steps before you list.

Quick answer: Yes, short-term and holiday-home rentals are legal in Dubai, but only through a formal permit system run by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET, often still referred to as DTCM). You cannot simply list your apartment on Airbnb without registering it first. The unit must be approved, classified, and licensed, and if you are a tenant rather than the owner, you need written permission from the landlord before you can sublet short-term at all.

• Licensing body: Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET/DTCM) oversees holiday home permits.
• Permit validity: Three to twelve months, renewable, with the registration fee the same regardless of the period chosen.
• Registration cost: Around AED 1,520 in total (AED 1,500 base fee plus small knowledge and innovation fees), separate from any classification or per-night tourism fees.
• Tourism fee per room, per night: Roughly AED 10 to AED 15 depending on the unit’s classification, charged regardless of how many guests stay.
• Whole-unit rule: The entire unit must be rented out; you cannot share it with the owner or host multiple separate guests at once.
• Tenant restriction: If you rent rather than own, your lease must allow subletting, and you need a written no-objection certificate (NOC) from the landlord.

Who Can Legally List a Short-Term Rental in Dubai

Dubai treats short-term, furnished rentals (the kind typically listed on platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com) as “holiday homes” under a specific regulatory category, separate from standard long-term tenancy contracts registered through Ejari. This means a different set of rules applies, and you cannot simply treat a short-term listing like an ordinary lease.

Both property owners and tenants can apply for a holiday home permit, but the requirements differ slightly:

• Owners need the title deed, a valid passport or Emirates ID, and a recent DEWA (utility) bill in their name.
• Tenants need all of the above from the owner’s side, plus their own lease agreement that explicitly permits subletting, and a written NOC from the landlord. Many standard Dubai tenancy contracts prohibit subletting or short-term use outright, so this is the first thing to check before assuming you can list a rented apartment.
• Companies listing units need a trade license and the authorized signatory’s ID in addition to the standard documents.

The Registration and Permit Process

The holiday home permit is handled through DET’s dedicated portal. The general flow looks like this:

• Step 1 — Create the listing on the portal. Add the unit’s details and upload required documents: title deed, ID, a property management letter if you use a manager, and a recent DEWA bill with the account number (not the premises number).
• Step 2 — Wait for review. Applications are typically reviewed within about one business day.
• Step 3 — Complete self-classification. Once approved, you classify the unit (for example, as Standard or Deluxe), which affects the nightly tourism fee.
• Step 4 — Pay the permit and classification fees. Once paid, the unit is marked approved.
• Step 5 — List and operate. Only after approval can you create a listing on a booking platform, including house rules, pricing, and amenities.

What It Actually Costs

Fee	Approximate Amount
Holiday home registration (fixed)	AED 1,500
Knowledge fee	AED 10
Innovation fee	AED 10
Tourism fee (Standard classification)	AED 10 per room, per night
Tourism fee (Deluxe classification)	AED 15 per room, per night

On top of these regulatory fees, owners should also budget for furnishing, cleaning between guests, a property management service if they are not local, and ordinary running costs like internet, DEWA, and building service charges.

Operating Rules You Need to Follow

Once licensed, a holiday home has to meet a long list of operational standards, including:

• Working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and verified electrical and structural safety.
• A fully furnished unit with DEWA and internet already connected before guests arrive.
• Specific furnishing and amenity standards, covering dozens of items such as safes, kettles, a defined mattress height, and a set number of towels per guest.
• Staying within the maximum occupancy stated on the permit.
• Providing a 24/7 emergency and guest-service contact.
• Charging guests only what was agreed in their booking, and keeping guest information confidential except where law enforcement requires it.
• Explaining building rules to guests and warning against disruptive behaviour, since the building and its other residents are not party to your rental agreement with the guest.

Building and Developer Restrictions

A permit from DET only addresses the regulatory side. It does not override whatever your building’s owners’ association, management rules, or developer may separately restrict. Many residential towers in Dubai limit or prohibit short-term holiday-home use entirely, especially in predominantly residential buildings where other owners live full-time. Before buying specifically for short-term rental income, or before applying for a permit on a unit you already own, check:

• The building’s internal rules or owners’ association bylaws on short-term and holiday-home use.
• Whether the property is in a free zone or master development with its own specific short-term rental policy.
• Whether the service charges for the building already account for higher guest turnover, since some buildings charge more for units used as holiday homes.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rental: Which Makes Sense for You

Short-term rental in Dubai can generate materially higher gross income per night than a standard annual lease, particularly in tourist-heavy areas and during peak season. But it also comes with real trade-offs: occupancy is not guaranteed year-round, management and cleaning costs eat into the margin, and the regulatory and operational burden is higher than simply signing a one-year Ejari lease with a long-term tenant. For investors who are not based in Dubai and cannot manage bookings and turnovers themselves, a professional holiday-home management company is usually a practical necessity, and their fee needs to be factored into your return calculations before you commit to this model over a standard lease.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

• Short-term rentals in Dubai are legal, but only through a formal DET (DTCM) holiday home permit, not an unregistered listing.
• Registration costs around AED 1,520 in fixed fees, plus a per-room, per-night tourism fee of roughly AED 10 to AED 15.
• Tenants need explicit landlord permission and a lease that allows subletting before they can apply.
• Building and owners’ association rules can restrict holiday-home use even where the city-level permit would otherwise be approved.
• Factor in management and cleaning costs when comparing short-term income potential against a standard long-term lease.

Rental strategy is just one part of deciding whether, and how, Dubai real estate fits into a broader portfolio alongside other asset classes. Anna Vasyutina Investments offers investment consulting and education across US stocks, cryptocurrency, and Dubai/UAE real estate for investors weighing these options together.

This article is for general information only and is not personalized financial or legal advice. Licensing fees, building rules, and regulations for short-term rentals in Dubai can change. Confirm current requirements with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) or a licensed property management professional before listing a property.