To rent your Dubai apartment or villa to short-stay guests legally, each unit needs a holiday home permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Owners can apply themselves in DET's Holiday Homes system or hand the unit to a licensed holiday home operator. The standard fee is AED 370 a year for a studio or one-bedroom plus AED 300 for each extra bedroom, although a 2026 relief package exempts holiday homes from permit fees for a period. Here is how the holiday home permit Dubai process works, step by step.
- Who issues it: DET, under Decree No. 41 of 2013 and DET's holiday home regulations.
- Who can apply: the owner (an individual or a company), or a DET-registered holiday home operator acting for the owner.
- Standard fee: AED 370 a year for a studio or one-bedroom, plus AED 300 per extra bedroom.
- Validity: one year. Renew in the last 30 days or the permit expires.
- 2026 relief: Dubai's May 2026 incentive package exempts holiday homes from permit and licence fees for a limited period.
Do you need a holiday home permit in Dubai?
Yes, if you rent a home to tourists or other short-stay guests. Dubai has regulated holiday homes since Decree No. 41 of 2013, and every unit you let this way needs its own DET permit. DET issues the permit online with a QR code, classifies holiday homes as Standard or Deluxe, and requires every guest to be checked in and out through its Holiday Homes system.
A standard residential lease is different: it is registered in Ejari under Dubai's tenancy law and doesn't need a DET permit. If you are weighing the two, compare short-term and long-term rentals in Dubai first.
Who can apply: owner, operator or tenant?
| Route | Who applies | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Owner, self-managed | The individual or company that owns the unit (title deed, or a sale contract with payment completed) | Owners who will handle bookings, guests and cleaning themselves. DET lets home owners register up to eight units. |
| Licensed operator | A company registered with DET as a holiday home operator, with a trade licence that covers holiday home rental | Owners who want the unit run for them. A property management letter links the unit to the operator, and the permit dates must match that letter. |
| Tenant | Only with the owner's written authorisation on DET's form | Rarely practical: subletting without the landlord's written approval is a ground for eviction under Dubai's tenancy law. |
Documents you need for a holiday home permit
- A copy of your passport or Emirates ID. If a company owns the unit, the ID of an owner or partner, plus the company's licence or articles of association.
- Proof that you can use the unit: a copy of the title deed. If the title deed hasn't been issued yet, the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with a payment completion certificate, or a developer letter confirming that no title deed exists yet, that nothing is outstanding on the payment plan and that the unit is residential.
- The owner's authorisation on DET's form, if you aren't the owner.
- A recent DEWA bill for the unit.
- For operators, the property management letter signed with the owner.
Holiday home permit Dubai fees: how much does it cost?
DET charges a yearly permit fee for each unit, based on the number of bedrooms. The bedroom fee doesn't change with the permit dates you choose.
| Unit | Standard yearly permit fee |
|---|---|
| Studio or one-bedroom | AED 370 |
| Two bedrooms | AED 670 |
| Three bedrooms | AED 970 |
| Each extra bedroom | + AED 300 (bedroom charge capped at AED 1,200 a year) |
The AED 370 is made up of AED 300 per bedroom, AED 50 for the holiday home classification certificate, and AED 10 each for the knowledge and innovation fees. DET's service page caps the per-bedroom charge at AED 1,200 per holiday home each year. Adding a bedroom to an existing permit costs AED 300 plus a AED 70 amendment fee, and cancelling a permit costs AED 70. The system shows your exact total before you pay.
The 2026 fee waiver On 21 May 2026, Dubai approved a second economic incentives package that includes an exemption from permit and licence fees for holiday homes. The package's measures run for three to twelve months, with each government entity announcing its own timeline, so check the fee shown in DET's Holiday Homes system when you apply or renew: it may be zero while the exemption applies.
How to get a holiday home permit in Dubai, step by step
- Check your building and your finance. Read your community or building rules on short-term letting, and speak to your bank if the home is mortgaged.
- Decide who will run the unit: you, or a DET-registered holiday home operator.
- Open DET's Holiday Homes system through the Issue a new Holiday Homes permit service and add the unit.
- Upload the documents listed above and choose the permit start and end dates.
- Pay the fee, or confirm that the 2026 exemption applies.
- Receive the permit online with its QR code, then list the unit.
- Check every guest in and out in the Holiday Homes system while the home is let.
- Renew in the last 30 days. The renew option appears 30 days before expiry. Miss that window and the permit expires and can't be renewed.
What a holiday home owner has to keep doing
- Register guests. Check every guest in and out through the Holiday Homes system.
- Account for the Tourism Dirham. Holiday homes count as hospitality establishments for Dubai's Tourism Dirham, the per-night fee on guest stays. Check the current rate, and any 2026 exemption, with DET.
- Keep up the classification. DET classifies holiday homes as Standard or Deluxe and inspects them.
- Renew every year, and amend the permit when the number of bedrooms or the owner changes.
- Budget for running costs: furnishing, cleaning, DEWA, internet, service charges, booking platform commissions and nights without guests. See the hidden costs of owning a rental property in Dubai.
- Check your tax position. Short-stay rental income can have VAT and corporate tax consequences, so take advice before you start.
Self-manage or use a holiday home operator?
Running a holiday home is closer to a hospitality business than a normal let: listings, pricing, cleaning between stays, guest messages, check-ins and permit renewals. Some owners self-manage one or two units; others hand the work to a licensed operator in return for a share of the income. Either way, compare the expected net income with a long-term lease before you switch. Our rental yield guide shows how to calculate it, and our property management team can help you weigh the options for your unit.
Before you furnish Confirm that your building allows holiday homes and that the numbers still work at a realistic occupancy rate before you spend on furniture. A unit that sits empty for weeks can earn less than a yearly tenant.
Thinking about turning your Dubai apartment into a holiday home? Talk to West Gate about whether short or long lets suit your unit, and how to manage it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to list my apartment on Airbnb in Dubai?
Yes. Renting a home to short-stay guests is a licensed activity in Dubai, and each unit needs a DET holiday home permit before you take bookings, whichever platform you list on.
How much is a holiday home permit in Dubai?
The standard fee is AED 370 a year for a studio or one-bedroom unit, plus AED 300 for each additional bedroom (AED 970 for three bedrooms). In May 2026 Dubai approved a temporary exemption from holiday home permit fees, so check the fee in DET's system when you apply.
How long is a holiday home permit valid?
One year. You can renew it in the 30 days before it expires; after that it expires and can't be renewed.
Can a tenant apply for a holiday home permit?
Only with the owner's written authorisation on DET's form. Subletting without the landlord's written approval is a ground for eviction under Article 25 of Dubai's tenancy law.
How many holiday homes can an owner register?
DET's service page allows home owners to register up to eight holiday home units.
Can I apply before I get my title deed?
Yes. DET accepts the sale and purchase agreement with a payment completion certificate, or a developer letter confirming that no title deed has been issued yet, that nothing is outstanding on the payment plan and that the unit is residential.
Do I need a trade licence as an individual owner?
No trade licence is listed for individual owners: DET asks for your passport or Emirates ID, proof of ownership and a DEWA bill. Companies and holiday home operators need a trade licence.
Sources
- DET: Issue a new Holiday Homes permit (documents, fees, owner limit)
- DET: Renew a Holiday Homes permit
- DET: Holiday Homes System user guide (PDF) (fees by bedroom, renewal window, guest check-in)
- DET: Decree No. 41 of 2013 on holiday homes
- Dubai Media Office: second economic incentives package, 21 May 2026
- Dubai Media Office: hospitality measures from 1 April 2026
- Dubai Tourism: holiday home regulations update, May 2016 (PDF) (Standard and Deluxe classification)
- Law No. 26 of 2007 on landlords and tenants, as amended, Article 25 (Rental Dispute Centre compilation, PDF)
Checked on 26 October 2026.
