Starting An Airbnb In Dubai

[Chris25296]

I want to ask a question about the Dubai Short-Term Rental Market. I have done some research and saw where they said you need to register each unit with DET( Department of Economy & Tourism. My question here is do I also have to register a company when starting out with one apartment, or is it when I reach the taxable AED375,000 and cross the minimum number of apartment thresholds?

 Because I want to test the market by renting an apartment long term and see how it goes, but I need to understand a few schematics, will appreciate your replies.

[Emiel1]

@Chris25296 

I can not answer your questions, but maybe you will find some answers in this article :

Responsible hosting in Dubai:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1522

[Paula]

Hello @Chris25296,  thanks for bringing your question to the community.

Have you had a chance to review the article shared by Emiel? Did it help answer your question?

I’m reaching out to two hosts in Dubai to see if they can shed some light on this: @Ahmed570 and @Shady2

Regards,

[Chris25296]

Hello @Paula,

Yes, and I am doing my own research too.

[Shady2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Chris,

Great question! Here’s what I can share based on my experience:

1.⁠ ⁠Registering with DET: Yes, each unit you want to list on Airbnb in Dubai must be registered with the Department of Economy & Tourism (DET). This applies whether you have one unit or more.

2.⁠ ⁠Company Registration: You are allowed to list up to 8 owned properties without needing to register a company. However, if you're listing unowned properties or planning to manage multiple units for other people, you must register a company and obtain a Holiday Home License from DET. This ensures you are compliant with both DET regulations and Airbnb’s listing conditions.

3.⁠ ⁠Testing the Market: Renting an apartment long-term before listing it short-term can be a good strategy to gauge the demand, but remember, if you’re considering listing it as a short-term rental, you will need to comply with DET’s registration and other requirements.

Hope this clears things up! Feel free to reach out if you need more help or have further questions.

Best of luck with your venture!

Shady *

*[Sensitive information removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Chris25296]

Hello Shady,

Thanks for your reply

You said the limit on owned properties before registration is 8. What about the limit on unowned properties(long-term rental properties) ?

How many do I have to rent long-term or manage to consider it an overlimit for me to register a company

If you do not understand, I can rephrase it.

Looking forward to your reply

[Shady2]

Hi Chris ☺️,

Great question! Here’s what I can share based on my experience:

1.⁠ ⁠Registering with DET: Yes, each unit you want to list on Airbnb in Dubai must be registered with the Department of Economy & Tourism (DET). This applies whether you have one unit or more.

2.⁠ ⁠Company Registration: You are allowed to list up to 8 owned properties without needing to register a company. However, if you're listing unowned properties or planning to manage multiple units for other people, you must register a company and obtain a Holiday Home License from DET. This ensures you are compliant with both DET regulations and Airbnb’s listing conditions.

3.⁠ ⁠Testing the Market: Renting an apartment long-term before listing it short-term can be a good strategy to gauge the demand, but remember, if you’re considering listing it as a short-term rental, you will need to comply with DET’s registration and other requirements.

Hope this clears things up! Feel free to reach out if you need more help or have further questions.

Best of luck with your venture!

Shady Ibrahim 

[Shady2]

Hi Chris ☺️,

Great question! Here’s what I can share based on my experience:

1.⁠ ⁠Registering with DET: Yes, each unit you want to list on Airbnb in Dubai must be registered with the Department of Economy & Tourism (DET). This applies whether you have one unit or more. 2. Company Registration: You are allowed to list up to 8 owned properties without registering a company. However, if you're listing unowned properties or planning to manage multiple units for other people, you must register a company and obtain a Holiday Home License from DET. This ensures you are compliant with both DET regulations and Airbnb’s listing conditions. 3.⁠ ⁠Testing the Market: Renting an apartment long-term before listing it short-term can be a good strategy to gauge the demand, but remember, if you’re considering listing it as a short-term rental, you will need to comply with DET’s registration and other requirements.

Hope this clears things up! Feel free to reach out if you need more help or have further questions.

Best of luck with your venture!

Shady Ibrahim