No. Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) sets property eligibility and classification requirements. Its guide excludes hotel rooms, hotel apartments and properties whose sale and purchase agreements expressly prohibit holiday-home use.

Dubai’s holiday-home rules require the property to be rented as a whole unit, rather than as separate rooms or bed spaces.

These are regulatory classification categories. The home’s furnishings, equipment and technical specifications must meet the criteria for its category; the description of the property should reflect that classification accurately.

Look beyond size. Check the home’s regulatory eligibility and classification requirements, then consider its condition, layout, furnishings and guest experience.

Individual platforms apply their own selection standards. Airbnb Luxe requires continuing design, amenity and quality standards. Plum Guide describes vetting homes and hosts for design, location, cleanliness, maintenance and accurate photography. LUXHABITAT describes a design-led vetting process for properties and agents. These platform standards are separate from DET eligibility and classification.

Yes. DET requires a permit for each holiday home. The application is made through the Holiday Homes System after the relevant account has been registered and activated.

DET’s system manual lists supporting company documents, including license documents or the company’s articles of association, alongside the applicable owner and property documents.

An authorized signatory can sign the owner authorization when proof of that authority is supplied. The complete application requirements should be checked for the particular company and property before submission.

The system manual describes a sequence of entering the unit details, checking the owner information, submitting the required documents and sending the application for DET review. After approval, the unit classification is completed.

Assess the home’s condition, furnishings, equipment and safety provisions against the requirements for its DET classification. Preparation should cover practical readiness as well as how the property is presented.

The property must have the required permit before it operates as a holiday home. Agree the preparation work and responsibilities with the operator, and plan the launch around the home’s readiness and approvals.

If a platform is involved, include its document and quality checks in the launch plan. Property Finder describes listing-document verification; Airbnb Luxe describes a home walkthrough before inclusion.

Review how the furnishings, layout and equipment support the home’s guest experience and required classification. Agree the proposed work, responsibilities and instructions before commissioning changes.

A strong design direction should work alongside practical needs such as comfort, functionality and ease of care.

Yes. The property must meet the furnishing, equipment and safety criteria for its DET classification. The guide covers living spaces, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and technical equipment, so readiness extends beyond appearance.

For luxury presentation, check the details guests use every day: kitchen equipment, seating, climate control, Wi-Fi and showers.

The listing should describe the home and its classification accurately. Official rules also require the licensee’s approved trade name and permit number in advertising. Features, amenities and access information should reflect what guests will actually receive.

Property Finder describes a separate platform verification process that checks documentation for listing authenticity, availability and details. Platform verification does not replace the applicable government approvals.

Readiness depends on the condition and suitability of the furnishings and equipment, and on meeting the requirements for the property’s classification. Review the existing interiors before deciding which changes are needed.

Listing information and imagery should represent the actual home accurately. Design and presentation should help guests understand the spaces, amenities and experience they are booking.

The home must be clean and ready for guests, with the furnishings, equipment and safety provisions required for its DET classification. Guests must receive the house rules and have access to contact details for complaints and emergencies.

Check practical guest comfort too, including working amenities, Wi-Fi and showers.

Dubai’s holiday-home rules require the licensee to provide regular maintenance. Agree who arranges routine repairs, responds to urgent issues and authorizes work, and record the responsibilities in the management agreement.

DET’s guide requires comprehensive insurance from an insurer licensed to operate in Dubai, covering damage sustained by guests and remaining valid throughout the license term. The actual policy should be reviewed to understand its scope and exclusions.

Clarify the housekeeping plan, condition checks, maintenance records and process for reporting damage before appointing an operator. Agree how incidents are documented and handled under the applicable guest terms and management agreement.

The home must remain clean, ready for guests and equipped to meet its DET classification requirements.

Personal use must be agreed with the holiday-home operator and set out in the management agreement. DET requires the agreement to specify the limits of owner use, so agree your personal-stay arrangements before signing.

In the owner agreement. DET’s guide calls for clear contract dates, terms each party must observe, termination provisions, owner-use arrangements and an agreement on handing over the property and returning it to the owner.

DET’s guide states that a holiday-home company has no right to use the property before the contract starts or after it expires. The agreement should also define how the property is handed back.

Before appointing an operator, agree how booking and calendar decisions are made, how personal stays are arranged and which property-care actions require your approval. Set out how you will receive updates and raise questions.

The management agreement is the place to record the parties’ responsibilities and owner-use arrangements. Reporting frequency and content should also be clear in the service arrangement.

Review the contracting parties, contract dates, responsibilities, personal-use arrangements, termination terms and the agreed handover condition. These are matters the DET guide expects the owner agreement to address.

The person signing must be authorized to do so. For corporate ownership, DET’s system manual allows an authorized signatory to sign the owner authorization when proof of that authority is supplied.

Yes. The official guidance requires clear guest terms and a holiday-home check-in document. The terms cover the property, stay dates, arrival and departure arrangements, available services and the rules guests and visitors must observe.

The current DET guide describes inspections against the holiday-home criteria, including follow-up and unannounced visits. The home should meet its classification requirements before the permit application is made.

Platforms can also arrange their own quality checks. Airbnb Luxe describes initial and recurring home walkthroughs, which serve a separate purpose from DET inspections.

No. The renewal must be requested before expiry. The current system manual says the renewal option appears during the 30 days before expiry and that an expired permit cannot be renewed.

DET’s guide requires guests and visitors to respect the property, neighbors and shared facilities, avoid disruptive noise and parties, and follow parking and waste-disposal rules. These requirements should be explained clearly to guests.

The owner agreement should define how the property is handed over and returned, including the condition agreed by both parties. Establishing these terms provides a clear basis for the handover.

Review your existing management agreement. DET’s guide expects owner agreements to include terms for termination by either party and arrangements for returning the property.

The property permit is a separate approval from the management agreement. Before a change of operator, confirm the current permit status and the applicable DET procedure.