Airbnb License Dubai: Holiday Home Permit Requirements & Costs (2026)

To list an eligible Dubai apartment or villa as a holiday home, start with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) process. An Airbnb account does not replace the property's holiday-home approval. This guide explains the permit, the costs to check and the practical preparation that owners should organise before launch.

DET's holiday-home guidance states that apartments and villas must be registered and approved before listing. Decide who will be responsible for the application and the ongoing operation before advertising availability.

“Airbnb licence” and holiday-home permit: what is the difference?

Owners often search for an “Airbnb license Dubai,” but the relevant property approval is a DET Holiday Homes permit. Keep three questions separate: who is operating the property, whether the specific unit is approved, and how the booking platform is configured. A manager's commercial arrangements and a property's permit should each be checked on their own terms.

Ask a prospective manager to explain the unit's registration route, who appears as applicant and who maintains the required records. Keep copies of the documents and a record of the permit dates. Clear responsibility at the start makes future renewals and any change of manager easier to plan.

Check property eligibility before spending on launch

DET's published requirements exclude hotel and hotel-apartment buildings and properties whose sale and purchase agreement prohibits holiday-home operation. Its renewal page also states an eight-unit limit for individual homeowners.

Check your own unit's documents and operating route with DET. A nearby apartment appearing on a booking platform does not establish the eligibility of yours. Review any building access arrangements and the practical requirements for welcoming guests before committing to photography, furnishing or a launch date.

Prepare the application documents

DET's new-permit service lists ownership evidence, owner identification, a Property Management Letter and a current DEWA bill, plus additional documents where applicable, including a developer NOC. Use the DEWA premise number, not the account number.

Prepare a single property file and check that names, unit details and authorisations are consistent. If an owner is represented by someone else, confirm the documentation required for that arrangement. Use the current official checklist for your applicant type rather than assuming a standard folder will cover every property.

What does a Dubai holiday-home permit cost?

DET lists the new-permit fee as AED 300 per bedroom, AED 50 for classification, AED 10 Knowledge Fee and AED 10 Innovation Fee, with a stated ceiling of AED 1,200 per holiday home annually. The published AED 370 total corresponds to one bedroom.

• One bedroom: AED 370 using the published formula.
• Two bedrooms: AED 670 using the same formula.
• Three bedrooms: AED 970 using the same formula.

These examples cover the listed unit-permit charges only. Confirm the payable amount in the portal, particularly for other layouts or properties near the stated ceiling. Do not treat a unit permit as the total cost of setting up a professional operating business.

Build an operating budget alongside the permit

The permit is one part of launch readiness. Your budget should separately consider furnishing and equipment, photography, utilities, internet, cleaning and linen, consumables, maintenance, booking-platform deductions and any management charges. Ask which costs are paid upfront and which are deducted from rental receipts.

Tourism Dirham is separate from the permit fee. DET's leasing guide lists AED 10 per room per night for Standard holiday homes and AED 15 for Deluxe. Agree who records and handles the applicable charges rather than confusing them with the manager's commission.

For the commercial side, see our Dubai management-fee guide and request a property-specific revenue review. Gross booking revenue should be considered alongside the complete cost base.

What happens during the application?

The official new-permit process includes unit registration, supporting information, documents, a declaration and self-classification. DET lists one business day as the service delivery time. That is a published service estimate, not a guarantee that an apartment can be prepared and launched in one day.

Build the launch plan around actual approval and property readiness. Allow time to resolve document questions, finish any repairs, test appliances and internet, organise linen and check the arrival process. DET also requires the permit to be displayed in the unit.

Renewal belongs in the management calendar

DET says permits last one year and need renewal before expiry. Renewal is assessed against current requirements. Its service page lists AED 300 per bedroom annually plus AED 10 Knowledge Fee and AED 10 Innovation Fee, up to AED 1,200 per unit.

Assign one person to monitor expiry and document changes. DET flags a new landlord or changed DEWA account as circumstances where the existing unit cannot simply be renewed. Confirm the correct route before assuming the previous approval continues.

A practical pre-launch checklist

• Confirm the unit's eligibility and the applicant's operating route.
• Gather current property documents and authorisations.
• Verify the permit amount and separate business or setup costs.
• Record who submits the application and monitors its status.
• Wait for the required approval before listing.
• Complete furnishing, maintenance and guest-readiness checks.
• Assign responsibility for guest records, Tourism Dirham and renewal.
• Keep the approval and operating documents accessible to the owner.

How StayinDubai can help

Our holiday-home setup and licensing support provides a starting point for discussing property readiness and the applicable process. Ongoing Airbnb management in Dubai brings together listings, pricing, guest operations, cleaning, property care and owner reporting.

Contact StayinDubai with the building, bedroom count, ownership situation and current rental status. A property-specific review is more useful than an assumed permit or income figure.

Official sources reviewed 7 October 2026. Confirm current DET requirements and the portal's payable amounts for your property before applying. Image: AI-generated illustration of preparing apartment documents; it does not depict a real permit or a specific managed property.