Running holiday homes as a company?
Owners can register up to eight units themselves. A company that runs more, or other owners' units, needs a DET licence.
- Usual route
- Mainland (DET)
- Extra approval
- DET unit permits
- Timeline
- Weeks
- AML
- Not a DNFBP activity
A holiday home company in Dubai needs a DET trade licence listing Vacation Homes Rental. Each apartment or villa then needs its own DET permit, inspection and classification before it is listed. Homeowners can register up to eight of their own units without a company, while hotel apartments cannot hold a permit at all.
- Covers
- Short-stay letting of apartments and villas, yours or other owners'
- Not covered
- Monthly or annual tenancies, property sales and hotel apartments
- Premises
- Business premises for the company; each unit inspected and classified
- Timeline
- Weeks, set by unit inspections, insurance and smart locks
What a vacation homes rental licence covers
The length of the stay and who owns the unit decide what sits under the activity.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by Residential leasing (RERA and Ejari)
- Covered by Real estate brokerage
- Covered by a hotel establishment licence
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
A monthly or annual tenancy is residential letting under RERA and Ejari, so a portfolio that mixes both needs the wording planned before filing.
Where the operator licence comes from
DET issues the operator licence. What changes is whether you need a company at all, and that depends on whose units you run and how many.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Guests booking your own units, eight or fewer | Mainland (DET) | An owner can register up to eight units with DET without a company |
| Owners handing you their units to manage | Mainland (DET) | Managing for others needs a DET licence listing Vacation Homes Rental |
| Guests across more than eight of your units | Mainland (DET) | Beyond eight, DET expects a company licence or a licensed operator |
Free zone companies can reach mainland clients through a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Holiday homes are unconfirmed on that route, and mainland income can affect QFZP status.
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Holiday home permits, unit by unit
DET issues the company licence, then a permit for each apartment or villa. The permit dates must match the management letter with the owner, and the permit does not renew on its own.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
The licence
- Licence with Vacation Homes RentalDET
Alongside the licence
- SIRA-approved smart lockSIRA standard
- Guest insurance coverYour insurer
After the licence
- Management letter per ownerYou and the owner
- Permit for each unitDET
- Inspection and classificationDET
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
We check title deeds and building rules before any letter is signed.
Owner registration or operator licence
Pick whose units you will run and how many, and the cell shows which DET route applies.
Some units end the question early: hotel apartments, and units whose sale agreement bars holiday home use, cannot get a permit.
| Your own units | Other owners' units | |
|---|---|---|
| Up to eight | Register as an owner DET registration in the title deed name, with a permit for each unit. | Operator licence needed Managing anyone else's unit needs a DET licence and a management letter per owner. |
| More than eight | Company or operator Above eight, you form a company or hand the extra units to a licensed operator. | Full operator set-up A DET licence, owner letters and unit permits, with inspection and classification for each unit. |
Answer both to highlight your square.
Owner money and the bank
Bank viewCloser look when rent is collected on owners' behalf
Guest payments arrive from booking platforms and cards, which banks read as ordinary trading income. Rent collected for owners is a different matter. The company then holds money that belongs to someone else, so banks may ask for the owner agreements, the payout cycle and how long funds sit in the account. We set out the platforms, the owners and the management letters in the account file, so the review can follow each payment.
AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.
Where holiday home portfolios trip
A unit the building will not allow
Some sale agreements bar holiday home use, and DET will not issue a permit for those units. Operators who sign a management letter before reading the deed and the agreement lose both the unit and the weeks.
The ninth unit on an owner account
An owner at eight units has outgrown the owner route. The ninth unit, and each one after it, needs a company licence or a licensed operator before it can be listed on any booking platform.
Permit dates out of step
DET ties each permit to the dates in the owner's management letter. If a letter is renewed late or changed, the permit and the live listing can fall out of line.
Questions about a holiday home licence
A question about your plan? Describe your holiday home plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppDo I need a company to run holiday homes in Dubai?
Is an Airbnb licence in Dubai the same as a holiday home permit?
Can a hotel apartment be a holiday home in Dubai?
Can I manage holiday homes for other owners in Dubai?
Is a free zone licence enough to run holiday homes in Dubai?
Related pages
IndustryReal estate brokerage licence in DubaiA real estate brokerage license in Dubai: the DET licence, RERA office registration and a broker card for every agent.
IndustryTravel agency licence in DubaiA travel agency license in Dubai: travel agent, tour operator or online agency, the DET tourism category, guarantees and approvals, decided first.
BankingCorporate banking and what UAE banks decide onCorporate bank account opening in Dubai, prepared before you apply: the file a UAE bank reads, the right bank for your profile and a strong first file.
Eight units of your own, or a portfolio the answer sets your DET route
Thirty minutes on the units you have and the owners you plan to sign. You leave with the route, the activity wording and the checks each unit needs before listing.
On the call
- The activity wording that fits your plan
- The route, and the approvals in order
- A written scope, agreed before any work starts
