DTCM Holiday Homes in Dubai: Permit Rules, Who Can Rent Short-Term, and Owner Liabilities

Direct answer. Yes, you can rent a Dubai flat or villa short-term, whether you list on Airbnb or any other platform, but only after the unit is registered with and approved by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). DET took over the duties of the old Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, which is why most people still search for "DTCM holiday homes". Letting a furnished unit to guests without a licence breaches Dubai Decree No. (41) of 2013, and DET's published fine for that is AED 5,000, doubled on a repeat within a year. The owner named on the title deed can register up to eight units personally. Beyond eight units, or to manage units you do not own, you need a company licensed for the "Vacation Homes Rental" activity. DET's Holiday Homes portal announces that all holiday home unit permit and registration fees are fully waived from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027; outside that window, DET's service page lists fixed registration charges of AED 1,520. Once approved, you must check guests in within three hours, collect the Tourism Dirham, and let the whole unit, never single rooms. Fees and procedures are set by DET and can change, so confirm the current position on the DET holiday home registration page or the Holiday Homes portal before you list.

DTCM or DET: who regulates holiday homes now

The DTCM no longer exists as a separate regulator. Dubai Law No. (20) of 2021 transferred its duties to DET (Art. 15); the text is at Dubai Law No. 20 of 2021. The old name survives in search habits and in an old web address: hh.dtcm.gov.ae still works, but it now forwards to DET's permits portal at hhpermits.det.gov.ae. Guest check-in runs on the Holiday Homes 2.0 system at hh.det.gov.ae.

The rules sit in four layers:

The Tourism Dirham has its own instrument, Executive Council Resolution No. (2) of 2014, and DET's guide sets out how holiday homes collect it (section 5.9).

Decree 41/2013 defines a holiday home as a furnished property unit used for the activity under the regulator's criteria. The "activity" covers leasing out holiday homes regularly and on an ongoing basis, and renting units to sublet them to guests, which is how a professional operator works. Holiday homes are either deluxe or standard (Art. 9). The full text is at Decree No. 41 of 2013.

DET's FAQ adds that a holiday home can be any furnished mainland or free-zone residence, from a studio up, while hotel rooms and hotel apartments are a different classification.

Who can register a holiday home

DET's service page names two kinds of applicant: individuals and professional operators. Both register the apartment or villa on the Holiday Homes system. DET's hospitality page is clear on timing: apartments and villas must be registered and approved by DET prior to listing.

• Owners. The name on your DET account must match the name on the unit's title deed. You supply the property owner's Emirates ID. A homeowner can register up to eight holiday home units only. DET's guide says an owner who wants to manage more must obtain a company licence or hand the extra units to a company licensed to operate holiday homes.
• Professional operators. A company supplies a copy of its commercial licence. The licensed activity on the trade licence must be "Vacation Homes Rental". Operators usually take units from owners and let them to guests.

Can a tenant list a rented flat?

Some older material says a tenant can apply with the landlord's consent. DET's current published guidance does not set out a tenant route. It is built around the title-deed owner or a licensed operator, and DET's guide says applications are only allowed if accompanied by title deeds for units allocated for residential use. The implementing bylaw mentions the "owner or tenant" when listing identity documents, and it asks for proof that the applicant has the right to dispose of the unit (Art. 8), but it does not describe a tenant procedure. Confirm directly with DET before you do anything.

The tenancy law, by contrast, is clear. Under Law No. (26) of 2007, Art. 24, unless the lease says otherwise, a tenant may not sublet without the landlord's written consent. Subletting without it is a ground for eviction during the lease term (Art. 25); the eviction applies to the sub-tenant, who can claim compensation from the tenant. Unless the lease says otherwise, the tenant also bears any fees or taxes prescribed for a sublease (Art. 22). See our entry on subletting and the text of Law No. 26 of 2007.

Which units qualify, and what your building can do

The implementing bylaw lists four unit types that can be used as holiday homes:

1. an apartment in a building designated for the activity;
2. an apartment in a residential building;
3. a house or villa inside a real property compound;
4. an independent villa.

DET's guide then ties eligibility to the use type on the title deed:

No permit is issued for hotel rooms, hotel apartments, or units whose sale and purchase agreement explicitly prevents holiday home use.

Other unit conditions in DET's guide:

• Smart locks. SIRA-approved smart locks connected to the Keyless system, per SIRA's rules.
• Insurance. A comprehensive policy, valid for the whole licence term.
• Inspection. DET inspects units; a violation must be fixed within two weeks of the warning.
• QR code. Placed beneath the DEWA premise plaque outside the door, so guests, residents and building management can complain to DET.
• Whole unit only. Letting separate rooms or bed spaces is a listed violation.

Can the building or owners association stop you?

The bylaw puts a duty to cooperate on the building side. Under Article 17, developers, owners of jointly owned property, and property management and leasing firms must enable licensees to carry on the activity under their licences and permits. Building management may view or copy guests' IDs only during arrival and check-in, and should send complaints to DET. In a dispute with building management, the guest must be admitted without delay and the dispute resolved later.

DET's published rules do not require a separate no-objection certificate from an owners association. What can block a permit is a sale and purchase agreement that explicitly bans holiday-home use. Occupants must also follow the building's rules: Law No. (6) of 2019, Art. 6(b), requires compliance with the master community declaration, the statute and the building management regulation (Law No. 6 of 2019).

How to register: steps and fees

The process runs online through the Holiday Homes portal:

1. Register an account on the Holiday Homes system.
2. Complete the online application for the unit.
3. Upload the documents: the property owner's Emirates ID and, for operators, the commercial licence.
4. Submit the application.
5. Pay the fees.

Fee waiver in force. DET's Holiday Homes portal announces that all holiday home unit permit and registration fees are fully waived from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027. Outside that window, DET's service page lists these fixed registration charges:

DET says your account is activated within one business day after payment. The page adds that account information such as trade licences must be updated annually, with no renewal fee for that update. DET's current page does not list a separate per-unit permit fee (the 2014 fee schedule did). Permit and licence fees are set by DET and can change, so confirm the current value on the Holiday Homes portal or with DET before you budget.

A permit is valid for one year, renewable for the same period (bylaw, Art. 10), and DET's guide says permits are not renewed automatically. Put the renewal in your diary. The licence under Decree 41/2013 also runs for one year, renewable, and the regulator may approve a longer term of up to four years on the applicant's request (Art. 7).

Running it legally: guests, contracts and the Tourism Dirham

Most fines come from the day-to-day duties.

Check-in. Guests must be checked in and out on the Holiday Homes 2.0 system within a maximum of three hours of entering the unit. The bylaw also requires licensees to send guest information to DET regularly (Art. 14(8)). Guest records must be kept for at least three years.

The guest contract. The licensee must conclude a holiday home lease contract with each guest; under DET's guide, the check-in document is that contract. It is valid for up to three months, renewable for the same period. If any other type of contract is issued, the permit is automatically void. An owner-operator contract must not exceed one year.

Advertising. Every advert must show the licensee's approved trade name and permit number.

Occupancy and conduct. The guest terms and conditions must state DET's per-unit maximum: two adults and two children under 14 per master bedroom or studio, two adults and one child under 14 per additional bedroom, and one person per domestic worker or guard room. Visitors are capped separately at one adult and one child under 14 per bedroom, no more than six in total, unless the building or community management and the licensee approve more in special circumstances. Visitors may not stay between midnight and 8am, quiet hours apply especially from 10pm to 8am, and parties are out.

The Tourism Dirham. Dubai's Tourism Dirham rules list the holiday home as a type of hotel establishment, so the fee applies:

Under DET's guide, stays longer than 30 consecutive nights are charged on the first 30 nights only. The maid's room counts as a bedroom. The fee is due even on free promotional stays, must appear on the invoice as a separate "Tourism Dirham" line, and is not collected for no-shows. DET must receive it by the 15th of the following month. Late payment costs 10% of the unpaid fee and failure to collect costs 10% of the uncollected fee, each with a minimum of AED 1,000; leaving it off the invoice is AED 1,000. The fee waiver described above covers permit and registration fees, not the Tourism Dirham.

VAT is a separate question, answered in our Q&A on charging VAT on a short-term holiday home rental.

Overstaying guests. Complain to DET's disputes office; if DET finds for the licensee, the guest receives a written eviction notice. Any party affected by a DET decision may file a written grievance within 30 days of being notified; DET decides within 30 days, and that decision is final.

Fines and closures

Decree 41/2013, Art. 11, sets fines of AED 200 to AED 20,000 per violation, doubled for a repeat within one year, up to AED 100,000. DET can also warn, suspend or cancel a licence. DET's guide lists amounts that mirror Executive Council Resolution No. (49) of 2014:

If DET moves to close a unit, it notifies the licensee and allows at least three days to address the reasons. If guests are staying, the licensee must provide an alternative holiday home.

Does the rent-increase cap apply to holiday homes?

Most likely not. No DET or RERA page states this in one line, so treat it as the natural reading of the law, not a ruling. Three points in the law drive it:

• Decree No. (43) of 2013 caps rent increases "when renewing Real Property Lease Contracts" (Decree No. 43 of 2013). A holiday stay runs on a DET guest contract of up to three months, not a renewable Ejari tenancy.
• Law No. (26) of 2007, Art. 3, excludes hotel establishments from the tenancy law.
• Dubai's Tourism Dirham rules list the holiday home as a type of hotel establishment.

A genuine annual residential lease stays under the tenancy law and the cap. For normal leases, see our guides to Dubai rent increase rules, the RERA rental index and Ejari registration. Confirm which regime applies to you with the Dubai Land Department (RERA) or a lawyer.

Common mistakes, and your next step

• Listing before approval. DET's schedule fines leasing out with no licence (AED 5,000) and leasing out without DET's prior approval (AED 2,000).
• Renting out rooms. The permit covers the whole unit.
• A tenant listing without checking. No published tenant route, and subletting without written consent is an eviction ground.
• Skipping the Tourism Dirham on "free" stays. It is still due.
• Missing the 15th. 10% of the unpaid fee, minimum AED 1,000.
• Assuming the building can simply refuse. Check your sale and purchase agreement for an explicit ban first.
• Letting the permit lapse. It does not renew itself.

Owners should start on the DET registration page and read DET's Leasing Out Holiday Homes User Guide. For a dispute with a landlord, a building or a guest who will not leave, you can compare real estate lawyers in Dubai. Ordinary landlord and tenant disputes follow their own route, set out in our guide to Dubai tenancy disputes.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Confirm current procedure with the relevant authority or a licensed UAE lawyer.