Last updated: October 2026 · By Arman Liaghat, StayliaDXB
Starting an Airbnb in Dubai is mostly paperwork that takes days, followed by a setup decision that takes years to pay off. The DET permit is the easy part. What decides whether the unit makes money is which apartment you use, how much you spend getting it guest-ready, and what you do in the first 90 days before you have reviews.
This is the order we follow when we bring a new unit online, with the costs we've published from our own ledger and DET's fee schedule.
Already own the apartment? Send us the building and unit size on WhatsApp and we'll tell you whether short-term letting is even allowed there before you spend a dirham.
The short answer
To start an Airbnb in Dubai you need a title deed (or written landlord consent if you rent), building or developer approval, a DET holiday home permit, guest liability insurance, an active DEWA account and a furnished unit that passes inspection. Budget roughly AED 26,000 to 45,000 for a studio before photos and insurance. An individual can hold permits for up to eight units.
Step 1: check the building allows it
This is where most first-time hosts lose money, because they furnish first and ask later. Some towers ban short-term letting in their community rules, and DET won't help you if the developer or owners' association says no.
If you own the unit, you need the title deed and the developer's or community's approval where it applies. If you're a tenant, you need the landlord's written consent before anything else. An individual can run up to eight permitted units in their own name. Past that, DET expects you to set up as a holiday home operator with a trade licence, which we've seen quoted at AED 10,000 to 15,000 a year.
Step 2: get the DET holiday home permit
Any let shorter than six months counts as a holiday home in Dubai, so even a three-month corporate stay needs the permit. You apply through DET's Holiday Homes portal. Approval can come in one business day, or two to five working days if your unit needs an inspection.
| Item | Cost (AED) | When |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and application | about 1,520 | Once per property |
| Permit fee per bedroom | about 370 | Yearly |
| Tourism Dirham, Standard unit | 10 per occupied bedroom per night | Filed monthly |
| Tourism Dirham, Deluxe unit | 15 per occupied bedroom per night | Filed monthly |
| Fine for listing without a permit | from about 5,000 | First offence |
Fees are from DET's published schedule and change, so check the portal on the day you apply. Our full DET permit guide covers the inspection and the mistakes that get applications bounced. You'll also need guest liability insurance from a Dubai-licensed insurer before you apply; here's what that policy has to cover.
Step 3: utilities and Ejari
DEWA needs a registered Ejari on the unit, so do these together.
| Item | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Ejari, self-filed through Dubai REST | 177.75 |
| DEWA refundable deposit (apartment) | 2,000 |
| DEWA activation fees | 110 to 155 |
| Internet, 150 Mbps (our Business Bay-area studio) | 300 a month |
A previously active DEWA connection usually switches on within a working day. A new handover can take two or three. Details are in our Ejari guide, DEWA setup guide and Wi-Fi guide. Don't skimp on the internet. Guests on a work trip will mention a slow connection in the review before they mention the view.
Step 4: furnish for the review, not the brochure
The cheapest flat-pack studio packages run AED 7,500 to 8,000, and they rarely survive a DET inspection or a guest's first look. A studio furnished to a real Airbnb standard, with proper linens, a working kitchen and something worth photographing, costs AED 22,000 to 40,000. Larger two and three-bedroom units start around AED 55,000. Washer and fridge are usually extra, another AED 4,000 to 8,000.
Then pay for professional photos. Your listing photos are the only thing a guest sees before they pay, and the difference shows up in the nightly rate you can hold. Our furnishing cost breakdown and photography guide go line by line.
What it all adds up to
| Studio, guest-ready | Low (AED) | High (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Furnishing to Airbnb standard | 22,000 | 40,000 |
| DEWA deposit and activation | 2,110 | 2,155 |
| DET registration and one bedroom | 1,890 | 1,890 |
| Ejari | 178 | 178 |
| Total before photos and insurance | about 26,000 | about 45,000 |
Want this worked out for your unit, with the furnishing spec matched to your building and the nightly rate it can realistically hold? Message us on WhatsApp. No pitch, just the numbers.
Step 5: the first 90 days decide the rest
A new listing with zero reviews is invisible, and the market average doesn't apply to you yet. We list new units on the big platforms first for the first 60 to 90 days and price to win bookings until we have 10 to 15 reviews. Only then do we push rates up and lean on direct bookings, where there's no platform commission.
That matters because Airbnb's host-only fee is now about 15.5% of the booking subtotal, and Booking.com averages around 15%. Across our nine units, a little over 63% of gross booking revenue still comes through Airbnb, about 20% through Booking.com and about 16% direct. The channel mix breakdown shows how we shift that over time, and our dynamic pricing guide covers the rate side. Plan for the season too: Dubai's peak runs November to March, and summer needs a different playbook.
Step 6: the operations nobody mentions
Every guest has to be registered with their ID, every stay needs a turnover, and every so often someone breaks something. A standard turnover on one of our one-bedroom Business Bay units costs AED 700, which is why most hosts pass it to guests as a cleaning fee. Read up on guest ID registration, turnover economics and deposits and guest screening before your first check-in, not after.
Run it yourself or hire a manager?
Self-managing works for one unit if you live in Dubai and answer your phone at 2am. Managers here typically charge 15 to 20% of booking revenue. On the units we manage for other owners we charge 15% on a Dubai Marina apartment and 20% on a Business Bay studio. What the fee should cover, and the contract terms to walk away from, are in our management fee guide. If you want to see what that looks like day to day, read what professional Airbnb management in Dubai actually involves. We manage units in Dubai Marina, Business Bay and Downtown.
FAQ
Is Airbnb legal in Dubai?
Yes. Short-term letting is legal once the unit has a DET holiday home permit, the building allows it and the host has guest liability insurance. Listing without a permit carries fines starting around AED 5,000.
Can a tenant run an Airbnb in Dubai?
Only with the landlord's written consent, plus the building's approval. Without both, DET won't issue the permit.
How many Airbnb units can one person run in Dubai?
An individual can hold permits for up to eight units. Beyond that you need a holiday home operator trade licence.
How long does it take to start an Airbnb in Dubai?
Paperwork takes about one to two weeks if the building approves quickly: the DET permit in one to five working days, DEWA in one to three. Furnishing and photos usually take longer than the permits.
How much does it cost to start an Airbnb in Dubai?
For a studio, roughly AED 26,000 to 45,000 before photography and insurance, most of it furnishing. Larger units cost more, mainly because of furniture.
Thinking about putting your apartment on Airbnb? Tell us the building and the unit, and we'll check whether it's allowed, what setup it needs and what it could earn against a long lease. WhatsApp me →
