Holiday home permit (DET)

Letting a Dubai home by the night or week is regulated as tourism accommodation. The regulator is the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), still widely referred to by its former name, DTCM. Each unit offered for short-term rental must have its own holiday home permit, and the permit number is displayed on the listing.

There are two routes. An owner can apply for a permit in their own name, or appoint a licensed holiday home operator, which holds a trade licence for the activity and registers each unit it manages. Most overseas owners take the second route. In either case the application needs proof of ownership, the unit must meet DET's furnishing and safety standards, and it is classified as standard or deluxe.

Once a unit is operating, ongoing obligations apply:

• every guest's identity details are registered with DET for each stay
• a tourism fee per occupied night is collected from guests and passed to DET
• the permit is renewed periodically, and fees are payable per unit

Fees and conditions are revised from time to time, so confirm current figures with DET or your operator.

A permit does not override private rules. A building's regulations or a developer's terms may restrict holiday lets, and a unit under a holiday home permit cannot simultaneously have an Ejari tenancy registered against it. Settle both points before buying for this purpose.

The permit is Dubai-specific. Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah license holiday homes through their own tourism authorities.