Airbnb in UAE: Earn extra money in UAE

Airbnb is a website for people to list, find, and rent place to stay on daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Airbnb does not charge any fee to list your place. It charges only a small commission fee when a successful booking is made through the Airbnb. Airbnb manages the marketing, payment collection, booking, and refund process. So as a host you will only have to take care of your place and treat the guest well. Upon successful booking, payments will be credited to your UAE bank account (If you do not have bank account in UAE or do not want to use your existing bank account, contact our Airbnb Assistance Desk for personalized assistance to list on Airbnb and start earning). Airbnb has over 7 million listed properties (It was 1.5 million when we wrote the first edition of this article) listings in 100,000+ cities (It was 34000 cities in 2015) and 220+ countries (It was 190 countries in 2015). Started in 2007, Airbnb has served more than 500 million guests worldwide. It also offers protection to hosts with free insurance coverage.

Is it legal to host on Airbnb in UAE?

Yes, it is legal to list your apartment on Airbnb if your apartment is located in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah Emirates.

• Yes, it is legal to rent your house on Airbnb in Dubai
• Yes, it is legal to rent your house on Airbnb in Ras-Al-Khaimah

Tenants can do host on Airbnb in UAE

Even tenants in Dubai and RAK can host their apartment on Airbnb. Home owners or tenants need to register the property through Dubai Tourism’s Holiday Homes provision to be able to host short-term guests in Dubai. Follow the instructions below.

1. Sign up on  Airbnb website  (You can sign up using with your Email/Facebook/Twitter)

2. Make up your apartment and take fine photographs (we recommend atleast 6 good photos)

3. Create your listing on Airbnb. Set your price on the listing calendar. (for all Airbnb related support, contact us)

Steps to get Airbnb hosting permission from Dubai Tourism (DTCM)

1. Visit https://hh.dtcm.gov.ae/holidayhomes and register online
2. Upload scanned copy of your Emirates ID or Passport
3. Wait for 2 to 3 business days for the account to be processed
4. Once you get intimation, go to Dubai Tourism office to submit required documents and pay DTCM fee of AED 1590 + AED 300 per bedroom
5. After approval, you will get username and password to operate the account as an approved holiday home provider

Note: If you are a tenant, you need No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the home owner to let you host on AirBnb. Tenants are limited to one unit only. You may not be able to host multiple units.

Tips for Airbnb

Take good quality photos of the property with good lighting. Offer competitive rates, Airbnb also suggests rates for booking. Give preference to longer bookings. Be courteous to the guests.

Statistics of Airbnb listing in UAE

As on March 2020, Abu Dhabi had more than 400 listed places,  Dubai had more than 5000 listed places, and Ras Al Khaimah had more than 180 listed places.

At the time of first edition of this post in 2015, there were 35 listings in Abu Dhabi, and 693 listings in Dubai.

Airbnb Property map of Abu Dhabi as on 22nd March, 2020 (Total 400+ listings)

Airbnb Property map of Abu Dhabi as on 4th Sep, 2015 (Total 35 listings)

Help in setting up Airbnb

If you are a non-IT person and need help setting up your AirBnb account, and do listing of your properties on Airbnb, our AirBnb Assistance Desk can help you. To get started, email us the details of the property that you wish to rent out along with some photos.