A short-term rental is the letting of a property for short stays nightly or weekly rather than on a standard annual tenancy. In Dubai, short-term or holiday-home letting is regulated and requires a permit, distinguishing it from a normal residential lease.
Where you’ll see it
You’ll see short-term rentals in the holiday-home market, where owners let furnished units to visitors. In Dubai this activity is licensed through the tourism authority, and operators must register their units rather than simply listing them.
Why it matters
Short-term letting is treated differently from long-term tenancy: it needs the right permit, follows tourism rules, and is not covered by the standard Ejari tenancy framework. Letting short-term without the proper licence can lead to penalties.
What it is not
A short-term rental is not a standard annual tenancy registered on Ejari, and the tenant protections of long-term rental law do not apply in the same way. It is also not unregulated a holiday home licence is required.
Example
An owner wanting to let their apartment to tourists by the night registers it as a holiday home under the tourism authority and obtains the required permit, rather than signing an annual Ejari tenancy.
Connected documents and parties
Holiday home permit, title deed, unit registration; owner, operator, tourism authority, guests.
Going deeper: related reading: holiday home licence and DTCM permit.
Related Terms
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Last reviewed: June 2026