Abu Dhabi recently signed a deal with Airbnb to promote the holiday home sector in the capital, following the tourism department's request for holiday homeowners to register on its new online licensing system to help regulate and enhance the market in Abu Dhabi.
But how can home owners register to rent out their property or rooms? And what will encourage renters to choose their property over others?
The National explains.
Rules to be mindful of when renting your home out in Abu Dhabi
It is important to first be aware of the rules around becoming an Airbnb host. A law passed in 2020 about the provision and use of holiday homes in Abu Dhabi requires hosts to register for a permit to rent their places out. Visit the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism page for more details.
Also, VAT is a consideration for anyone interested in renting out their home in the UAE. Hosts who receive more than Dh375,000 per year are required to register for, and charge VAT on their services. There is also a voluntary threshold of Dh187,500. Airbnb is legally required to provide information on transactions that take place on the platform on request.
Remember, you must legally own the property in order to rent it out.
How to list your home on Airbnb
Setting up a listing on the site is easy and quick. It should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. The same process applies whether you are listing your whole house or only a room.
To get started, visit Airbnb and select the “become a host option” in the top right hand corner of the page and follow all the steps, answering questions about the property and its amenities.
Next, upload photos, a minimum of five, and create a title for your place. Select any highlights, such as whether it is peaceful, stylish or family-friendly. After creating a description, you select a price, with the help of a suggestion. Airbnb offers you the option to extend a 20 per cent discount to your first three guests to help your listing get booked faster.
After that you are all set. All that remains is for you to review the listing and then publish it.
It will be visible to guests 24 hours after you publish and you can add more information or make changes at any time.
How much you can charge
According to the Airbnb website, hosting your entire home for four guests in Abu Dhabi could net you more than Dh3,400 a month.
Listing a private room counts as two guests, and for a shared room, one guest. To calculate your earnings potential, Airbnb takes the median nightly price, before expenses, fees and taxes, based on bookings in the area from the last 12 months. It then multiplies the number by the total number of occupied nights to get the monthly earnings estimate.
“To estimate the number of nights that you might host, we look at how often others in your area are hosting,” Airbnb says on its website.
According to the site, a three bedroom home for six guests can fetch between Dh450 and Dh757 per night.
When things get damaged or broken
AirCover, which is free for every host on the platform and applied every time someone stays, covers expenses if anything is damaged or broken.
It offers $1 million liability insurance, as well as $1 million damage protection; pet damage protection; deep cleaning protection; a 14-day filing window and income loss protection. Hosts receive reimbursements in nine days on average.
Tips from Airbnb hosts
Leave a note and a local treat for new guests. This is a nice touch which will make them feel welcome and encourage good reviews.
Choose your photos well. “Photos are super important, because that’s what guests see first,” says a host called Ely in an Airbnb video. He rents out Hunter Green House in the Catskills, US with Danielle. “Your first photo is what shows up in search results. So make sure to lead with your best.” The secret of a good shot is good lighting, and you should have a mix of wide shots and details to show how special your place is, she says.
Perfect your title, description and amenities. “Descriptions help not only sell your space, but tell the story of your space. Don’t feel pressure to come up with the perfect description,” says Ray, who rents out a cottage in Paupack, PA, US. Keep it brief and highlight what makes it unique.
Setting the right price to attract more bookings. “When you are just starting out and you don’t have the luxury of all those great reviews, the best thing to do is take a look at other properties in the area, similar listings, and see what they’re priced it. And then price yours a little lower,” says Marco, who rents out a house on Smith Lane in upstate New York on the platform with Lisa. You can raise the price later or add fees and change it depending on the season, she says.
Using your calendar and booking settings will help you attract more guests. “Being a host means hosting when you want and how you want, so plan your calendar accordingly,” says Danielle. Using the feature instant book allows people to book automatically without approval, via a set criteria. “For instance, only allowing guests to book with a government ID and positive reviews to book your home,” says Ely.
Six key elements that can help you boost your search ranking. “Activate instant book; maintain a high acceptance rate; get lots of positive reviews; price competitively; avoid cancellations wherever possible and respond ASAP to guest inquiries,” says Lisa.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
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HOW TO WATCH
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Brighton 1
Gross (50' pen)
Tottenham 1
Kane (48)
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Pakistanis%20at%20the%20ILT20%20
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MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
