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.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
The%20specs
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
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BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
Brief scores:
Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37
South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62
Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
Thor%3A%20Love%20and%20Thunder%20
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
Company%20Profile
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
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