Room sharing, partitions and bed spaces are now regulated by a dedicated law. Here is what Law No. (4) of 2026 says, based on the official announcement by the Dubai Media Office.
Who the law covers
- Owners authorised to allocate units for shared housing, and the tenants living in them.
- Establishments licensed to lease and manage units for owners, or to lease from owners and sublet — including in special development zones and free zones.
- Lease and management contracts between owners or establishments and residents.
- Excluded: units designated for collective labour accommodation.
The key rules
- No unit may be used for shared housing without a Dubai Municipality permit.
- Permits last one year and are renewable; owners can request two years; renew at least 30 days before expiry.
- Units must meet building standards, maximum occupancy and space-per-resident rules set by Dubai Municipality.
- Only the owner or an authorised establishment may lease a shared unit — tenants may not sublet any part of it.
- Contracts are recorded in an electronic Dubai Land Department registry using standard templates (landlord, number of residents, unit and allocated space).
- DLD sets a rent indicator for shared units based on their specifications.
Penalties
Fines range from AED 500 to AED 500,000, doubling up to AED 1 million for a repeat violation within a year. Authorities can also suspend activity for up to six months, cancel permits, revoke commercial licences, disconnect public services until a violation is fixed, and evict units without the required permit.
What this means for ordinary tenants
Subletting without the landlord's written consent was already restricted under Dubai's main rental law, and it is a ground for eviction. The new law goes further for shared housing: tenants cannot sublet rooms, partitions or bed spaces at all. If you live in a shared unit, check that it has a permit and that your contract is registered.
See Article 24 (sub-leasing needs written consent) and Article 25 (eviction for unauthorised sub-letting) of Law 26 of 2007, and our subletting rules guide.
This summary is based on the official announcement; the published Arabic text of the Law prevails. Occupancy limits and permit details are set by Dubai Municipality.