A month in Abu Dhabi

DCT's Guide to Holiday Homes, updated in 2026, lets a licensed holiday home be rented by the day, the week or the month, only as a whole unit and never by the room or the bed unless DCT grants an exception. The guest terms, in Arabic and English and sent before the booking is confirmed, must state that the guest occupies the home solely for temporary accommodation. A month in a holiday home is therefore a stay, not a tenancy.

A lease is a different contract. Leases in the emirate fall under Law No. 20 of 2006 on the lease of premises and are registered under Resolution No. 4 of 2011 in the Tawtheeq system, whose fees Resolution No. 49 of 2018 lists: AED 100 for the landlord to register a contract. The same resolution sets an annual municipal fee on the tenant of 5% of the rent, with a minimum of AED 450, collected with the water and electricity bill; whether that rate still applies is unverified as of September 2026.

No reputable source on monthly rents or deposits in Abu Dhabi was found, so this guide gives no rent figures. The fees are known. A holiday home charges a tourism fee of 6% of the total amount invoiced, itemised on the invoice; neither DCT's guide nor its circulars set a cap by length of stay, unlike Dubai's 30 nights. A hotel or hotel apartment charges a 4% tourism fee and a 4% municipality fee on the invoice.

VAT is 5% on hotel apartments and serviced units, while the lease of a residential building is exempt, according to the Federal Tax Authority. DCT's guide requires the operator of a holiday home to supply electricity and water without charging the guest extra, and to state any security deposit, its timing and the refund policy in the terms.

Downtown and the Corniche suit a month on foot along the water, with the old centre around Qasr Al Hosn. Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands, Al Reem about 8 km from the centre, suit a month in a tower apartment near the business district and The Galleria mall. Saadiyat Island suits a month by the beach, about 16 km from the centre, with the car in daily use. These choices are editorial.

British citizens get a free visitor visa on arrival, valid for up to 90 days over 180, and extensions outside Dubai go to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship. EU citizens may stay 90 days in any 180 under the EU's visa waiver agreement with the UAE, which does not cover Ireland or paid work. US citizens get a no-fee visa on arrival for 30 days or less, and a longer stay needs an extension that immigration officials may grant or refuse.

UK travel advice says that working on a visit visa can bring a fine or a prison sentence and risks deportation, and that overstaying can bring fines for each extra day. Holiday home operators record bookings and guest check-ins in DCT's system, and hotels verify guests through the Smart Check-In programme.

Airbnb calls a reservation of 28 nights or more a monthly stay, charges the first month up front and the rest in monthly instalments, and applies its long-term cancellation policy, which generally needs 30 days' notice of changes. In Abu Dhabi the listing must also show the unit's DCT licence number, whichever platform carries it, and a listing for a shared unit or a single room breaks DCT's rules.

A listing without a licence number. Since 1 January 2026 platforms must show it and remove unlicensed listings when DCT tells them to, which can end a booking.

A 30-day visa on a US passport. A longer stay needs an extension from the immigration authorities, at their discretion.

Parking by the hour for a month. Mawaqif's multi-storey car parks list three months at AED 1,369, and street parking costs AED 15 a day in standard bays; ask for the home's allocated space, which DCT's rules tell guests to use.

Resident bays at night. A space marked for residents is for permit holders from 21:00 to 8:00.

Noise and parties. DCT's house rules forbid them, and a breach lets the operator end the stay and keep the rent already paid.