A month in Sharjah

A holiday home is a furnished private residential unit assigned to short lets for guests' temporary stay. Executive Council Resolution No. 25 of 2021 requires an operating permit from SCTDA for each one, valid for a year and renewable, and requires the home to be let as a complete unit, not as separate rooms or beds.

A residential lease is a different contract. Law No. 5 of 2024 on property leasing covers residential property and requires a written or electronic lease on the approved forms, which the landlord must certify with the municipality, and pay the fees for, within 15 days of drafting; an uncertified lease brings a fine on the landlord. The law does not apply to properties of hotel or tourism establishments let only to their guests, so a hotel apartment stays outside it.

No reputable source on monthly rents or deposits in Sharjah was found, so this guide gives no rent figures. The fees are known. A holiday home pays an occupancy fee of AED 15 per night per house when classed deluxe and AED 10 when classed tourist, with a cap at the equivalent of 30 nights: by that table, a month in a tourist-class home comes to AED 300 however long the stay runs beyond it. The resolution does not say whether the operator passes the fee on to the guest, so ask.

Hotels and hotel apartments pay a municipality fee of 10% on room revenue, shown on the invoice with the service charge. VAT is 5% on hotel apartments and serviced units, while the lease of a residential building is exempt, according to the Federal Tax Authority. A holiday home operator may not charge guests extra for electricity, water, gas or telecoms.

Al Majaz and Al Qasba suit a month with the waterfront, the parks and City Centre Sharjah close by. Al Khan suits a month by the beach, about 5 km from Al Majaz. Al Nahda suits a month that commutes into Dubai, with the Dubai Metro across the border and Dubai International about 8 km away by road, though each crossing on Al Ittihad Road passes the Salik gates at Al Mamzar (via GetCar). These choices are editorial.

British citizens get a free visitor visa on arrival, valid for up to 90 days over 180, in one stay or several. 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 people coming to do paid work. US citizens get a no-fee visa on arrival for personal travel of 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. Outside Dubai, extensions go to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

Airbnb calls a reservation of 28 nights or more a monthly stay. It charges the first month up front and releases it to the host 24 hours after check-in, charges later months 10 days before each period, and locks the price at booking. Its long-term cancellation policy applies to all such stays and, as a rule, asks for 30 days' notice of changes. In Sharjah, a listing that advertises a holiday home at a class other than its approved one breaks the emirate's rules, and the class sets the nightly fee.

Alcohol. Drinking or possessing alcohol is illegal in the Emirate of Sharjah, in the apartment as much as outside it.

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. The municipality's SMS service needs a UAE number and paid hours now run until midnight (via GetCar), so ask for a space with the apartment.

Room-by-room lets. A holiday home must be let whole; letting it as separate rooms or beds breaks the resolution.

Utility bills. A holiday home operator may not add charges for electricity, water, gas or telecoms, so question any such line on the bill.