Owning a holiday home in Dubai from Spain: what to have in place before the first guest

In Dubai: the property side

Start with the unit. Short stays require a holiday home permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), issued per unit, and many buildings ask for their own approval or a no-objection letter before they accept holiday-home guests. Check the building's position first: it is the most common source of delay, and it decides whether the rest is worth doing.

• Title deed and passport copies ready in digital form
• The DEWA (electricity and water) account active and linked to the unit
• Internet installed and tested, fast enough for guests who work during their stay
• The building's approval or no-objection letter, where it is required
• The unit furnished and equipped to the classification standard, with safety equipment in place

Requirements are updated by the authority and can differ by building, so confirm the current list before you start.

In Spain: money and tax

If you are tax resident in Spain, income from a property abroad does not stay out of your Spanish affairs just because it is earned in Dubai. How it is declared, which costs can be deducted and what reporting applies to assets held abroad are questions for a Spanish tax adviser, ideally one who already works with UAE income. Ask before the first booking rather than when the annual return is due, so statements are set up the way your adviser needs them.

Decide also where payouts go. Some owners keep a UAE bank account for local costs; others prefer transfers to their Spanish bank. Either works, but agree the account, the currency and who bears the transfer charges in advance, and keep every statement: they are the paper trail your adviser will ask for.

Insurance: who covers what

A standard home policy does not always cover paying guests. Check that the building insurance and your own contents cover holiday-home use, and ask how accidental damage caused by a guest is handled. Settling this before the first stay avoids arguments after it.

The distance: time zone, language and presence

Dubai is two hours ahead of mainland Spain in summer and three in winter. A guest locked out at midnight in Dubai calls while you are having dinner, and a leak at dawn is reported before you are awake. The operation has to work without you, which means four things are in place from day one:

• Instant answers for guests' routine questions, at any hour
• Someone who physically goes to the property when something breaks
• One person to talk to about decisions and approvals, in a language you are comfortable with
• Figures you can see without asking: bookings, revenue, expenses and statements

How DUBIALEZ handles it for owners in Spain

Owner communication is available in Spanish, and every owner has a dedicated property manager who knows the unit and the building. The AI guest assistant answers routine guest questions 24/7. Separately, our own maintenance team reaches the property within one hour when a problem cannot be solved remotely. We assist with the DET registration, register every guest and handle the Tourism Dirham, and the owner app shows bookings, expenses and statements as they happen, ready to pass on to your adviser.

Management is one fee of 10% of gross accommodation revenue, with external costs defined in the agreement from day one and no minimum term. The agreement is signed electronically, so you do not need to fly in to get started.