Ask Gulf News: Do you need your own tenancy contract in Dubai shared housing?

Question: According to the new law regulating the occupancy and management of shared housing in Dubai, am I required to have a separate tenancy agreement with the lessor for my allocated space in the shared accommodation? Does the law also apply to labour camps?

Answer:  According to Article (3) of the law No. (4) of 2026 regulating the occupancy and management of shared housing in the Emirate of Dubai, the law excludes collective labour accommodations from its scope.  It is applied to all real estate units in the Emirate of Dubai, including special development areas and freehold zones. 

Article (25) of the same law requires the lessor to enter into a tenancy agreement with each occupant, register the agreement in the shared housing record, and provide the occupant with a copy of the agreement. Therefore, the occupant should have a tenancy agreement covering the space allocated to him unless he is in a labor camp.

According to the mentioned law, the lessor should ensure that the terms of the tenancy or management agreement comply with the conditions and requirements of the relevant permit, hand over the allocated space to the occupant on the date agreed in the tenancy agreement, and allow the occupant to use the space throughout the agreed term and in accordance with the agreed conditions. The allocated space must also be suitable for its intended use and purpose. On the other hand, the occupant is prohibited from subleasing or otherwise leasing the allocated space to another person. Any tenancy agreement concluded in violation of this prohibition is null and void.