We are pleased to launch the second edition of the AirDXB Short-Let Market Review Report, focusing on the developments in the Dubai short-let market for Q2 2023.

The strength of the Dubai real estate sector is evident with H1 2023 recording the highest levels of real estate sales to-date: 61,000 total sales with a total value of nearly AED180 billion. Industry experts believe sales may exceed AED300 billion for the first time by the end of this year. What’s making Dubai so interesting to investors? A rising population, new developments, minimal taxes, and a strong short-let market compared to global counterparts.

In this report, we take a look at the key trends impacting the short-let market in Q2, such as the significant shift in apartment v villa sales, as well as market performance indicators, including volume of stock, average returns, and occupancy rates.

The Top 5 Trends in Short-Let in Q2 2023

The rise of the property investor
Q2 saw a significant surge in property transactions, with May alone seeing a 76% increase YoY. However, villa sales declined by 31.7% across the quarter YoY. What does this mean? Apartments are where the interest lies, either to live in personally or as an investment vehicle. AirDXB has seen heightened levels of interest in the short-let market, particularly with first-time buyers looking to supplement their income, secure an asset and meet mortgage repayments without tenancy and contractual obligations.

Normalization of Long-Term Rentals
We are starting to see long-term rental contracts decrease in value, for example the average rental contract in Dubai Marina is now AED5,000 less than it was in Q1. This is an indicator of things to come. Residents in Dubai are tiring of paying exorbitant prices and the perceived lack of real value. This ties in with the increase we have seen in the purchase of apartments – many residents would prefer to pay their own mortgage than the recent inflated rental prices. We believe this will be the start of the market normalizing in terms of long-term rentals, increasing the value found in short-let.

Dubai’s Booming Tourism Sector
Part of the success of Dubai’s short-let market lies in the consistent stream of tourists. Ramadan, normally a slow period, saw a record number of visitors, with 1.35 million people coming to Dubai during the holy month, a 19% increase from 2022, and 50% increase from pre-pandemic figures. Dubai has claimed the title of the world’s most popular tourist destination for the second year running while Dubai International Airport remains the busiest international airport for 9 years running. Dubai is buzzing with activity – good news for short-let!

High Occupancy Rates are Key to Success in Dubai’s Hotter Months
The short-let market is cyclical meaning that colder months will out-perform hotter months, even if Q2 2023 saw a greater number of tourists than previous years. As expected, average daily rates across the market were lower in Q2 than in Q1 (by 31%). Occupancy rates also saw a drop across Dubai, however these were 3% better for the quarter YoY. AirDXB were pleased to report that our average daily rates remained consistent for the quarter YoY and our clients enjoyed consistently higher occupancy rates than market average – in fact we had a staggering up to 55% higher occupancy rate across the quarter meaning strong returns for our clients in the low season.

Higher Sale Prices for Chain-Free
The short-let market remains a strong property investment for those considering selling the property in the short-mid term. There can be up to a 15% increase in sale price for buyers looking for chain-free property acquisitions. Last year alone, our boutique investments advisory arm advised on 77 property transactionsamounting to over AED100 million of assets. We are a fully independent, unbiased advisor for our clients wishing to sell properties, as well as those who need advice on where best to purchase for maximum returns on the short-let market.

Access the full report for further information and contact AirDXB Group Director, Gregory Lewis, with any enquiries.

The AirDXB Short-Let Market Review Report: Q2 2023

First published in Gulf News, May 2023

Offering short stay rental options is creating opportunities to better manage supply of new properties in the UAE, with Ajman becoming the latest emirate to issue rules to develop the holiday homes concept. This went into effect May 1.

Sharjah too in the recent past issued regulations on holiday homes, while at the same time protecting the rights of consumers who use them. Dubai’s holiday homes keep surfing high demand, with the recent Eid holidays easily adding up to more than 90 per cent occupancy levels. In Abu Dhabi, a base is getting built that offers visitors something other than hotel rooms and serviced apartments attached to them.

What all this does is offer landlords options beyond that standard one-year rental lease. Sources say short-term leasing will allow the various emirates better manage new property supply in line with demand. What the authorities don’t want to see is plenty of new homes left unoccupied for long stretches depending on whether there is sufficient demand for one-year rentals.

With short-term, landlords can make suitable changes as and when they see fit. And, hopefully, bring more stability on rental fluctuations.

Keep checking inbound travel numbers

The short-term prospects for short-stay leasing in the UAE is likely to remain at elevated levels. “All that landlords will need to keep checking is inbound travel numbers,” said the head of a property management company specializing in holiday homes. “There is so much that Sharjah or Ajman can do with short stays, particularly with those coming into the country for extended holidays.

“Any property near to the beaches stands a good chance for frequent letting.”

Sharjah’s been working on its hospitality sector by creating new destinations or giving makeovers to heritage sites. These have proved popular with tourists – especially Gulf and Middle East visitors – seeking experiences slightly different to what they would expect here. Which would require more hotel room stocks – or until then, make sure enough of short-stay options.

Ajman’s pipeline of new homes has been busy through recent months, while the emirate has simultaneously focussed on building up its tourist destinations and experiences. Now, by allowing holiday home rentals, the emirate seeks to make gains from both.

Short-stays are here to stay

“The short-let model is seasonal and runs over a 12 monthly cycle. Low season will naturally see a drop in prices (up to 50%) as temperatures soar to over 40 degrees, which naturally influences tourism. However, high season rates level out the returns, meaning the overall annual returns for short-let still exceed the long-term lease model.

Couple this with retaining control over your asset, having the ability without the stresses of landlord/tenant obligations, it makes for a great option.”

Gregory Lewis, Director of AirDXB Group

Dubai landlords have it best

In Dubai, landlords are spoilt for choice on what they should be doing with their properties. Stick with a 1-year lease and they get to access a market where key locations have seen rent gains for 20-30 per cent.

If they think short-stays are where they want to be, this space is giving them equally solid returns. It’s all showing in the numbers.

“Towards the end of 2022, as long-term rents increased in Dubai, the volume of new stock arriving on to the short-let market slowed considerably as homeowners chased the inflated prices in long-term,” says a report by AirDXB Group.

“This trend has continued into Q1-2023 with 1,238 new listings across 3 months, showing a minor 5 per cent quarterly growth in the short-let market. This is great for current homeowners in the short-let market, as less supply drives further demand, resulting in higher ADR and higher occupancy rates, meaning higher returns overall for short-let homeowners.”

This article used information from our Short-Let Market Review Report: Q1 2023. Access your copy now. 

We are delighted to share AirDXB’s first Short-Let Market Review Report focusing on Q1 2023. In this report, we take a look at the key trends impacting the short-let market the year so far, such as the homeowner migration to long-term, as well as market performance indicators, including volume of stock, average returns, and occupancy rates.

Key Short-Let Trends from Q1 2023

Q1 2023 – The best performing quarter in Dubai history for real estate transactions. Sales value was AED 88.7B, up 9.5% v Q1 2022.. Sales volume was 30,900, up 7.5% v Q1 2022. A plot at Dubai Creek Harbour was sold for AED 1.57B: the largest deal ever recorded. The sector as a whole is booming, but what does this mean for the short-let market? We provide an overview in our Market Review Q1 2023 report.

Dubai welcomed 4.67 million overnight international visitors in Q1, up 17% from Q1 in 2022, fueled by a steady flow from three top source markets: Russia, India and Oman. Dubai’s hotel stock climbed to 150,000 keys in Q1 2023, while the short-let market saw higher than average occupancy rates.

The migration to the long-term rental market is at an all-time high with less new stock coming onto the short-let market and short-let homeowners transitioning across to long-term. This has created greater demand for the short-let market, increasing average daily rates & occupancy levels, resulting in higher returns for short-let homeowners.

The short-let market remains a strong property investment for those considering selling the property in the short-mid term. There can be up to a 20% increase in sale price for buyers looking for chain-free property acquisitions. For example, a tenanted 2-bed in 5242 Dubai Marina is 17% cheaper than the same apartment chain-free. AirDXB recently advised on a sale where the buyer paid 11% more for an apartment in Bay Central, as it was chain-free.

Ramadan starting in mid-March created the usual slowdown in the short-let market, however occupancy rates were still over 10% higher than Ramadan last year. We expect to see this increase in 2024 as Ramadan continues to fall in tourist high season months.

Access the full Short-Let Market Review Report:

AirDXB Short-Let Market Review Report Q1 2023

Please contact Gregory, Director of AirDXB Group, for further information.

You’ve made the decision: you want to start making extra money by listing your property on the short-term let market. But what can you do to make your listing stand out from the crowd and increase your occupancy rate? After all, a high occupancy rate means higher returns for you. Let’s take a look at the benefits.

Create an inviting environment

Updating your apartment can help create an inviting environment, giving guests confidence that they will have a comfortable stay. Making changes to the layout of a room (such as replacing furniture), updating older rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms (through services such as wrapping or flooring), or redecorating through adding extra touches, such as rugs or artwork, can make a big difference to the overall feel of your property. Not only will this help your listing stand-out to potential guests, it will drive business through 5* reviews and word-of-mouth. Guests like to feel the property is a “home away from home”, or even better!

Increase profits

By making upgrades in certain areas or undertaking necessary repairs, you will not only attract more guests and better reviews, you could potentially increase your profits by charging higher rates. Guests will pay more to stay somewhere which appeals to them. Even minor updates such as fixing broken windows or a fresh lick of paint can add AED to your wallet. Positive reviews will increase traffic, leading to increased popularity/demand and higher average nightly rates.

Increase the value of your property

The most obvious benefit of redecorating your home is increasing its value. Upgrading features of your apartment like the kitchen or bathroom can instantly improve its marketability, allowing for potential buyers to envision themselves living in your space and willing to pay top dollar for it. Additionally, minor maintenance such as painting walls or refreshing carpets helps protect against wear-and-tear damage over time and ensure that any deterioration in quality is kept at bay. There is long-term gain to consistent maintenance of your property.

We can help

At AirDXB, our upgraded properties make up to 20% higher returns than those which aren’t (even in the same building). Speak with our interiors consultants who can work to any budget and can help you determine what is necessary, and what is not. Contact Leanne for an initial discussion with no obligations.

First published in Arabian Gulf Business Insight, 12 March 2023

The UAE’s introduction of a remote working visa and Saudi Arabia’s plan to allow residents to rent out rooms in their homes has led to the Gulf embracing the Airbnb model and a boom in the short-term rental sector.

In March 2021 the UAE cabinet introduced a remote work visa, allowing workers to set up residence in the Gulf state while continuing to work for overseas employers.

Room rental platform Airbnb included Dubai when it last year launched its Live and Work Anywhere global initiative.

In December it signed an agreement with the Department of Economy and Tourism to set up the Dubai remote working hub – designed to make it easier for those applying for the remote work visa to find short-term accommodation.

“Dubai is a global leader in facilitating remote working,” said Velma Corcoran, regional lead for Middle East and Africa at Airbnb.

“As this trend continues to accelerate, we want to work together to make it easier for people to enjoy the newfound flexibility to work and travel, and help the city harness the economic benefits of this new type of tourism.”

Dubai recruitment businesses and company set-up firms told AGBI the remote working visa has led to an increase in the number of applicants wishing to open in the emirate.

“With e-visas Dubai aims to create a hassle-free immigration process for professionals by reducing wait time for those looking forward to moving to the region,” said Kunal Fabiani, CEO for the Americas and Africa at company set-up firm Healy Consultants Group.

As a result, short-term letting agencies in the UAE have seen increased demand. Joanna Plunkett, manager of short-term rentals at Betterstay, said growth last year was up around 12.5 percent.

“The popularity of short-term rentals in Dubai has increased significantly, with more and more companies opening up to meet the growing demand,” she said.

“This trend is expected to continue as awareness of the benefits of short-term rentals spreads throughout the UAE, with requests for properties in other Emirates such as Abu Dhabi on the rise.”

Dubai Tourism reported that last year the number of overnight guests reached 14.36 million, up from 7.28 million in 2021.

While this is still short of the 16.73 million in 2019, Alessandro D’Ubaldo, founder of Dubaldo Real Estate and operator of Greystone Villa Dubai, said the short-term rental market has already exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

“We’re now witnessing a level of activity that many thought would not be achievable,” he said.

According to letting agency AirDXB, the list of top 10 source markets for short-term tenants is led by Russia followed by the UK, US, India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Egypt.

Director, Gregory Lewis said homeowners saw short-term rates rise by up to 10 percent in the first half of last year.

However, with Dubai’s long-term rental rates last year rising by an average of 36 percent, Lewis said this led to some homeowners switching from short-term letting to long-term tenants to avail of better yields.

He estimated that stock in the short-term sector had dropped by around 28 percent in Dubai in 2023.

“This is good for our homeowners,” Lewis said. “Less supply with increased demand is driving up the average nightly rate, and combined with our high occupancy levels, this means higher returns for our clients.”

Following the successes seen in the UAE, neighbouring Saudi Arabia in January approved a new law to allow citizens to rent out rooms in their homes to tourists, paving the way for the introduction of operators such as Airbnb and rival HomeAway.

“Encouraging Saudi citizens to play a more active role in the nation’s economy, and introducing regulations that protect both property owners and guests, positively impacted the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors,” D’Ubaldo said.

“This can already be seen across the promising short-term rental market in Saudi Arabia.”

AirDXB’s Lewis said Saudi Arabia was “an exciting market” and he has not ruled out expanding the brand to the kingdom.

“There will be an official tourism service provider for short-let property listings, so it remains to be seen if companies like Airbnb will be invited to operate there.”

AirDXB are delighted to announce we are at full occupancy, a great achievement in Q1 of the year. Similar listings across Dubai are currently at an 80% occupancy rate, meaning we are above market average by 20%.

AirDXB clients benefitted from a 93% occupancy rate in January 2023, typically a slower month in the short-let calendar, showing that our portfolio is consistently strong in comparison to the general market.

What does this means for our homeowners?

High occupancy rates mean better financial returns for homeowners. It also means more opportunity for 5* reviews and promotional activities, essentially creating a domino effect, where higher traffic should, in theory, drive further business. This is where AirDXB comes in.

Gregory Lewis, Founder of AirDXB stated:

“Now, more than ever, it is important for AirDXB to show the value in what we do and the high standard to which we do it. Our homeowners know me and trust that my team will work hard to ensure the best possible guest experience, from cleaning to maintenance requests, which in turn drives the 5* reviews, increasing the flow of guests to our properties. Our goal for 2023 is to continue pushing for these high occupancy levels to create a consistent flow of income for our clients.”

Why should these high occupancy levels be of particular interest to you, right now?

Unless you’re hiding under a rock, you will know the real estate market in Dubai is flourishing (check out our 2023 real estate trends blog here). This not only includes the property investment market but long-terms rentals too. Due to this spike in long-term rental rates, we believe stock on the short-let market has decreased by approximately 28% in Dubai (based on our own workings), as some homeowners transitioned their property from short-let to long-term leasing.

So, what’s the link? Less supply of stock has created increased demand in the short-let market, driving up the average nightly rate. Combine this with consistently high occupancy levels and our clients are looking at a fairly dramatic increase in returns – and it’s only February.

What can short-let homeowners expect in the coming months?

Dubai has been voted, ‘The World’s Most Popular Destination for Holidaymakers”, in TripAdvisor’s 2023 Travellers’ Choice Awards, and is predicted to return to pre-pandemic tourism numbers this year. Which is pretty exciting seeing as we welcomed over 14 million tourists in 2022. Dubai will also play host to some of the largest global events in 2023, including COP28, expected to be the biggest UN Climate Summit yet with over 80,000 delegates. All this buzz creates a demand for accommodation, and with Dubai in the top 10 performing cities for Airbnb stays, the near future is looking bright for the short-let market.

Contact us if you have a property you would like to list on the short-let market. We also offer incentives for referrals.

AirDXB pride ourselves on being consistently good, our stats for 2022:

150% increase in our portfolio | 90%+ average occupancy rates | 5* average review rating

 

The question that AirDXB is built around: why turn your property into a holiday home? For us, it is straight-forward: in a market like Dubai, it is a great revenue stream for homeowners. What we find great about Dubai, is that there is a diverse demographic of homeowners too – from investors with full portfolios, to first-time buyers looking to supplement their existing salary. Thinking about entering the short-let market? Check out the key reasons we think you should below.

Increased income

As stated above, an investment property can add money to your wallet with the short-let market in particular providing a significant source of passive income, especially during peak tourist seasons. Dubai is particularly lucrative, given its top spot on most, if not all, “best holiday destinations” lists. This income can be used to offset the costs of owning the property or to supplement other forms of income.

Better returns

Properties that are used as holiday homes are generally rented out at higher rates compared to traditional long-term rentals, which can result in higher returns on investment. Of course, this can ebb and flow, but looking from a wider perspective, this tends to be the case. Short-let homeowners can utilize peak seasons to maximize profits, and with Dubai playing host to some of the largest global events in the world, the opportunities are there.

Flexibility

For us, this is key. With a holiday rental property, owners can choose to rent it out for specific times of the year and use it for their own personal use for the rest of the year. You aren’t tied into any tenancy agreements and won’t have any limitations. AirDXB is completely flexible for you too – have family coming over for a week, a month, a year? No problem. We don’t hold you to strict commitments (the property is yours, after all).

Diversify your investment

Property is an investment and one you expect will give a good yield in the future. But why sit and wait for it to make you money in years to come? Owning a holiday rental property can be a long-term investment that can appreciate in value over time, whilst making you money monthly, especially if it is well-maintained and located in a desirable tourist destination.

You can “forget” about it
(if you use a management company like AirDXB!)

Utilizing a property/host management company means that you don’t need to get involved in the day-to-day. We provide an end-to-end service, from property listing through to guest relations, maintenance, concierge and housekeeping. Our homeowners enjoy a 95% occupancy rate, greatly higher than the 43% market average, which is one of the reasons why we have AirBnB ‘Superhost’ status.

Speak to our Director, Gregory Lewis, to find out more.

The big predictions for the Dubai real estate market in 2023 mostly hit the long-term rental and transactional (buy/sell) market, however we have taken the key trends and put together our thoughts on the impact of these on the short-let market. Check it out below.

Modest rise in property prices

Dubai’s property prices have been on the rise in recent years, but 2023 may see only a modest increase in prices, slowing the growth of the market. Zoom Property Insights predicts a 5% growth in the market by the end of the year, compared to 11% in 2022.

This slowdown is mainly due to the rise in interest rates. The Central Bank of the UAE raised the base rate for Overnight Deposit Fact (ODF) from 4.4% to 4.65% on 2 February 2023. Although the impact on the property market is expected to be minimal, since about 70% of property transactions are conducted in cash, it may affect the mortgage industry.

Impact on short-let: This mainly impacts our first-time property investors, looking to start their journey in the short-let market. With high mortgage rates, it could be tricky – although not impossible – to get on the investment property ladder this year. However, having said that, dependent on budget, investors could look into lower cost developments. There is a lot of stock coming onto the Dubai market this year (approx. 47,000 units), with off-plan and resale options, and one beds (which take up 40% of AirDXB stock) prove popular with guests. Some first-time investors may wish to wait until 2024, however with some adjustment to budgets & expectations, others could very well proceed this year. For those with their mortgages pre-agreed or cash buyers, the general slowdown is good news.

Increased rental renewals

According to Arabian Business, the Dubai rental market saw a 27% increase in 2022, with apartments and villas seeing a 27% and 24.5% increase in average rent, respectively. With the increase in rent and the cost of living as a whole, there has been a higher number of rental agreement renewals as people prefer to extend their leases instead of relocating. This trend is expected to continue in 2023.

Impact on short-let: The migration of homeowners from short-let to the long-term rental market will slow. Dare we say it, some homeowners who wish to take advantage of short-let benefits later down the line, may not have the flexibility to do so due to commitments/contracts to their long-term tenants. In the meantime, this migration is benefitting the short-term market massively, with less available stock driving up the average nightly rate, creating higher returns for our homeowners.

Apartment market makes a comeback

In 2020 and 2021, the villa segment dominated Dubai’s property market, with an average annual growth of 20%. The apartment market, on the other hand, struggled to reach double-digit growth. However, the trend is changing in 2023, with Zoom Property Insights reporting that 67,700 apartments were sold in 2022, with the average price reaching 1.2 million. This represents a 71.1% increase in transactions and a 20.9% increase in average price compared to 2021.

This growth shows that buyers are once again interested in the apartment sector, possibly due to the launch of new developments offering state-of-the-art apartments at affordable prices. The Zeitgeist 2022 Report from PropertyFinder stated that off-plan transactions value made up 44% of all transactions in 2022, up from 40% in 2021 as measured by volume (both apartments & villas). We are also expecting 45,000 new apartments and 7,000 new villas onto the Dubai residential market (statista).

Impact on short-let: New developments = new opportunities for investment properties, particularly in the short-let market where modern finishings sell. Of course, you can’t compete with space or location – something a lot of new builds lack – and therefore updated “older” developments still have that selling power. Speak to our interiors team at Furnished for insights on how minor adjustments can make a big impact.

Focus on affordable communities

With the rising cost of living in Dubai, buyers and tenants are focusing on affordable communities. International City, Liwan, and Discovery Gardens are popular among buyers, with studio apartments in International City costing an average of AED 232,000, AED 324,000 for 1-bed, and AED 676,000 for 2-bed apartments.

Other affordable rental areas in Dubai include Dubai Silicon Oasis, Bur Dubai, Discovery Gardens, and Dubai Sports City.

Impact on short-let: Properties in more central locations, such as Dubai Marina, The Palm, Emaar Beachfront etc, will become less popular with UAE residents and long-term tenants, as they move further out of town to grab a good deal. With big competition to secure long-term tenants willing to pay (far) higher than average rents, short-term letting will be a more viable option for homeowners in these popular tourist areas to maximize their profits.

*Disclaimer: these are predictions and therefore are not factual, however we do tend to know what we are talking about. Contact us to discuss your investment opportunities for the short-let market. 

First published in TravelMag, 13 February 2023 

If you run an Airbnb in Dubai, and want to reduce your workload while maximising your income, there are a number of management companies standing ready to help.

Despite the emergence of a number of competitors in recent years, Airbnb continues to dominate the home-sharing market. For Airbnb property owners, the challenges of managing the process of letting out their homes to strangers can be extremely time-consuming. If you’re thinking of becoming an Airbnb host in Dubai, or have already taken the plunge, TravelMag picked out five of the best management companies currently operating in the United Arab Emirates.

AirDXB was delighted to be one of those listed.

“AirDXB is one of the top short-let property management companies in Dubai providing an end-to-end service, from property listing through to guest check-in, maintenance, concierge and housekeeping. Founded by Gregory Lewis, a British real estate expert with 20 years’ experience, AirDXB has expanded rapidly due to the strength of their client service, guest relations and 5* reviews. Their homeowners enjoy a 95% occupancy rate, greatly higher than the 43% market average, which is one of the reasons why they have AirBnB ‘Superhost’ status. They also offer bespoke interior design consultations, wrapping services, flooring services, maintenance contracts, fit-outs and renovations.”

Contact us for further information.

 

First published in the Khaleej Times, 21 January 2023

As Dubai’s real estate sector continues its surge, a number of homeowners who were renting out in the short-term rental space are now moving towards long-term contracts. But that is not necessarily a bad thing, says an expert.

Supply & Demand

High Occupancy Levels

Popular Areas for Short-Term Rentals