Dubai enforces shared housing law with fines up to Dh1 million

Dubai authorities have confirmed that Executive Council Resolution No. (35) of 2024, which regulates shared housing and residential overcrowding, will take effect on Monday, 3 August 2026. The new regulations impose strict penalties for building owners and tenants who violate living space standards, with maximum fines reaching Dh1 million for repeat offenders. New penalty structure and enforcement The law mandates that residential units must adhere to specific occupancy limits to ensure public health and safety. Under the resolution, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and Dubai Municipality are authorized to conduct inspections and issue notices. Initial fines for overcrowding start at Dh50,000, but the legislation allows for these to scale up to Dh1 million if a violator fails to rectify the situation within a specified timeframe or repeats the offense within one year. The regulation applies to all residential areas in Dubai, including private villas and apartments. It specifically targets the practice of sub-leasing rooms to multiple families or individuals beyond the approved capacity of the building permit. Property owners are now legally responsible for ensuring that their tenants do not further subdivide units or exceed the maximum number of occupants registered in the Ejari system. Impact on Dubai rental market This legal update is triggered by the formal gazetting of the resolution, which concludes the grace period provided to landlords to regularize existing…