The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) regulates the holiday home sector in Dubai. Unlike many cities around the world, DET was swift to regulate the sector with very clear guidelines and definitions. In many respects, holiday homes are regulated in a similar way to hotels, though they do have their own explicit governing documents and bylaws. The latest resolution issued by DET can be found here It is worth noting, that while DET issues the resolutions governing holiday homes, it is Dubai Economic Depart who issue licenses to professional holiday home operators/short term rental companies.