In a bid to ensure all property owners renting out units abide by required standards, Qatar Tourism has introduced a new renting license requirement.

Qatar Tourism have announced the introduction of an accelerated process to issue a ‘Holiday Homes License’ for domestic property owners in Qatar who wish to enroll their properties for short-term rentals. This process shall allow owners to lease out their units through international renting websites including Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo, and Holidayhomes.com.

Qatar Tourism have setup a hotline and introduced a simplified process for landlords to be able to ret their license within a week. Ever since authorities announced that residential letting and subletting will form a significant part of the hospitality services during the upcoming World Cup, many people have been enquiring about the process and how to ensure they lease out their properties legally. Qatar Tourism hope that this updated process will make it easier for people to get the required paperwork as well as ensure customer rights are protected.

Property owners who rent their units without obtaining a license risk getting a QAR 200,000 fine and/or two years in prison.

Qatar is expected to receive at least 1.2 million people during the FIFA World Cup. Authorities have been looking at a variety of ways to accommodate the influx of tourists as well as ensure their safety.

Read also: Will Qatar have enough hotel rooms to host World Cup fans?

32 teams will be playing the group stage for 12 days, Qatar expects over 559,000 fans flying to the country and an apex of 276000 ticket holders, these visitors require approximately 129,000 rooms. 

According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), major hotel chains in Qatar such as Hilton, Marriot, and Intercontinental have been fully booked and are running out of accommodations for visiting fans. Therefore, the idea of renting homes and hosting fans was introduced in late September 2021 to help cater to the large number of visitors.

Holiday Home is a subsidiary of www.qatartourism.com, the E-service section of the website provides an option for property owners to fill a form and request a call from one of Qatar Tourism’s agents to assist in the application for the license, once the request is approved a team examines the unit to complete the process. The license is valid for 5 years and is applicable for renewal, this allows owners to benefit from renting and gaining extra income through short-term rentals.

Director of Tourism licensing, Mohamed Al Ansari, said: “The spirit of hospitality is a distinct feature of Qatari tradition. As we prepare to host visitors from every corner of the world for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, it is our chance to showcase our true essence. Qatar Tourism invites all residential property owners to share our spirit of hospitality while generating extra income from their unused units by simply getting a Holiday Homes license.” 

Landlords are responsible for guaranteeing that the units meet all requirements and legislations and are listed with essential services and amenities. Authorities say they will conduct constant inspections to ensure that required standards are always met.