How to rent your Qatar property on Airbnb

How to rent your Qatar property on Airbnb

- Yuliya Ihnatsenka

How to rent your Qatar property on Airbnb

The Airbnb Success Story

When Airbnb began in 2007, it was little more than a side hustle for three students looking for a way to make extra money to pay their rent. Little more than a decade later, it is now a $31 billion dollar industry with 5.6 million listings in over 100,000 cities worldwide. It has spearheaded the sharing economy, transformed the hospitality industry and given property owners a means to generate a passive income. 

Airbnb hosting in Qatar

With the FIFA World Cup just a few months away, over a million football fans are expected to travel to Qatar. This will create a massive demand for short term accommodation that hotels are unable to meet. Creative solutions have had to be found to overcome the shortfall in hotel rooms. This has led to Qatar tourism issuing new regulations, approving short term rental of private properties to supplement the current supply of accommodation options.

How much money can I make from hosting on Airbnb?

The average 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom property in Doha, the country’s capital, will generate an annual revenue of around QR49,000 ($13,459) and you can expect to have an occupancy rate of around 58%. However, the exact earnings you can expect are influenced by many variables such as the property size, its location, the number of annual visitors to the area, access to amenities and seasonality. AirDNA is a great resource to use if you want more accurate figures for the revenue potential of renting out your property on Airbnb. It has data from numerous sources such as market trend reports, case studies, industry news and customer stories.

Which is the best area for an Airbnb rental property?

Many current Airbnb listings in Qatar are in the capital, Doha. This is to be expected since in the short-term, rental demand will come from tourists visiting for the World Cup and all the matches will be played in eight stadiums in and around the capital.

Examples of areas of Doha that will receive large numbers of visitors and are ideally situated to maximise rental income are:

• West Bay – This is the business district of Doha. It is well-connected by public transport, has most of the city’s skyscrapers and luxury hotels and it has easy access to the city centre shopping mall.

• The Pearl – This is slightly north of the city centre. It is a family-friendly area where most of the expats in the city reside. It also has many restaurants and some unique views.

• Downtown – This area stretches from Corniche Street with the Doha Maritime Promenade, all the way to the business area. It has several shopping centres, restaurants and cafés and is close to the Corniche, Souq Waqif and the museums.

Can I legally rent out my property Airbnb in Qatar?

Yes, licences are granted by the Qatar Tourism Authority which issued the “Holiday Homes Circular” in 2021, a document containing the requirements necessary to rent out a private property in Qatar. It includes details of quality standards, amenities, health and safety guidelines and accessibility criteria. More information can be found in the Holiday Homes Self-Assessment Checklist and the Holiday Homes Classification Manual which is on the Qatar Tourism website.

How do I apply for a licence?

The licence can be obtained through the Tourism Authority’s e-Services portal. The procedure is as follows:

• Log in to the Qatar Tourism e-Services portal using Tawtheeq (the national identity authentication system)

• Click on “My Profile” and select the required service from the list on the right-hand side of the screen

• Enter all the requested information

• Attach the following documents:

1. Copy of QID card

2. Copy of lease contract or property deed

3. The Self-Assessment Checklist

• You can then submit the application for review and approval

How do I list my property on Airbnb?

Creating a listing on the Airbnb website is quite simple and can be done in around 30 minutes. To begin, visit Airbnb and select the “become a host option” in the top right-hand corner of the page and follow all the steps, completing questions about the property and its amenities.

Then, upload at least five photos of the property and create a name with which to advertise it. You should include any key selling points, such as whether the area is peaceful, or proximity to amenities/restaurants/bars etc. or the suitability of the property for families/couples/business people.

After creating a description, set a price with the help of Airbnb’s recommendations. Airbnb offers you the option to extend a 20 per cent discount to your first three guests to create initial interest and create some momentum.

Once that is all finished, the final step is to review the listing to ensure that you are happy with it then you can publish it and begin operating.

FAQs

What are Airbnb’s fees?

Airbnb charges a fee of 3% of the booking subtotal, which is made up of the nightly rate and your cleaning fee. Guests generally pay a service fee of approximately 14% of the booking subtotal.

Can I rent out any type of property?

Standalone villas in any part of Qatar can operate as holiday homes. However, apartments must be located in tourist areas (designated by the Ministry of Economy) to be eligible for short-term letting.

How long is the licence valid?

The licence is valid for 5 years, after which it can be renewed for the same period assuming it continues to meet all requirements from the Qatar Tourism Authority.

How can PRO Partner Group help?

At PRO Partner Group, we have years of experience helping our clients with company incorporation and other investment ventures. We have direct contact with government departments throughout Qatar and can facilitate all the procedures and paperwork on your behalf. If you need guidance on renting out a property in Qatar or any other related company setup, restructuring, local partner or PRO support matter in Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the wider UAE, Oman or Saudi Arabia, then please do get in touch with us on +974 4478 8765 for Qatar Doha office or +971 (0)4 456 1761 for Dubai, email us at info@propartnergroup.com or complete the contact form below and we will be delighted to assist you.

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