Equipment
What does a Dubai Airbnb need? The room-by-room set-up checklist
1 October 2026
An Airbnb amenities list has two columns. One is what Dubai requires from a holiday home: that is set by DET (formerly DTCM), and we cover it on our regulations page. The other is what guests expect when they walk in: a kitchen they can actually cook in, a hotel-style bed, a towel for everyone, wifi that works. This article is that second list, room by room, ready to paste into your own set-up checklist.
Required vs expected: two different lists
Keep them apart.
- Required: what DET asks for to issue and renew a holiday home permit. These requirements change and live in the official texts, so we don't reproduce them from memory. See DTCM holiday home requirements, and always confirm with DET before you publish your listing.
- Expected: what keeps you out of bad reviews. Nothing official about it, but a guest who can't find a corkscrew or a hairdryer will say so.
Airbnb itself gives a useful floor. According to its Help Center, hosts are strongly encouraged to provide toilet paper, hand and body soap, one towel per guest, one pillow per guest and linens for each guest bed. That is the minimum, not the target.
Living room and entrance
| Item | Why | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Sofa (a sofa bed if you need sleeping places) | The most photographed room | Durable, easy-to-clean fabric |
| Dining table and chairs | As many seats as beds | Match your listed capacity |
| Smart TV with streaming apps | Widely searched for | Leave login instructions |
| Ambient lighting | Photos and evenings | Lamps or indirect LED |
| Blackout curtains | Dubai sun, jet lag | Essential on full-height glazing |
| Hooks or entry storage | Luggage, bags, keys | A place to drop suitcases |
According to Airbnb, the amenities guests search for most include wifi, air conditioning, a kitchen, a washer or dryer, self check-in and TV. In Dubai the AC comes with the apartment: just make sure it works properly in every room before the first booking.
Airbnb kitchen essentials checklist
The kitchen is where gaps show first. A common rule is to stock tableware for the apartment's maximum capacity, plus a margin so guests don't depend on the dishwasher between meals.
| Category | What to stock |
|---|---|
| Tableware | Dinner, soup and dessert plates, bowls, mugs, water and wine glasses |
| Cutlery and tools | Full cutlery sets, kitchen knives, spatula, ladle, wooden spoon |
| Cookware | Frying pans, saucepans, oven dish, chopping board |
| Small appliances | Kettle, coffee maker, toaster |
| Handy extras | Corkscrew, can opener, colander, scissors, food containers |
| Cleaning | Dish soap, sponges, tea towels, bin bags |
If your listing highlights the kitchen, guests will expect to cook a real meal. For a studio aimed at short stays, a simple but complete kitchen beats one cluttered with gadgets.
Get a fully equipped apartment
Bedroom
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| A good mattress and a mattress protector | Sleep quality drives reviews |
| Two pillows per person (common practice) | One firm, one soft: guests choose |
| Duvet or flat sheet depending on season | AC makes nights cool |
| Wardrobe, hangers, drawers | For multi-night stays |
| Bedside tables with sockets or USB ports | Charging by the bed |
| Full-length mirror | Often forgotten, always appreciated |
| Blackout curtains | A must with floor-to-ceiling windows |
Towel and sheet quantities deserve their own logic (rotation between cleanings), so we cover them in a separate guide rather than overloading this list.
Bathroom
- Bath and hand towels for every guest, a bath mat.
- Hairdryer.
- Hand soap, shampoo, shower gel (refillable dispensers or small sizes).
- Spare toilet paper.
- Lidded bin and toilet brush.
- A hook or towel rail per person if possible.
Laundry and cleaning
- Iron or steamer and ironing board.
- Drying rack if there is no dryer.
- Vacuum, broom, mop: for cleaning between stays, whoever does it.
- Laundry detergent for longer stays.
Safety
Airbnb strongly urges hosts to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in spaces with fuel-burning appliances, and suggests offering a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit. In Dubai, the safety requirements that apply to a holiday home are set by local authorities (DET, Civil Defence), and theirs is the version that counts. Check them for your unit; we cover the framework on our DTCM requirements page.
Add practical information too: emergency numbers, the building's evacuation plan, how the appliances work, posted or in the welcome guide.
Connectivity and welcome
- Fast wifi, with network name and password displayed.
- A desk corner if you target business travellers.
- Universal plug adapters: many guests arrive from abroad.
- A welcome guide: check-in, check-out, building rules, useful addresses.
Day-one consumables
Coffee, tea, sugar, salt, pepper, oil, bottled water, a few capsules if you have a machine. A small budget, and a detail guests notice on arrival.
What a BuildSure package already covers
Our Signature packages are not a checklist you finish yourself afterwards. A package includes everything the apartment needs to be ready to rent, including what DTCM rules require: bespoke furniture made in our own factory, décor, wall panelling and linen. We also handle the DTCM permit and the building access permits.
| Signature package | Max. area | Price (VAT incl.) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 38 m² | AED 35,000 |
| 1BR | 80 m² | AED 55,000 |
| 2BR | 120 m² | AED 80,000 |
| Larger | — | On quotation |
The apartment is ready to rent 3 weeks to 1 month after your order. See our holiday home furniture packages and how we approach Airbnb furnishing in Dubai.
Skip the shopping list
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Looking to invest in Dubai?
Invesure, our sister real estate agency, helps investors buy off-plan property in Dubai. At handover, BuildSure takes over and makes the apartment rental-ready. Message us and we'll introduce you.
Already a client of Invesure or BnbSure? Enjoy preferential pricing on your furnishing.Buying, furnishing, rental management — in any combination.
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And then, rental management?
BnbSure, our group's short-term rental management agency, can take over once your apartment is rental-ready. Message us and we'll make the introduction.
Already a client of Invesure or BnbSure? Enjoy preferential pricing on your furnishing.Buying, furnishing, rental management — in any combination.
Talk rental management on WhatsApp →
FAQ
FAQ
What are the Airbnb kitchen essentials?
Enough to cook a real meal: tableware and cutlery for maximum capacity, pans and saucepans, kettle, coffee maker, toaster, utensils and cleaning products. Add the small items people forget: corkscrew, can opener, scissors.
Which amenities are mandatory for a Dubai holiday home?
DET (formerly DTCM) sets them, and they can change. We don't publish a list we haven't read in the official text. See our DTCM requirements page and confirm with DET before you publish your listing.
How many plates, glasses and cutlery sets should I buy?
There is no official number. A common rule is to start from the apartment's maximum capacity and add a margin, so guests don't have to wash up after every meal.
What safety items should an Airbnb have?
Airbnb recommends smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit. In Dubai, local authority requirements are what count: check them for your unit.
What's left to buy after a BuildSure package?
A package includes everything the apartment needs to be ready to rent, including what DTCM rules require. What remains is mostly consumables (coffee, toiletries) and restocking between stays, which is part of day-to-day management.
Ready when your keys are
Delivered empty, ready to rent.
Send us your unit type, area and handover date — +971 58 534 0074.