Dubai introduced Law No 4 of 2026 on 26 August, setting stricter standards for shared accommodation across the emirate.

The law requires residential properties to be classified either for families or for individual workers, prohibiting mixed use within the same building.

Each bedroom must be at least five square metres, and one full bathroom is required for every four occupants.

Family‑shared units must give each household a private bedroom and dedicated bathroom facilities.

Dubai Municipality has reserved major roads such as Sheikh Zayed, Jumeirah, Baniyas and Al Wasl for family‑oriented shared housing, limiting individual‑worker units to other zones.

Owners must dedicate entire buildings or villas to shared accommodation; mixed‑use developments can no longer host sub‑let rooms.

Kenya’s Ministry of Trade estimates the Kenyan community in Dubai at 30,000‑50,000, many of whom rely on shared housing to offset high rental costs.

A digital Shared Housing Register now requires tenancy agreements to be entered electronically before they gain legal recognition, aiming to improve transparency and enforcement.

Property owners have a one‑year transition period ending August 2027 to bring existing units into compliance, though unauthorised structural changes must be corrected immediately.

Tenants already in compliant shared accommodation will retain their homes, but those in informal or non‑conforming setups may need to secure alternative housing before the deadline.