Shared housing layout redesign in Dubai
A shared housing layout redesign reworks an apartment, villa or building that does not meet the rules, so every bedroom gives 5 m² per person and the required facilities are in place.
What we do
Many shared properties have rooms that are too small, too many people, or missing facilities. We survey the property and redesign the layout: resizing or removing partitions, setting the right number of people per room and providing the kitchen, bathroom, dining, recreation and laundry spaces. Then we prepare the drawings and obtain DCD approval and the DM permit.
Official sources: Dubai Municipality · Dubai Civil Defence · Khaleej Times report on the DM circular
Shared housing layout redesign: what is included
- Bedrooms: resize or combine rooms to meet 5 m² per person
- Facilities: add or free up dining, recreation and laundry space
- Partitions: move or remove walls, checked by our engineers
- Escape routes: keep exits clear for the DCD drawings
- Category: one category per unit: individual or family
- Drawings: new layout and fire safety drawings for approval
What to send us
- Title deed (owner), or tenancy contract with owner NOC (tenant)
- Emirates ID or passport
- Affection plan or site plan
- Existing drawings, if available; we can survey
- Photos of the rooms and facilities
- Trade licence, if a company owns or operates the property
Who does what
From check to permit
The order of the DCD and DM steps can vary; we confirm it for your property.
| Step | Approval route | Guides |
|---|---|---|
| Check the area and category You and us | Confirm the property is in an allowed area, and choose individual or family housing. | Allowed areas |
| Owner NOC (tenants) Owner | A tenant applies with a NOC from the owner. The owner NOC is enough; no other NOC is needed. | Tenants |
| Survey and layout drawings Structural Solutions | Rooms of at least 5 m² per person, plus kitchen, bathroom, dining, recreation and laundry. | Layout drawings |
| Structural check Structural Solutions | Partitions and any added loads are checked by our engineers. | — |
| Civil Defence (DCD) Structural Solutions → DCD | Fire and life safety approval for the shared accommodation. | DCD approval |
| Shared accommodation permit Structural Solutions → Dubai Municipality | The permit to operate the property as shared accommodation. | The permit |
How it works
How it works
1. Check
Area, category and occupancy for your property.
2. Drawings
Survey and layout drawings to the DM rules.
3. Approvals
DCD approval and the DM shared accommodation permit.
4. Operate
Rent the property as permitted shared accommodation.
Questions
Questions about shared housing layout redesign
When is a layout redesign needed?
When rooms are below 5 m² per person, facilities are missing, or partitions block escape routes.
Will I lose capacity?
Occupancy is set by the rules. We design the layout to reach the highest legal number for the property.
Do you supervise the changes on site?
We prepare the design and drawings and check that the built layout matches before approval.
Is the redesign approved by an authority?
Yes. The new layout goes to DCD and to Dubai Municipality for the shared accommodation permit.
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