Shared housing site survey in Dubai
A shared housing site survey is the first step to the permit: our team measures every bedroom and shared facility so the layout, occupancy and approvals are based on the real property.
What we do
We visit the apartment, villa or building, measure each bedroom and the kitchen, bathrooms, dining, recreation and laundry areas, note escape routes and existing partitions, and photograph the rooms. From the survey we set the legal occupancy at 5 m² per person and prepare the drawings for DCD and Dubai Municipality.
Official sources: Dubai Municipality · Dubai Civil Defence · Khaleej Times report on the DM circular
Shared housing site survey: what is included
- Bedrooms: floor area of each room, to set how many people it can take
- Facilities: the required kitchen, bathroom, dining, recreation and laundry
- Partitions: existing partitions recorded for the structural and fire check
- Escape routes: doors, corridors and exits for the DCD drawings
- Photos: a photo record for the application
- Existing drawings: compared with the property as built, if you have them
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 site survey
Why is a site survey needed for shared housing?
The permit depends on real room sizes and facilities. The survey sets the legal occupancy and is the base for the DCD and DM drawings.
Can you use my existing drawings instead?
We use them as a reference, but rooms are checked on site because partitions and layouts often differ from the original drawings.
Who needs to be there during the survey?
The owner, tenant or someone with access to every room.
What happens after the survey?
We prepare the layout and fire safety drawings, check partitions and submit for DCD approval and the DM permit.
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