When the home works but the homeowner doesn’t
Mahwussh Alam
Sometimes a Dubai holiday home is in the right building, the right size and fully booked, and it still fails, because the landlord’s expectations don’t match the market. At One Perfect Stay I’ve learned to vet the homeowner as carefully as the home.
In my last post I wrote about the homes I say No to. This one is about the people.
Why is promising 30% more than an annual lease a mistake?
My favourite pet peeve: promising the homeowner 30% more than an annual lease.
Tell the truth and take control. Run the numbers, visit the place and understand the dynamics. A promise made to win the contract becomes the stick the landlord beats you with later.
What happens when a landlord overpaid for the property?
Sometimes it’s not the home. It’s the size, or the landlord himself.
Take a one-bedroom running at 100% occupancy in a Downtown tower. The landlord bought it 30% above today’s market price and is now twisting the operator’s arm to wave a magic wand and make 30% more than an annual lease.
How does that work? It doesn’t. No operator can fix the price someone paid.
What are the red flags in a holiday home landlord?
Then there are the cases where everything sits well except the homeowner. We know from the start it won’t end well, yet we take them on and regret it later.
The signs are wrong expectations:
- refusing to pay onboarding
- haggling over the management fee
- interfering with rates
- blocking the calendar out of nowhere
This ends in tears.
Why saying No matters more than saying Yes
It’s not as if I haven’t made these mistakes myself. Of course I have. I took on homes that drained us and landlords I hoped would change.
They didn’t.
So I say it to myself and to anyone listening: saying No matters more than saying Yes.
FAQ
Can a holiday home in Dubai earn 30% more than an annual lease?
Some can, many can’t. It depends on the building, size, location and season. An honest operator runs the numbers and visits the home before giving any estimate, rather than promising a fixed premium to win the contract.
What are the warning signs of a difficult holiday home landlord?
Refusing to pay onboarding, haggling over the management fee, interfering with rates and blocking the calendar without notice. Each shows expectations that don’t match how short-term rental works, and at One Perfect Stay these usually mean the partnership will not last.
Why would a holiday home operator turn down a landlord?
Because a mismatch costs both sides. The landlord ends up disappointed and the operator’s team gets stretched. Saying No early is kinder and cheaper than ending a management agreement in tears a few months later.
Mahwussh Alam is the founder and CEO of One Perfect Stay, a DET-licensed holiday home operator in Dubai. oneperfectstay.com