Meet Alex: A finance professional by day, Alex bought his first property – a one-bedroom in Downtown Dubai – in 2018. He lived in it initially, but in 2019 his job sent him abroad for a 1-year assignment. Rather than leave it empty or do a long-term lease, he decided to try Airbnb (short-term rental) while away, figuring he’d want to use the apartment when he visited Dubai.
We helped him furnish it nicely and list it.
Year 1 on Airbnb: Despite being new to hosting, Alex saw incredible results. His Downtown unit was almost fully booked during the cooler months and still had decent occupancy in summer. By the time he returned to Dubai in late 2020, the apartment had grossed ~AED 160,000 in rentals – far above the ~AED 100k it would’ve made on a normal lease. Even after costs and management fees (he hired a co-host to help in his absence), he netted around AED 120k (which covered his mortgage and then some!). Thrilled, Alex moved into a cheaper rental for himself and kept his Downtown pad running as an Airbnb. He had caught the bug!Scaling the Strategy: In 2021, with travel roaring back post-Covid, Alex reinvested his profits plus savings into two more one-bedrooms – one in Dubai Marina and one in Business Bay,
targeting tourist and corporate visitor areas. We assisted in setting those up for short-term stays (keyless entry locks, hotel-grade linens, stocked kitchens). Alex applied all the hosting lessons he learned: professional photography, dynamic pricing, automated messaging to guests, the works.
Sure enough, both new units took off on Airbnb. The Marina one (sea view, near beach) was hitting 85% occupancy and commanding high nightly rates (especially during winter – $200+/night) uniqueproperties.ae. The Business Bay one catered to business travelers (close to DIFC) with ~75% occupancy at moderate rates (longer stays common). By end of 2022, these two combined grossed about AED 270k that year, adding ~AED 200k net to Alex’s income. Along with his Downtown unit, his short-term rental portfolio of 3 units was netting roughly AED 350k/year – effectively doubling his employment income!
Lifestyle Impact: What started as a side experiment had become a significant income stream. Alex joked he was making “CEO-level passive income” from just three apartments. It also gave him flexibility – he could block off his Downtown unit for a week whenever he wanted to stay there (and he did, doing staycations in his own place, basically letting guests pay for his asset while he enjoyed it occasionally). In early 2023, he quit his demanding finance job to pursue other passions, partly enabled by the financial freedom his Airbnb business afforded. He still spends maybe 10 hours a week monitoring and tweaking things, but otherwise has effectively semi-retired in his 30s!
What He Did Right (Key Takeaways):
● Location & Differentiation: He chose prime spots and tailored each to a niche (Downtown = tourists/shoppers, Marina = holidaymakers/beachgoers, Business Bay = business travelers). Each listing highlighted those strengths in title and description. He even gave them brand-like names, e.g., “Marina Sunsets 1BR – Beachfront”.
● Top-notch Host Practices: He became a Superhost by maintaining over 4.9★ ratings – achieved by fast communication, immaculate cleaning (he hired a great cleaning company), and thoughtful touches (he left a handwritten welcome note and chocolates for each guest – guests raved in reviews about the hospitality). This boosted him in search results, leading to more bookings air-dxb.com.
● Pricing Smartly: He used a pricing tool to raise rates during peak weeks (e.g., New Year’s, big conventions – he charged 3x normal during New Year’s and still got bookings!) and to drop rates slightly to fill last-minute gaps. This maximized revenue – for instance, Marina is quiet in summer, but he got a 2-month booking from a European family at a decent rate by being competitively priced in June. It beat being empty.
● Scaling with Systems: As he added units, he invested in channel manager software to manage all listings in one dashboard. He hired a part-time assistant to coordinate cleanings and maintenance among all 3 units (shared cost). In essence, he started running it like a professional micro-hotel. That kept quality up even as he scaled – no drop in service levels.
By mid-2023, Alex decided to leverage his success further: he’s in the process of buying a fourth unit off-plan (due next year) and plans to maybe co-host for other owners (turning his expertise into another income stream). In a span of ~4 years, he went from a single rental to a thriving hospitality business with substantial assets – all via one-bed apartments on Airbnb.
Conclusion: Alex’s journey shows that with the right strategy and service, one-bedroom apartments can generate phenomenal returns in Dubai’s short-term rental market. What started as a side hustle not only provided financial security but also a new career path he’s passionate about.
Feeling inspired by Alex’s story? If you own a property (or are considering buying) and want to explore the short-term rental route, let’s talk. I can help analyze your unit’s Airbnb potential, advise on furnishing and setup, or connect you with top management services.
Whether you aim to supplement your salary or potentially replace it like Alex did, I’m here to guide you every step. Dubai’s travel boom is real – why not be part of it? Message me to start your own success story on Airbnb. 🌟🏠💵
