Short-Stay and Subletting in Dhaka: What Landlords Should Consider

Dhaka's rental market is changing. Alongside traditional year-long family tenancies, there is growing demand for furnished flats for a few days or weeks: visiting probashi families home for Eid, patients coming to the capital for treatment, consultants on short assignments, students between hostels, and tourists. At the same time, many landlords discover that a tenant has quietly sublet a room, or even the entire flat, to other people. Both trends raise the same question: should you allow short-stay and subletting in Dhaka, and if so, on what terms?

This guide gives landlords a balanced view. It explains the difference between subletting, sharing and short-stay letting, the income potential and the real costs, the legal and police-information points to consider, the effect on neighbours and building security, and practical clauses and systems if you decide to allow it. It also covers how to respond if you discover unauthorised subletting. It is general information; check legal specifics with a lawyer.

Subletting, Sharing and Short-Stay: Know the Difference

The last category is where most problems occur: you carry the risk of strangers in your building without any relationship with them.

What the Law and Agreements Generally Say

Under the Premises Rent Control Act, 1991, subletting without the landlord's written consent is broadly recognised as a ground on which a landlord may seek to recover possession. Most written rental agreements in Bangladesh also include an explicit "no subletting without written permission" clause. Our plain-English overview of the Premises Rent Control Act 1991 explains the wider framework.

Short-stay letting by the owner is a different matter: it is essentially running a furnished accommodation business. Depending on scale and structure, you may need to think about trade licences, VAT, income tax on the earnings, building or association rules, and any regulations for hotels or guest houses. Requirements can depend on how the activity is classified, so check with a lawyer, your city corporation and a tax adviser before starting at scale.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules on licensing, taxation and guest registration can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authorities and a qualified professional.

The Income Case: Does Short-Stay Really Pay More?

Nightly or weekly rates look attractive, but short-stay income is uneven and costs are much higher than for a long-term tenancy. Always compare net, not gross.

For example (illustrative): a furnished 2-bedroom flat could be let long-term at Tk 30,000 per month, with the tenant paying utilities. Alternatively, the landlord tries short stays at Tk 2,500 per night.

In this illustration, short-stay nets only Tk 45,000 - Tk 28,750 = Tk 16,250, far less than long-term letting. Short-stay only beats long-term at higher occupancy or nightly rates. For instance, at 80% occupancy (24 nights) the gross becomes Tk 60,000, and with platform fees of Tk 9,000 and other costs rising modestly, net might approach or exceed long-term, but with much more work and risk. Run your own numbers honestly before switching.

Risks Landlords Must Weigh

Security and neighbours

• A steady flow of unknown guests changes the character of a residential building and can worry other families.
• Guards cannot easily verify guests they have never seen.
• Noise, parties and late arrivals cause complaints.

Police information and identity

Dhaka landlords are expected to provide tenant information to police, commonly through the DMP tenant information form. With short stays or subtenants, you may not even know who is living in your flat. At minimum, keep copies of each guest's NID or passport and a register of stay dates. For foreign guests, check what registration applies. See our DMP tenant information form guide.

Property damage and wear

Furniture, mattresses, bathroom fittings and appliances wear much faster with frequent turnover.

Loss of control

If your tenant sublets without permission, the people actually living in your flat have no contract with you. If they cause damage or refuse to leave, resolving it can be complicated.

Building and association rules

Many apartment owners' associations prohibit commercial short-stay use or require prior approval. Breaking these rules can lead to disputes with other owners.

If You Allow Subletting: Set Clear Conditions

Some landlords are comfortable with limited subletting, for example a family renting one room to a relative or a working professional, or a tenant sharing the flat with approved roommates. If you allow it, put the conditions in writing:

• Prior written consent for each subtenant, with name, NID and phone number.
• Maximum number of occupants in the flat.
• Main tenant remains fully responsible for rent, damage and behaviour of subtenants.
• No short-stay or platform listings unless separately agreed.
• Police information for each subtenant submitted and updated.
• House rules apply equally to subtenants.
• Right to withdraw consent with reasonable notice if rules are broken.

Sample clause: "The Tenant shall not sublet, assign or part with possession of the premises or any part of it, including through short-term or online booking arrangements, without the prior written consent of the Landlord. Where consent is given, the Tenant shall provide the full name, NID or passport copy and contact number of each occupant, and shall remain fully liable for rent, utilities, damage and the conduct of all occupants."

If You Run Short-Stays Yourself: A Practical System

1. Check permissions with the building association and, where needed, licensing and tax requirements.
2. Furnish properly with durable items, and keep an inventory with photos.
3. Set house rules: guest limits, quiet hours, no parties, smoking rules, check-in and check-out times.
4. Verify every guest: NID or passport copy, phone number, purpose of stay.
5. Take a refundable security deposit and inspect at check-out.
6. Keep a guest register and share arrival details with the gate guard.
7. Arrange reliable cleaning and laundry between stays.
8. Keep accounts per booking: income, fees, utilities, cleaning, repairs.

Some landlords find a middle path works best: medium-term furnished lets of one to six months for consultants, patients' families or probashi visitors, with a proper short agreement. This offers higher rent than unfurnished long-term lets without the constant turnover of nightly stays.

Medium-Term Furnished Lets: A Closer Look

Medium-term lets deserve a closer look because they suit Dhaka's specific demand well. Families coming from districts for extended medical treatment, overseas Bangladeshis spending a few months at home, NGO and development-sector consultants, and professionals relocating while they search for a permanent home all need furnished accommodation for weeks or months rather than nights.

For example (illustrative): the same furnished 2-bedroom flat is let for three-month terms at Tk 40,000 per month including utilities, with a two-week gap between guests. Over a year, that is roughly 11 occupied months: 11 x Tk 40,000 = Tk 440,000 gross. Suppose utilities cost Tk 7,000 per occupied month (11 x Tk 7,000 = Tk 77,000), cleaning and minor repairs between lets total Tk 20,000, and furniture wear is Tk 24,000 for the year. Net income is Tk 440,000 - Tk 77,000 - Tk 20,000 - Tk 24,000 = Tk 319,000, or about Tk 26,600 per month. That is a little below the Tk 29,000 net of a long-term tenancy in our earlier illustration, but far above the short-stay figure, with a fraction of the turnover. Whether it suits you depends on the demand in your area and the rent you can actually achieve, so treat these numbers as a method, not a forecast.

Paperwork for medium-term lets

• A short written agreement stating the term, rent, what is included, deposit and house rules.
• NID or passport copies for all adult occupants and police information where required.
• A signed inventory with photos of furniture and appliances.
• Meter readings at check-in and check-out if utilities are capped or shared.

Check-In, Check-Out and Deposits

Whether stays are short or medium, a consistent process protects your property and avoids arguments:

1. Before arrival: collect ID copies and confirm the number of guests; inform the gate guard with names and dates.
2. At check-in: walk through the flat, show the inventory, explain house rules and emergency contacts, and take the deposit with a receipt.
3. During the stay: respond quickly to problems; a helpful response prevents bad reviews and damage.
4. At check-out: inspect against the inventory, note meter readings, collect keys and return the deposit promptly minus any documented deductions.

Discovering Unauthorised Subletting

Signs your tenant may be subletting: unfamiliar faces coming and going, the tenant rarely seen, a listing of your flat online, more occupants than agreed, or complaints from neighbours about constant visitors. If you suspect it:

1. Gather facts calmly: guard's visitor register, CCTV, any online listing screenshots.
2. Talk to the tenant privately and ask directly.
3. Refer to the agreement: remind them of the no-subletting clause in writing.
4. Offer options: stop the subletting within a set time, or regularise it with your written consent and conditions.
5. If it continues, give proper written notice under the agreement and take legal advice about ending the tenancy lawfully.

Avoid confrontation with subtenants, cutting utilities or changing locks; follow lawful steps only. Our eviction notice guide explains the general process.

Fairness: Bachelors, Students and Shared Flats

Shared living is a normal and necessary part of Dhaka's housing market, especially for students and young professionals. Allowing approved roommates is not the same as allowing uncontrolled subletting. Judge applicants on objective criteria, such as verified identity, ability to pay and willingness to follow house rules, not on assumptions about groups. A clear sharing agreement with named occupants often works well for everyone. For more, see rules for roommates sharing a flat.

Common Mistakes

• No subletting clause in the agreement.
• Allowing subletting verbally without names, IDs or conditions.
• Switching to short-stay based on gross nightly rates without calculating costs and vacancy.
• Ignoring association rules and upsetting other owners.
• Not informing guards about approved guests.
• No guest register or ID copies, creating security and police-information gaps.
• Heavy-handed reactions to discovered subletting instead of lawful, documented steps.

A Decision Checklist

• Does my agreement clearly address subletting and short-stay?
• Does the building association permit it?
• Have I calculated realistic net income, including occupancy and all costs?
• Can I or a manager handle check-ins, cleaning and guest verification reliably?
• Do I have a system for guest IDs and registers?
• Have I checked licensing and tax implications?
• Would a medium-term furnished let give most of the benefit with less risk?

Final Thoughts

Short-stay and subletting are not automatically good or bad. For some Dhaka landlords, a well-run furnished flat or carefully approved sharing arrangement brings extra income and serves real needs. For many others, the extra work, wear, security concerns and neighbour friction outweigh the gain, and a stable long-term tenant remains the better choice. Whatever you decide, write it into the agreement, verify everyone who lives in your property, and keep clear records.

Clear records of who is in your building matter more with higher turnover. Bariwala ERP lets landlords keep tenant profiles including family members and NID details, record visitors, manage agreements and track rent and deposits, which helps whether you run long-term tenancies, approved shared flats or medium-term furnished lets.