According to local media, Saudi citizens can now rent out their homes to Hajj pilgrims.
The Mecca-based Pilgrims’ Housing Committee said that it has started to consider petitions from locals looking to rent out homes to accommodate Hajj pilgrims.
The committee advised homeowners who intended to rent out their residences to get in touch with the appropriate engineering departments to complete the necessary paperwork for getting permits.
The mayor of Mecca said that it would keep taking applicants. The housing units will be examined by engineering consulting firms approved by the mayoralty and Civil Defense to ensure they comply with the rules and give a “fitness certificate.” The Pilgrims’ Housing Committee will grant permits for the flats in light of this.
The committee urged building owners to satisfy all necessary safety and security measures in accordance with the rules for construction, as well as for information on requirements for obtaining permits.
To support the private hospitality sector, Saudi Arabia approved a bylaw permitting its people to rent out their housing units to tourists, according to the state-owned news agency SPA.
According to the bylaw on private tourism hospitality issued by Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi nationals may apply for permission to charge tourists a fee to stay in their residential units.
A private tourist lodging establishment must comply with the new regulation by being located on land that is either zoned for residential or agricultural use. There can be no more than three permits issued to one person on one property.
The filing of an electronic title deed or an electronic lease contract that establishes the applicant’s ownership or use of the subject property is one of the requirements for obtaining permission from the government.