Short-Term Rentals in DHA Lahore

Short-term rentals in DHA Lahore are furnished houses, portions and flats let by the night or week, but DHA's 2026 bylaws bar guest houses and commercial use in residential zones and Punjab requires Hotel Eye guest registration, so hosts and guests should check the unit's status first.

Short-term rentals in DHA Lahore are furnished houses, portions and apartments let by the night, week or month. DHA's own bylaws bar guest houses in residential zones, and Punjab's Hotel Eye rules apply to stays booked online, so check how a unit is run before you book or list it.

What short-term stays in DHA look like

Most short stays in DHA are one of three things: a furnished portion of a house, a whole furnished house for families visiting from abroad, or an apartment in a commercial building. Typical guests include visiting overseas families, wedding guests, patients and business travellers.

Licensed hotels exist in and around DHA too. The Punjab tourism department's register of hotels lists entries on Khayaban-e-Iqbal, in DHA Phase 1, and in Eden City near DHA Phase 8.

What DHA's rules say

DHA Lahore's Construction and Development Bylaws 2026 state that a residential zone may not be used, wholly or partly, for commercial activity, guest houses, clinics, gymnasiums, tuition centres or similar uses. Converting a residential plot to another use needs Executive Board approval.

The bylaws don't mention nightly lets of a private home by name. Whether a furnished house let by the night counts as a "guest house" is a question for DHA, in writing, before you list. DHA's general enforcement tools include orders to remove violations, disconnection of services and cancellation of permission.

Commercial buildings are different. DHA allows the upper two floors of a commercial building to be used as residential with prior approval, which is where many serviced apartments sit.

Hotel Eye and police reporting

In May 2025, Punjab extended Hotel Eye from hotels to all private guest houses and residential service providers. Guests in properties booked through international booking platforms must be entered on arrival, through hoteleye.punjab.gov.pk.

The Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015 requires guest details to reach police within 24 hours of check-in for hotels, and tenants within 15 days for ordinary landlords. Penalties reach six months' imprisonment, a fine of Rs10,000 to Rs100,000, or both.

Benchmark: what the same unit earns on a lease

There is no official data on nightly rates or occupancy in DHA. Before converting a house to short stays, compare it with a normal lease.

Source: Houseplot's indicative rent data (Oct 2026). A short stay has to beat these figures after cleaning, utilities, wear, platform fees and empty nights.

On tax, Punjab charges 16% sales tax on non-residential rent from July 2025, while residential leases for personal use are exempt. Ask the PRA how nightly lets are treated. Rental income is also taxable by FBR.

Checks for guests

1. Book units that give a full address and the host's name; pay through the platform or with a receipt.
2. Expect to share your CNIC or passport for Hotel Eye entry. That is normal.
3. Check what is included: electricity, backup power, internet, cleaning.
4. Ask whether the unit is a house in a residential street or an apartment in a commercial block.
5. Take photos on arrival so the security deposit isn't disputed.

Checks for owners

1. Get DHA's written view on short stays in your phase and building.
2. Register on Hotel Eye and keep guest records.
3. Check your insurance and lease terms, if you are a tenant sub-letting; the Rented Premises Act lists sub-letting without written consent as a ground for eviction.
4. Keep a cleaning and maintenance log.

Red flags

• A host who won't take guest ID or says Hotel Eye doesn't apply.
• Listings with no exact address until after payment.
• Large cash deposits with no receipt.
• Units advertised as "guest house" on a residential DHA plot.

Sources