How UAE Landlords Can Now Screen Tenants Using Credit Scores

A new Tenant Screening service launched by the Etihad Credit Bureau in collaboration with UAE PASS has given private landlords across the UAE the ability to access a prospective tenant's credit score. This can be accessed before signing a lease, with the tenant's explicit digital consent.

It is one of the most significant structural changes to Dubai's rental market in years, and its implications extend equally to landlords, tenants, and the broader trajectory of how property transactions work in the UAE.

What Is the Etihad Credit Bureau Tenant Screening Service?

The new Tenant Screening service was created by Etihad Credit Bureau and became operational in April 2026. It allows landlords to formally request a prospective tenant's credit information through a regulated, consent-driven digital process, replacing the informal, document-heavy approach that has defined tenant evaluation in the UAE until now.

The service was developed through a collaboration between Etihad Credit Bureau and UAE PASS, the UAE's national digital identity platform, alongside the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and Digital Dubai.

It has been described as the product of government and private sector collaboration aimed at providing practical, easy-to-use digital solutions aligned with market needs.

The launch is not based on new legislation; it operates under existing legal frameworks, primarily Federal Law No. 6 of 2010 on Credit Information, which already allows non-financial entities to access credit reports with an individual's consent, and Cabinet Resolution No. 115 of 2021, which operationalises access to credit data for non-financial institutions.

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, you can access the service through the Etihad Credit Bureau app and website, alongside existing tools including the credit score report and credit report.

The Consent-Based Process

The system is entirely consent-driven where a landlord cannot access any tenant financial data without an explicit digital approval from the tenant themselves. Here is how it works step by step:

1. The landlord submits a request for the prospective tenant's credit score through the Etihad Credit Bureau platform
2. The tenant receives a notification through UAE PASS on their mobile device
3. The tenant reviews the request and decides whether to approve or decline access
4. If approved, the credit score is released to the landlord through the secure platform
5. If declined, the landlord receives no financial information whatsoever

The information is only shared once tenants approve the request through UAE PASS. This puts financial data control firmly in the hands of the tenant, not the landlord. This reflects the UAE government's positioning of the service as part of a responsible data economy rather than a surveillance tool.

How The Tenant Screening Service Affects Landlords

For landlords, the Tenant Screening service represents the most significant upgrade to pre-tenancy due diligence available in the UAE market. Until now, landlords in the UAE largely relied on salary certificates, bank statements, employer details, and post-dated cheques while evaluating tenants.

Each of these provides a snapshot of a tenant's current financial position but says little about their history of actually repaying obligations, which is precisely what a credit score reveals.

The legal position on using credit scores in rental decisions is clear. UAE tenancy laws do not regulate how landlords select prospective tenants, nor do they impose any obligation to accept an applicant.

As a landlord, you are legally free to decline a tenancy application based on a low credit score or any other financial risk indicator. This means you can use credit scores as part of your selection criteria, particularly for high-value properties, units requiring multiple post-dated cheques, or premium apartments where financial exposure is higher.

It is important to note that the service is not mandatory. The Tenant Screening system is a practical addition to the rental landscape rather than a regulatory requirement.

If you choose to use it, you gain an additional layer of verified financial information. Those who do not are free to continue with existing screening methods. However, industry observers widely expect the tool to become standard practice, particularly in competitive segments of the market.

One critical boundary: a landlord cannot evict an existing tenant simply on the basis of their credit score declining. The Etihad Credit Bureau service is purely a pre-contract screening tool and does not amend tenancy legislation or create any new eviction rights.

How The Tenant Screening Service Affects Tenants

For tenants in the UAE, the implications of this development are equally significant, and require a shift in how you approach your own financial profile.

The consent requirement is absolute: if you decline, the landlord will not be able to access your credit score. You retain full control over who sees your financial data.

However, declining a landlord's request for a credit check, particularly in competitive rental markets where multiple applicants are competing for the same property, may itself become a signal that landlords factor into their decision.

Conversely, applicants with poor repayment histories, bounced cheques, or high debt obligations could face greater scrutiny. Landlords may also begin demanding higher security deposits or additional guarantees from tenants with weaker credit profiles.

What you should do now:

• Check your own credit score: Before applying for a rental property, accessible through the Etihad Credit Bureau app and website.
• Review your full credit report: Check for any errors, outdated information, or debts that have since been settled and should be updated
• Clear outstanding financial obligations: Wherever possible to improve your score ahead of applications
• Be aware of bounced cheque history: These carry significant weight in the UAE scoring model and can materially affect a credit score
• Understand that declining a request is your right: But be prepared for landlords to consider that decision as part of their overall assessment

For newer UAE residents who have not yet built a local credit history, the system may present initial challenges. Establishing a track record of on-time loan repayments, credit card payments, and financial obligations in the UAE is increasingly valuable, not just for mortgages, but now for your rental applications too.

Navigate the New Screening Landscape With Prosper

The launch of the Etihad Credit Bureau Tenant Screening service marks a meaningful shift in how Dubai's rental market assesses financial risk.

What it does not change is the complexity of managing a property well after a tenant moves in. Screening the right tenant is the first step. Keeping the tenancy running smoothly with renewals handled proactively, documents stored securely, vacancies minimized, and performance tracked in real time, is where most landlords still need support.

That is where Prosper comes in.

Prosper gives Dubai's landlords the platform to operate at the standard this market now demands. From proactive renewal management that begins 110 days before expiry to pocket listings that match demand with upcoming vacancies.

A dedicated Relationship Manager is also assigned for every landlord along with a secure digital vault for every document in the tenancy lifecycle,

Download Prosper today to seamlessly manage your properties in Dubai.