Here’s how the UAE’s new credit score screening system will work for tenants and landlords.
Dubai: Is the UAE rental market entering a new phase of financial screening? Private landlords across the country can now access the credit scores of prospective tenants through a new “Tenant Screening” system launched by the Etihad Credit Bureau in collaboration with UAE PASS.
For UAE residents looking for housing, the change could gradually affect how rental applications are evaluated. For landlords, it provides an additional tool to assess payment risk before finalising tenancy agreements.
The system lets landlords view a tenant’s credit score only after receiving the tenant’s approval via UAE PASS, the country’s national digital identity platform. The feature was first showcased at GITEX 2025 by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and Digital Dubai, before being launched through the Etihad Credit Bureau mobile app in April 2026.
UAE tenant expectations
For tenants in the UAE, the introduction of credit screening means financial history may increasingly be considered alongside salary certificates, Emirates ID, visa status, and cheque arrangements during rental evaluations.
Under the new system, landlords can request a prospective tenant’s credit score via the Etihad Credit Bureau platform. The tenant then receives a notification through UAE PASS and can choose to approve or reject access to their information.
“The information is only shared once tenants approve the request through UAE PASS,” the Etihad Credit Bureau said. If the tenant declines, the landlord will not be able to access the credit score.
For many UAE residents, especially those applying for high-demand or high-value properties in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the system may become an additional factor in rental applications.
The platform may also give landlords greater insight into a tenant’s repayment history when evaluating financial reliability, including rent payments and post-dated cheques.
What if the credit score is low?
While the system is based on tenant consent and is not mandatory, landlords may request additional financial assurances in cases where tenants choose to share lower credit profiles. This may apply in situations involving missed loan repayments, high outstanding debt, cheque-related disputes, or an inconsistent payment history.
The Etihad Credit Bureau has not set any minimum credit score requirement for tenancy approvals, and the system is not currently compulsory for rental contracts.
What UAE landlords can gain
For landlords, the platform provides a formal way to screen financial reliability before signing tenancy agreements. Previously, many relied on factors such as employment status, salary level, employer reputation, post-dated cheques, and past tenancy records.
The Tenant Screening system now adds verified credit data to that assessment. However, landlords are still likely to consider broader indicators of financial behaviour, including repayment consistency and overall credit exposure. The tool may be especially useful for landlords leasing high-demand or high-value properties.
Why UAE PASS is central
A key element of the initiative is the use of UAE PASS as the approval gateway for sharing financial data. Officials describe it as part of the UAE’s growing “digital trust infrastructure,” designed to enable secure consent management and trusted data exchange.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “UAE PASS has evolved into a cornerstone of the UAE’s digital trust infrastructure, extending beyond digital identity to enable secure consent management and trusted data exchange.”
He added: “Our collaboration with the Etihad Credit Bureau reflects a strategic step toward activating a responsible data economy, empowering individuals with control over their data while enabling its use to deliver more transparent, efficient, and user-centric services.”
For UAE residents, this means the system is designed to ensure tenants retain full control over whether their financial information is shared.
Market-needed e-solution
The launch marks a broader expansion of the Etihad Credit Bureau’s role beyond traditional banking and lending services. Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, Director General of the bureau, described the initiative as a practical digital solution aligned with market needs.
“Tenant Screening is an excellent example of the positive outcomes that result from close collaboration with our strategic partners in government and the private sector to deliver digital services that are practical, easy to use, and aligned with market needs,” he said.
He added: “By integrating the sharing of trusted credit data through the UAE PASS platform, along with enhancing cheque scanning with AI, we continue to boost transparency and confidence through new use cases in key sectors.”
AI-powered cheque screening
Alongside Tenant Screening, the Etihad Credit Bureau has also upgraded its Cheque Clearance Indicator feature using artificial intelligence. The bureau said the system helps cheque recipients assess the likelihood of a cheque being cleared based on the issuer’s credit history.
In practical terms, this could be particularly useful for UAE landlords who continue to rely on post-dated cheques for rent payments. Officials said the combined services could help reduce:
- bounced cheque risks
- rental payment disputes
- delayed rent settlements
The bureau also said the services are intended to “boost confidence across real estate transactions.”
Not a mandatory credit-check
The UAE does not currently have a mandatory tenant credit-check system similar to some international markets. However, the launch could gradually influence expectations between tenants, landlords, and property managers.
Over time, UAE residents applying for housing may increasingly be asked to share credit information as part of rental applications. Credit data may also become one of several factors considered in decisions around the number of cheques accepted, upfront payment requirements, security deposits, and lease approval timelines.
The initiative also aligns with the UAE government’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, said the initiative supports the UAE’s vision of “building an interconnected digital ecosystem that enables trusted data exchange.”
He added that the collaboration reflects the country’s commitment to “advancing innovative digital business models that support the digital economy and advance the goals of digital transformation.”
What could be the next steps?
As the service rolls out, several questions remain for UAE residents and landlords, including whether screening fees will be introduced, how widely landlords and brokers will adopt the system, and whether any minimum credit score thresholds will be required.
Other considerations include how disputes over inaccurate credit information will be handled during tenancy evaluations.
The bureau said it plans to continue developing the Tenant Screening platform with the real estate sector and expand further consent-based services through UAE PASS.
For both UAE tenants and landlords, the launch signals a gradual move toward more data-driven leasing decisions, where verified financial information may increasingly be used as part of rental assessments.
