Dubai: Tired of transacting with problematic tenants or landlords? Here’s a new way to check for any recorded rental problems before you sign on the dotted line — a Rental Good Conduct Certificate.

The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre in Dubai has launched a new service that will allow landlords — both individuals and real estate management companies — and tenants, whether individuals or companies, to know about the other’s rental history.

Judge Abdul Qader Mousa, the centre’s director, said the centre introduced the service after observing many incidents in which tenants would rent a unit and only pay the first instalment that was agreed upon.

The tenants would then default on the other instalments, and once the tenancy contract would expire, they would rent another unit.

Mousa said that the service, which can be accessed on the centre’s app on Android and Apple smartphones, would allow real estate companies to inquire about the rental history of potential tenants.

He pointed out that the service will present the information without violating the country’s confidentiality laws.

Benefits

Mousa said that the service provides many benefits, with clients being able to inquire whether there are rental-related rulings issued against them, so that they can avoid any surprises concerning arrests, travel bans or the seizure of their accounts and properties.

It also allows landlords to inquire about individuals, and whether any tenancy-related rulings were previously issued against them.

This will allow them to decide whether they want to enter into a tenancy contract based on authentic information.

Tenants can also check information about landlords by keying in their personal details such as Emirates ID and full name.

Confidence

Mousa pointed out that the service will help boost the confidence of tenants and landlords, and curb disputes that might arise between them.

Hisham Abdullah Al Qasim, CEO of wasl Asset Management Group, said that step is the ideal solution for addressing this issue, which might affect real estate management companies.

When Gulf News tried the new service, a Rental Good Certificate was issued within less than a second after the required details were filled in the app.

— with inputs from WAM

How it works

1) Download the Rental Disputes Centre App.

2) Select your preferred language.

3) Click on the “Rental Good Conduct” Certificate icon.

4) If you are a tenant and you want an RGC Certificate, choose “person” or “company”, key in your Emirates ID, full name as indicated in the ID, mobile number and email address.

5) You will receive a prompt and an SMS response in less than a second. If no enforcement cases are found against you, the RGC Certificate will be emailed to you right away. The same procedure goes for the leaser. You may also request your status by clicking on the third box.