Dubai landlords offered new protection against unpaid rent as Flexi Rent expands

Dubai landlords are being offered new protection against missed rent payments as Keyper launches Rental Shield amid the shift towards flexible rental payments.

Dubai landlords are being offered new protection against missed rental payments as the property market moves towards more flexible monthly, quarterly and semi-annual payment options.

UAE proptech platform Keyper has launched Rental Shield, which is designed to protect property owners against missed rent if a tenant stops paying.

The service applies regardless of whether rent is being collected monthly, quarterly or annually.

The launch comes as the Dubai Land Department’s Flexi Rent initiative enables participating real estate companies to offer tenants monthly, quarterly and semi-annual rental payment options.

Keyper said Rental Shield is intended to give property owners greater certainty over their rental income as payment structures become more flexible.

Dubai landlords offered missed rent protection

Rental Shield combines protection against missed payments with tenant vetting and Keyper’s existing rental management services.

Tenant screening is carried out before a tenant enters a property using the same screening approach as Keyper’s Rent Now, Pay Monthly service.

Existing tenants may also qualify for Rental Shield if they meet Keyper’s eligibility criteria, including a minimum history of good payment behaviour.

Omar Abu Innab, Co-Founder and CEO of Keyper, said: “Property ownership should come with control and visibility, not uncertainty.

“With Rental Shield, we are addressing one of the most fundamental concerns property owners have, what happens if a tenant stops paying? By combining tenant vetting, upfront rent and rental protection, Keyper is building a more complete proposition for owners who want the benefits of renting out their property without having to carry every operational and payment risk themselves.”

Dubai rental market

The new service is launching against the backdrop of a large Dubai rental market.

Dubai registered 1.38m tenancy contracts in 2025, an increase of 6 per cent year-on-year, according to figures cited by Keyper.

The total value of registered contracts increased 17 per cent to AED126.4bn ($34.4bn).

Rental Shield expands Keyper’s existing services for property owners, which include payment management and Upfront Rent.

Under Upfront Rent, eligible property owners can access their full annual rental income within 48 hours, subject to approval.

Keyper’s payment management service covers rent collection, global distribution, expense management and performance reporting.

Walid Shihabi, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Keyper, said: “Renting out a property has traditionally meant that owners carry the responsibility for finding the right tenant, collecting rent and dealing with what happens when something goes wrong.

“We believe technology can take much more of that burden away. Rental Shield is another step towards making property ownership simpler, more predictable and more transparent for owners.”

Who can access Rental Shield?

Rental Shield will initially be available to property owners already within the Keyper ecosystem, including existing owners using the company’s rental payment management services.

Keyper said the service will subsequently be expanded more broadly.

Property owners interested in the service can contact a Keyper relationship manager to determine eligibility and access the offering.

The company’s Rent Now, Pay Monthly service separately enables tenants to pay annual rent in monthly instalments rather than through a single annual cheque.

Keyper said its services are designed to cover different stages of the rental process, from tenant screening and rent collection to accessing rental income and protection against missed payments.

The launch comes as Dubai’s wider property market continues to expand.

Dubai recorded AED252bn ($68.6bn) in real estate transactions during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 31 per cent year-on-year.

The period included 57,744 investment transactions worth AED173bn ($47.1bn).