When deciding to rent a house, finding the right landlord is just as important as the right house. As a tenant in the UAE, you can investigate a landlord’s past rental track contract to see if there have been any rental cases filed against them. This can be done by requesting a Rental Good Conduct (RGC) Certificate from the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

An RGC Certificate, as introduced by the Rental Dispute Centre in 2018, is a certification service which allows the rental agreement parties to inquire about each other with their consent. By this practice, the landlord can know how committed the tenant is or has been to previous landlords, and similarly, the tenant can know how the landlord deals with their tenants and if they have been subjected to any tenancy provisions. Thus, this certificate acts as a way to promote mutual trust and knowledge between tenants and landlords and leads to lesser friction between them. Through an RGC Certificate, one can ask for information about a prospective tenant, or a prospective lessee. One can also report a rent-related dispute, have a record of active eviction cases, and get familiar with the real estate laws in Dubai.

How does the RGC Certificate lessen conflict?
One of the major advantages of the RGC is that it can effectively reduce conflict between a landlord and tenant. This is because the RGC provides information about a prospective lessor and lessee’s history and background with rental dealings, and it allows a person to adjudge whether they want to make a deal with the person after looking at their record. 

The RGC also plays a governing and supervisory role as it prompts lessors and lessees to behave respectfully and peacefully when dealing with each other since this will reflect on the certificate. It is also a preventive measure since it makes it easier for the parties to the rental contract to perform procedures. Lastly, the certificate is also beneficial in garnering attention to the rules and regulations in rental matters. 

How to obtain an RGC Certificate?
This certificate can be issued by both landlords and tenants, with the consent of the other party. Once approval has been given, one can either get the certificate online on the website dubailand.gov.ae, or the official DLD mobile app – Dubai REST.

If applying through the website:
1. Go to the following link: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/rdc/rental-good-conduct-certificate/#/.
2. Click on “Access this service.”
3. There will be 3 options: inquiry on the tenant, inquiry on leaser, and inquiry on request status. Click on the category you wish to apply for.

To inquire about an individual leaser, enter their name, phone number, Emirates ID, and email address. Click submit.

To inquire about a company, enter the following information: Licence issuer – the Emirate, Licence source – the Emirate’s Economic Department, Licence number. Then enter personal details which are the same as for individual leaser. Once the required information has been submitted, you will receive a reference number. If the person you an inquiring about has their information in the DLD system, go to the application form and enter the reference number. Their track record will be visible to you. 

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