Kuwait Tightens Rented Housing Eligibility Rules with Stricter Ownership Checks

Kuwait has rolled out new regulations governing access to government-provided rented housing, in a move aimed at improving fairness and ensuring assistance reaches genuinely eligible beneficiaries through clearer and more transparent criteria.

The Public Authority for Housing Welfare said Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Housing Affairs, Abdul Latif Al-Mishari, issued Ministerial Decree No. 6 of 2026, amending key provisions of the Housing Welfare Regulations.

The updated framework introduces tighter eligibility criteria for registering, securing, and maintaining applications for rented housing. Authorities said the changes form part of wider efforts to modernise housing policies and promote equitable distribution of state support.

Under the revised rules, applicants will be disqualified if either spouse owns property adequate for family housing or has previously benefited from government housing assistance. Families evicted from state housing for regulatory violations are also excluded.

Applicants and their spouses must not be receiving housing aid or financial allowances from other entities. The rules further require applicants to be permanent residents of Kuwait and not hold an active commercial registration, except in limited cases such as small-scale or freelance work.

The decree introduces a monthly income cap of 1,500 Kuwaiti dinars, with exceptions allowing up to 2,000 dinars in special cases related to health or education, subject to review.

It also stipulates that applicants whose requests are rejected under special consideration will be barred from reapplying for one calendar year.

The Authority confirmed that the decree has taken effect following its publication in the Official Gazette.

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