Last week brought major news for renters in the UAE: starting in early 2026, Property Finder will integrate Keyper’s instalment technology — allowing tenants to pay their rent monthly, just as it is done in much of the world.

For many, it is both a welcome and long-overdue shift. After all, anyone who rents here knows — and quietly dreads — that moment in the year when you are expected to hand over 12 months of rent in a single cheque.

But like any big change, it raises plenty of questions. Are there hidden fees? Will this option be available to all tenants, or only a few? How will landlords receive their money now? And perhaps most importantly — how is this any different from just taking out a bank loan and repaying it monthly?

All this — and more — just below.

The current rental system in the UAE is cheque-based — meaning tenants are typically required to pay for an entire year of rent upfront, often with a single cheque. While some landlords allow more flexibility by accepting 2 or 4 cheques, all cheques are still handed over at the start of the lease, each dated in advance. In return for this added flexibility, landlords can increase the rent slightly — typically by around 5 to 7%, though it can occasionally go as high as 15%.

With the new system being introduced, tenants will have the option to pay their rent monthly — but not directly to the landlord. Instead, payments go to Keyper, a fintech platform facilitating this model.

Here is how it works:

This means landlords continue receiving the full payment as before, with no change or added risk on their side. In exchange for this convenience and flexibility, tenants pay an additional 5–15% on top of the base rent. This extra amount covers the cost and risk Keyper takes on by fronting the full year’s rent on the tenant’s behalf.

There are three main factors:

This added percentage — known as the built-in premium — is the fee that goes to Property Finder and Keyper for providing the monthly payment system. It is fully transparent: once the system launches in 2026, you will be able to enter your details on Property Finder and see the exact amount before signing anything.

No — this system isn’t mandatory. It is more of an added benefit for tenants: a chance to breathe a little easier and avoid the burden of a large one-off payment by spreading rent out into manageable monthly instalments.

Of course, while that flexibility is a clear advantage, it does come at a cost. On a yearly rent of 100,000 AED, you could end up paying an extra 5,000 to 15,000 AED.

This was the first question that came to my mind. The UAE is known for its relatively low-interest loans, so wouldn’t it be easier to take a small personal loan from the bank and pay your rent that way, rather than going through Keyper?

Technically, yes — it might be cheaper in some cases. But Keyper clearly knows this is what many people will consider, so they have built in several advantages over using a bank loan.

And then there is the financial comparison. Keyper’s additional fee is 5–15%, while banks usually offer personal loans at 6–12% plus processing fees. So yes, you might save a little with a bank loan — but in most cases the difference isn’t big enough to justify the hassle, paperwork, approval process, and impact on your credit profile

As the system is still in its early days, not every property will qualify straight away.

Property Finder is leading the rollout — currently representing more than 2 billion AED in rental demand — while Bayut, which has around 25,000 apartments listed for rent in Dubai alone, has also announced plans to introduce similar monthly-payment options on its platform. Beyond these portals, individual landlords can still choose to offer monthly payments independently by signing a direct agreement with Keyper.

Although it isn’t an official government programme, the initiative aligns with Dubai’s D33 agenda, which focuses on digital innovation and private-sector transformation.

Even though the payment model is changing, the fundamentals of the system remain exactly the same. You aren't moving to a month-to-month rental — you are still signing a standard 12-month lease, just paying for it in monthly instalments. So if halfway through the year you decide to move out or switch flats, it still counts as breaking your annual contract.

Missing a monthly payment is treated almost the same as missing a cheque or having one bounce. The only real difference is the legal nature of the breach: a bounced cheque can be considered a criminal offence, whereas failing to make a monthly digital payment is generally viewed as a civil breach of contract. But practically speaking, both situations can still lead to eviction proceedings.

The eviction process itself hasn’t changed. Landlords must still follow the legal timelines:

The benefits for tenants are clear — but landlords gain too. Even if the tenant previously paid in multiple cheques, landlords now receive 100% of the annual rent upfront — removing the risk of bounced cheques and the hassle of chasing payments.

Plus, the process is more secure. Keyper screens tenants before approval, verifying income and documents — adding a layer of reliability for landlords.

On a broader level, the system also helps reduce vacancy risk. Many tenants currently choose a flat based not only on the property itself, but on whether they can afford a large lump-sum cheque. Monthly payments remove that barrier, widening the pool of potential tenants and making it easier to fill units.

And one final point: although much has already been outlined, the system hasn’t actually been rolled out in practice yet. That means it hasn’t been tested in real-world scenarios, and some details — particularly around leases and eviction procedures — may still be adjusted once it is in use.