Renting to Non-Muslims: Is it Permissible in Islam?

Islamic Guidance on Renting to Non-Muslims: What You Need to Know

Question: Can a house be rented to a non-Muslim? Is the rent money permissible, and what should be done if a Muslim neighbor objects?

Answer: It is permissible to rent a house to a non-Muslim; there is no harm in it. Regarding the rent money, if it is known for certain that the tenant is involved in haram (forbidden) business or their entire income is haram, and they pay rent with that haram money, then it is not correct to keep such a person in your house or accept such money as rent. You should rent your house to someone whose income is halal (permissible) or at least not entirely haram.

As for the neighbor’s objection, consider the nature of the objection. If it is valid, accept it; if it is not, then reject it. However, it is true that a Muslim tenant is better than a non-Muslim tenant, provided the Muslim is righteous. Otherwise, many Muslims are so involved in shirk (associating partners with Allah), bid’ah (innovation in religion), and sins that they may appear worse than a non-Muslim.

 Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi حفظه الله

❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫