It is the middle of August, the AC has been blowing warm air since 2am, and the landlord's reply to your message is a thumbs-up emoji. Now what?
Dubai tenancy law gives a clearer answer than most tenants expect. The landlord carries the big repairs by default, the tenant carries the small ones, and a contract can move the line a little but cannot erase it. The real problem is usually the vague WhatsApp thread and the missing check-in report.
The default split under Dubai law
Two articles of Law 26 of 2007 do most of the work. Article 16 makes the landlord responsible for maintenance and for repairing any defect that affects your use of the property, unless the contract says otherwise. Article 19 puts routine upkeep on the tenant, roughly what a careful person would do in their own home, and bars alterations without the landlord's consent.
| Landlord pays (Article 16) | Tenant pays (Article 19) |
|---|---|
| Structural problems, including leaks through walls and ceilings | Cleaning AC filters and vents |
| Central AC and chiller systems | Replacing light bulbs |
| Main electrical wiring | Basic drain clearing |
| Internal plumbing infrastructure | Keeping the unit clean and in its handover condition |
| Any defect that stops you using the property as intended | Damage from your own misuse or alterations |
One point catches people out. If the landlord hands maintenance to a management company, the legal duty does not move. Your recourse stays against the landlord, and "the contractor is busy" is not a defence. Both sides' wider duties are in our guide to tenant and landlord rights in Dubai.
The AED 500 clause: what a contract can and cannot change
Most Dubai contracts make the tenant responsible for any single repair under AED 500, with the landlord covering anything above. Article 16 allows this because it applies "unless otherwise agreed", and the clause needs to sit in the Ejari-registered contract to carry weight (see the Ejari guide if yours is not registered).
Read the wording before you sign. A per-incident threshold is the normal version: an AED 350 drain call-out is yours, an AED 1,800 compressor replacement is the landlord's. Clauses that go further, such as making you liable for all maintenance or capping the landlord's annual exposure, hit a limit. Landlords cannot shift essential systems entirely onto tenants, and the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre can set such clauses aside.
Tenant-caused damage and the evidence question
A landlord can refuse to pay where the tenant caused the damage wilfully, through gross negligence, or by an unauthorised alteration. The catch is proof. An allegation is not enough; the landlord has to show it, usually by comparing the check-in condition with the fault.
Your best protection is the file you build on day one. At handover, film with dates visible: every AC unit running with the thermostat in shot, under-sink pipes, the water heater, the distribution board, ceilings, drains and appliances. Email the set to the landlord and agent within the first week. The same evidence protects your deposit later; see getting your security deposit back.
How to report a fault properly
- Write it down the same day. Email is best, WhatsApp as backup. Describe the fault, when it started, attach photos and offer access times.
- Chase in writing, referencing the first message. For a summer AC failure, a leak or a power fault, same-day attention is a fair expectation; for a dripping tap, a few working days.
- If told to call the maintenance company, do it, but copy the landlord and note each visit.
- Do not repair major systems yourself and deduct from rent without written agreement. Unauthorised works can count as alterations under Article 19, and withholding rent is a breach. If you must pay for an urgent fix, get a licensed technician's written report and invoice.
Timing matters twice over: the RDSC weighs how promptly you reported the fault, and a leak left for three weeks looks like a tenant problem, whatever caused it.
Escalating to the RDSC
If the landlord ignores you or refuses, send a formal written demand with your evidence attached and a clear deadline. That step alone often produces movement.
If not, file at the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC), the Dubai Land Department tribunal often shortened to the Rental Dispute Centre. Bring your Ejari certificate, contract, every written notice, photos and technician reports. The centre looks at four things: check-in and check-out reports, the nature of the failure (mechanical wear versus external impact), licensed technician assessments, and how quickly you raised it. Fees and mediation steps are in the tenant rights guide.
Key takeaway
Under Articles 16 and 19 of Dubai's tenancy law, the landlord pays for structural, AC, wiring and plumbing failures, the tenant pays for routine upkeep, and a contract can add an AED 500 per-incident threshold but cannot hand essential systems to the tenant. Report every fault in writing the day it appears; that file is what the RDSC decides on.
FAQ
Who pays for AC repair in a Dubai rental?
The landlord, for the central system, compressor and anything that stops the AC working. The tenant handles filter cleaning and, under a typical contract, any single repair under AED 500.
Is the tenant responsible for maintenance under 500 AED?
Only if the Ejari-registered contract says so. The threshold is a contractual arrangement allowed by Article 16, not a rule in the law itself.
Can a landlord refuse to fix the AC in Dubai?
Not for ordinary wear or mechanical failure. Refusal needs evidence that the tenant caused the damage wilfully, by gross negligence or by an unauthorised alteration.
Can I stop paying rent until repairs are done?
No. Withholding rent is a breach that hands the landlord grounds to act. Keep paying, keep writing, then escalate through a formal demand and the RDSC.
