Landlord vs Tenant Maintenance Responsibilities in Dubai

What the law generally says

Dubai tenancies are governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 and its amendment, Law No. 33 of 2008. The default position under this framework is that the landlord keeps the property in a condition fit for the use intended in the contract, which in practice means covering major repairs and structural issues.

This is a general legal default, not a substitute for reading your own tenancy contract. RERA's standard contract template allows both sides to add specific clauses, so always check what your signed Ejari contract actually says before assuming who pays for a repair.

If a clause is missing or ambiguous, the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) will typically apply the general principle above, but a clear contract avoids that step entirely.

What landlords typically cover

Landlords are usually responsible for structural issues such as roof leaks, wall cracks, plumbing pipes inside walls, and electrical wiring faults. Major installed equipment — split AC units, central chillers, water heaters, and built-in kitchen appliances that came with the unit — normally falls on the landlord too, unless the contract states the tenant must service them.

Waterproofing, pest infestations unrelated to tenant hygiene, and building-wide issues like elevator or common-area faults are also landlord territory, often coordinated through the building's owners association or facilities management. Chiller and AC servicing costs, in particular, can be significant, so many landlords budget for annual maintenance rather than waiting for a breakdown.

What tenants typically handle

Tenants are generally expected to cover minor, day-to-day items: replacing light bulbs, unclogging a sink from misuse, minor cosmetic touch-ups, and general cleanliness. Damage caused by tenant negligence — a cracked tile from moving furniture, a broken door handle, a burned-out appliance from misuse — is usually the tenant's responsibility to repair or reimburse.

Many contracts also put minor plumbing fixtures, such as tap washers or shower fittings, on the tenant if the fault is due to normal wear the tenant should have reported earlier but didn't. The key distinction courts and the RDC tend to draw is between deterioration from normal use (landlord) and damage from misuse or neglect (tenant).

Why the tenancy contract clause matters more than the general rule

Because Dubai's tenancy law allows parties to agree their own maintenance terms, the safest approach for any landlord is to spell out responsibilities line by line in the Ejari-registered contract. Vague wording like tenant responsible for maintenance invites disputes, since it doesn't distinguish between a burnt light bulb and a broken AC compressor.

Some landlords choose to include a small maintenance allowance clause, where the tenant covers repairs under a set amount (for example AED 500) and anything above that is the landlord's responsibility. This kind of clause, agreed upfront, tends to reduce back-and-forth calls and speeds up repairs since the tenant doesn't need landlord approval for small fixes.

Handling disputes and keeping proof

When a disagreement arises over who should pay for a repair, documentation settles it fast. Photos of the issue, the technician's invoice, and any prior communication about the fault (especially if the tenant reported it late) are the evidence the RDC will ask for if the matter escalates.

This is where keeping organised records pays off well beyond maintenance disputes — it also matters for security deposit deductions at move-out and for your own understanding of what a unit is really costing you each year. RentLedger lets landlords log each expense against the specific unit with a receipt photo attached, so there's a timestamped record if a tenant disputes a charge months later.

Budgeting for maintenance across a portfolio

Landlords with more than one unit often find maintenance costs are the hardest expense category to predict, since they're irregular and vary by building age and equipment. Tracking actual spend per unit over a year — AC servicing, plumbing call-outs, appliance replacements — gives a realistic picture of net yield rather than relying on rent alone.

This is also where a clean expense log makes the year-end owner statement more useful, since maintenance costs sit alongside rent received to show real profitability per unit. None of this is tax advice — for how maintenance costs should be treated for corporate tax or VAT purposes, confirm the specifics with a qualified tax advisor, since rules depend on your individual circumstances.