Your maintenance obligations as a landlord
Major maintenance is the landlord's responsibility. The contract can shift minor work to the tenant — within limits.
Under Article 16 of Law No. 26 of 2007, the landlord is responsible for maintenance during the tenancy unless the tenancy contract explicitly allocates it differently. In practice, most contracts split the work.
The standard split
- Landlord: structural issues, major plumbing, major electrical, central AC chiller / cooling system, anything inside walls or in the building's common systems.
- Tenant: minor maintenance up to a per-incident threshold (commonly AED 500–1,000), AC filter cleaning, replacing bulbs, tap washers, basic upkeep.
What you can't push to the tenant
- Repairs that arise from defects pre-existing the tenancy.
- Damage caused by the landlord's neglect of structure / building.
- Habitability issues — if the AC fails in summer, that's on the landlord even if the contract is silent.
If the tenant pays and seeks reimbursement
For genuine landlord-side issues, the tenant can pay to fix and recover at end of tenancy or via RDC. They need: the original report you didn't act on, the invoice, and ideally a quote-comparison.
A clear maintenance clause + responsive handling avoids most disputes. The landlords who get hit hardest at RDC are the ones who ignored emails for weeks before the tenant escalated.
Sources: Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, Article 16.
Related questions
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An agent costs ~2% commission and saves you the screening work. Direct listing is free but slower and harder to vet.
What you can (and can't) deduct from a deposit
Damage beyond fair wear and tear, unpaid bills, and contract-stipulated cleaning. Not faded paint or old grout.
Forms A, B, F, and I — what each one is
RERA-standard real-estate forms. Knowing which form you're signing avoids most disputes between owners and brokers.