Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs — Landlord or Tenant? (Dubai RERA Guide)

If you rent or lease out property in Dubai, you've probably asked this question at least once: when something breaks, who's supposed to fix it — and who's supposed to pay for it? It's one of the most common questions asked by tenants and landlords in Dubai, and it's also one of the biggest sources of avoidable disputes.

The good news is that this isn't a grey area you have to guess your way through. Dubai has a clear legal framework — set out under Law No. 26 of 2007 (as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008) and regulated by RERA (the Real Estate Regulatory Agency) under the Dubai Land Department (DLD) — that spells out who's responsible for what. The framework exists specifically to reduce landlord–tenant conflict by giving both sides a predictable, enforceable standard instead of leaving it to negotiation after something has already gone wrong.

This guide breaks down exactly how responsibility is split, what counts as "major" versus "minor," and what to do if a dispute comes up anyway.

The Basic Rule: Major Repairs vs Minor Repairs

Dubai's rental law draws its line based on the type and scale of the repair, not on who happens to be occupying the unit at the time. The general principle is straightforward:

• Major repairs and structural issues → Landlord's responsibility
• Minor, day-to-day maintenance → Tenant's responsibility

This split is grounded in Article 16 of Law No. 26 of 2007, which requires the landlord to maintain the property in a condition that keeps it fit for the purpose it was rented for throughout the entire tenancy — not just at handover. If something breaks that stops the tenant from using the property as intended, and it isn't the tenant's fault, it's on the landlord to fix it, and this obligation generally can't be signed away in the contract.

What Counts as the Landlord's Responsibility

Landlords in Dubai are typically responsible for anything that affects the structure, safety, or core functioning of the property, including:

• Structural elements — walls, ceilings, roofing, foundations, and load-bearing components
• Major plumbing issues — burst pipes, sewage problems, and significant leaks
• Electrical faults — wiring issues, circuit failures, and anything posing a safety risk
• Central air conditioning and HVAC systems, including chiller and compressor breakdowns
• Major appliance failures, where the appliance was provided by the landlord as part of the lease
• Waterproofing and damp issues originating from the building itself
• Pest infestations linked to the building's condition rather than tenant behavior
• Elevator, common area, and building-wide maintenance issues (typically handled via the owners' association or building management)

If a defect makes part of the property unusable — a broken AC unit in the middle of a Dubai summer is the classic example — the landlord is expected to respond and resolve it within a reasonable timeframe. RERA guidance generally treats urgent, habitability-related issues as needing a prompt response, precisely because delays can leave a tenant without basic living conditions.

What Counts as the Tenant's Responsibility

Tenants are generally expected to handle the smaller, routine items that come from everyday use of the property — the kind of wear and tear that doesn't affect the building's structure or major systems. This usually includes:

• Replacing light bulbs, batteries, and small fixtures
• Minor plumbing items, such as tap washers or shower hoses
• Unclogging drains caused by normal use
• Routine AC filter cleaning
• Minor cosmetic touch-ups, such as small wall marks from daily living
• General upkeep and cleanliness of the unit
• Any damage caused by the tenant's own negligence or misuse, regardless of whether it's a "major" or "minor" item

Many Dubai tenancy contracts also include a cost threshold — commonly AED 500 or AED 1,000 — below which the tenant covers the repair and above which it falls to the landlord. This threshold isn't itself a RERA-mandated figure; it's a contractual convention most tenancy agreements have adopted, and it only applies where it doesn't try to shift genuinely structural or major-system repairs onto the tenant. A clause that attempts to do that can be challenged and is unlikely to hold up if the dispute reaches the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC).

Why the Contract Still Matters

The law sets the default position, but your specific tenancy contract fills in the details — and it's the first place to check when something breaks. A well-drafted Dubai lease should clearly state:

• The exact maintenance cost threshold (if any) separating tenant vs landlord responsibility
• Which party arranges and pays for annual AC servicing
• Whether the landlord has an existing maintenance contract with a facilities company
• The expected response time for repair requests, especially urgent ones
• What happens if damage is caused by tenant misuse versus normal wear and tear

If your contract is silent on a point, the default legal framework under Law No. 26 of 2007 applies — major and structural to the landlord, minor and routine to the tenant.

What to Do When You Disagree

Even with a clear framework, disagreements happen — usually around what counts as "major" versus "minor," or who caused the damage in the first place. If you can't resolve it directly:

1. Document everything. Photos, dated messages, and a written repair request create a paper trail that matters if the issue escalates.
2. Refer back to the tenancy contract. Check the maintenance clause and any agreed cost threshold before assuming either party is at fault.
3. Give written notice. RERA guidance favors formal, written repair requests over verbal ones — they're what a dispute committee will actually look at.
4. Escalate to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) if the landlord or tenant refuses to act. The RDSC handles exactly this kind of dispute and generally resolves cases within a few weeks.

Avoiding the Dispute Altogether

Most maintenance disputes in Dubai come down to the same root cause: nobody wrote things down clearly, and nobody had a system to track requests, response times, or who paid for what. That's a process problem, not a legal one — and it's usually the easiest part to fix.

This is where working with an experienced property management partner makes a real difference. At BSO (Be Simply Organized), we manage the maintenance side of Dubai tenancies for landlords every day — from setting clear, RERA-compliant maintenance clauses at the lease stage to coordinating vetted contractors so repairs get handled quickly and the right party pays for the right thing. If you're a landlord who's tired of chasing repair requests, disputing invoices, or wondering whether a "minor" fix should really be on your tenant's tab, our property management services are built to take that entire headache off your plate.

If you'd rather manage things yourself but want the process streamlined, BSO Club puts maintenance on demand right in your pocket — book vetted technicians for AC, plumbing, and general repairs, track every request, and keep a clean record of who handled what and when. It's the same RERA-aware approach, just self-service.

The Bottom Line

Dubai's rental law doesn't leave maintenance responsibility to guesswork. As a general rule:

• Landlords pay for major, structural, and system-level repairs.
• Tenants pay for minor, routine, day-to-day upkeep.
• Contracts can add detail (like a cost threshold) but can't override the landlord's core legal obligation for major repairs.
• RERA and the RDSC exist specifically to resolve disagreements when the split isn't clear-cut.

Knowing this framework before something breaks — not after — is what actually prevents the conflict in the first place. Whether you're a landlord managing multiple units or a tenant trying to understand your lease, a little clarity upfront goes a long way toward avoiding the argument entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does RERA set an exact cost threshold for minor repairs?No. RERA's framework distinguishes major from minor repairs by nature and impact rather than a fixed amount. The commonly used AED 500–1,000 threshold comes from standard tenancy contracts, not RERA regulation itself.

Can a landlord force a tenant to pay for a major repair through the contract?Generally, no. A landlord's obligation to handle major, structural, or habitability-affecting repairs under Law No. 26 of 2007 is a statutory protection that a lease clause typically cannot override.

What if the tenant caused the damage?Regardless of whether the repair would normally be "major" or "minor," damage caused by tenant negligence or misuse is usually the tenant's financial responsibility.

Where do I file a maintenance dispute in Dubai?Unresolved landlord–tenant maintenance disputes are handled by the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) under the Dubai Land Department.

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