Black mold in AC causing illness: landlord's responsibility?« Back to Previous Page

The black spots are likely microbial growth, common in Dubai's humid climate where AC units run year-round. The damp, dusty smell and your symptoms—headaches and itchy eyes—are consistent with exposure to mold spores and poor indoor air quality. The filter alone doesn't capture everything; contamination inside the duct or on the evaporator coil is a frequent culprit.

Under Dubai rental law (Law No. 26 of 2007), landlords are generally responsible for maintaining the structural parts of the property and its core systems, which typically include the central AC unit and its main components. However, responsibility for cleaning can depend on your contract. Many tenancy agreements specify that routine maintenance, like filter cleaning or replacement, falls to the tenant.

Your first step is to formally notify your landlord or property management company in writing about the issue and your health symptoms. They are obligated to ensure the property is habitable. Request a professional inspection, as a visual check is insufficient. A proper assessment involves tools like a borescope to see inside the ducts and often surface or air sampling to identify the contaminant type, which a lab can analyze. This evidence is crucial.

If the landlord is unresponsive, you can file a complaint with the Rental Dispute Center (RDC) in Dubai. For your health, consider a professional hygienization service that uses EPA-approved disinfectants and can provide before-and-after testing data to verify the unit's cleanliness, as a simple spray-and-wipe is often ineffective.