Black mold under bedroom carpet, call landlord or cleaner?« Back to Previous Page

The AC in our bedroom has been making a weird damp smell for a couple of weeks, and we just pulled the corner of the carpet back to find a bunch of black mold underneath. We’re in an older building in Bur Dubai and I’m worried the humidity is just getting trapped there. What’s the best way to handle this properly—should I call the landlord first or get a professional cleaning company to assess it?
Posted by Akash Das
Asked on April 9, 2026 8:10 pm
Call the landlord immediately. In Dubai, landlords are legally responsible for resolving structural or maintenance issues leading to mold, like water leaks or inadequate AC performance causing condensation. Document the mold with photos and send a formal written notification to them, as this creates a necessary paper trail.

Do not hire a cleaning company yourself yet. The landlord must first identify and fix the source of the moisture. In older Bur Dubai buildings, this is often a leaking pipe, faulty sealant around windows, or an AC drain line blockage causing excess humidity to accumulate under the carpet. Cleaning the visible mold without addressing the root cause will result in it returning quickly.

Once the landlord has stopped the moisture source, then professional remediation is essential. The carpet and underlay likely need to be removed and disposed of, and the concrete slab beneath treated with antimicrobial solutions. For a case like this, a company with a microbiology lab can verify the mold type and confirm the space is safe through post-remediation testing, which is a critical step often overlooked. The high humidity here means any residual spores will regrow if not handled completely.
Posted by Sani Admin
Answered on April 11, 2026 1:09 pm