Who is responsible for AC mold cleaning in a rental?« Back to Previous Page

Under Dubai rental law (Law No. 26 of 2007), landlords are responsible for maintaining the structural integrity and essential services of a property, which includes the central air conditioning system. Since the AC is a fixed installation, its maintenance and repair fall to the property owner. The recurring black spots inside the unit indicate a systemic mold issue, not just surface dust, which strengthens the case for the landlord's responsibility.

Your symptoms—stuffy nose and itchy eyes upon waking—are common reactions to prolonged exposure to AC-borne mold spores, a frequent issue in our humid climate where condensation inside units creates a perfect environment for growth. Simply wiping the vents is ineffective because the contamination is deep within the system.

You should formally notify your landlord or property management company in writing, describing the damp smell, visible microbial growth inside the unit, and the health symptoms it is causing. Request a professional inspection and remediation. For a case with health impact like this, a proper inspection that includes surface or air sampling sent to a microbiology lab for analysis is often needed to identify the species and concentration, which guides the remediation protocol. This provides documented evidence of the issue and verifies that the cleaning was effective, not just cosmetic.

If the landlord is unresponsive, you can file a complaint with the Rental Dispute Center in Dubai (RDC). Keep records of all communication. As a tenant, you are typically responsible for changing the AC filters regularly, but a deep clean to address microbial contamination is the landlord's obligation.