AC leak caused black mold, involve landlord or professional?« Back to Previous Page

Involve your landlord immediately. Under Dubai rental law (RERA), the landlord is responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of the property, which includes fixing the AC leak that caused the damage. This is not a minor cleaning job; it's a repair and remediation issue.

The black mold under the carpet indicates a prolonged moisture issue. In Dubai's climate, with high humidity and year-round AC use, this mold can spread quickly through spores in the air, potentially affecting other rooms and the AC system itself. The first step is to stop the source. Your landlord must arrange for an AC technician to repair the leak.

Do not attempt to clean significant mold growth yourself. Disturbing it without proper containment can aerosolize spores throughout your home. For a patch this size, a professional inspection is needed to assess the extent of the growth, even inside walls or subflooring. They use moisture meters and thermal cameras to find all affected areas.

A proper remediation process for concrete involves more than wiping surfaces; it requires removing the contaminated carpet and underlay, HEPA vacuuming, abrasive cleaning of the concrete, and applying antimicrobial solutions to prevent regrowth. The area must then be dried completely before any new flooring is installed. Without this scientific approach, the mold will almost certainly return.

While your landlord handles the leak and repairs, you can recommend they hire a certified mold inspector to provide a report. This document verifies the problem is solved, which protects both you and the landlord. A reputable company will provide before-and-after lab testing to confirm the space is safe, which is a verifiable result you should request.