Black mold on bedroom wall: landlord or professional first?« Back to Previous Page

Notify your landlord immediately in writing, with clear photos of the mold. Under Dubai rental law (Law No. 26 of 2007), landlords are generally responsible for maintaining the property's structure and addressing issues like water infiltration that lead to mold. The black spots spreading on an exterior wall strongly suggest a leak from outside or condensation within the wall cavity, which is a structural maintenance issue.

Do not attempt to clean it yourself. Disturbing the mold can release a high concentration of spores into your bedroom. The underlying moisture source must be identified and fixed first; otherwise, the mold will return quickly. This is a common issue in Dubai due to high humidity and temperature differentials between AC-cooled interiors and the hot exterior, which can cause condensation inside walls.

Your landlord should arrange for a professional inspection. A proper assessment involves using a moisture meter to find the water source and often requires an infrared camera to see inside the wall. The remediation process should include isolating the area, removing affected materials like drywall, treating the cavity with antimicrobial solutions, and repairing the leak before rebuilding.

For your own due diligence, you can request that the remediation company provide before-and-after air or surface sample results from an accredited lab to verify the spore count has been returned to safe levels. This is a verifiable standard of care.