Is fixing AC leak mold the tenant's responsibility?« Back to Previous Page

An AC leak causing mold is almost always the landlord's structural maintenance responsibility, not the tenant's. Under standard Dubai tenancy contracts (EJARI), landlords are responsible for maintaining the central AC system, including the chilled water pipes or drainage lines that are the typical source of such leaks. Your landlord's claim about temperature settings is a common misconception; while running the AC can help manage humidity, it does not cause the physical pipe or drain pan failure that leads to water intrusion.

The immediate water leak must be stopped by a qualified AC technician to prevent further damage. For the existing mold, a professional inspection is critical in Dubai's climate. The high humidity acts as fuel, allowing hidden mold to spread rapidly inside wall cavities from a leak like this. The inspection should identify the full extent of the contamination and the moisture source.

Document everything: take clear photos of the mold and the leak, and keep a written record of all communications with your landlord. If they remain uncooperative, you can file a complaint with the Rental Dispute Center (RDC) in Dubai. They routinely rule that rectifying damage from building system failures is the landlord's obligation. For a mold patch that is already "huge," a remediation plan based on lab identification of the species is the safest approach to ensure it is properly removed and not just painted over.