Who handles black mold in a rental apartment?« Back to Previous Page

Under Dubai rental law (Law No. 26 of 2007), the landlord is generally responsible for maintaining the structural integrity and habitability of the property. This includes addressing issues like persistent mold caused by building envelope defects, such as leaking pipes in the walls, faulty external waterproofing, or a malfunctioning central AC system. You are responsible for maintenance related to your own usage, like regularly cleaning your individual AC unit's filters to prevent condensation buildup.

Given your description—a spreading patch behind furniture, unusual AC noise, and correlating health symptoms—this points to a potential underlying moisture issue beyond simple surface condensation. The persistent high humidity here, combined with a possible AC drain line clog (the gurgling noise often indicates this), creates a perfect environment for mold. Your first step is to formally notify your landlord or property management company in writing, detailing the issue and your husband's health symptoms. They should arrange for a professional inspection to identify the moisture source.

Do not attempt to clean significant mold growth yourself with bleach, as this can aerosolize spores and only addresses the surface symptom, not the root cause. A proper remediation requires fixing the water source, containing the area, and removing contaminated materials. For verification, a company with a microbiology lab can test to identify the mold species, which is important for understanding health implications and ensuring the remediation was effective. If the landlord is unresponsive, you can file a complaint with the Rental Dispute Center (RDC) in Dubai.