Who is responsible for mold from a landlord's unfixed AC leak?« Back to Previous Page
|
The AC in my bedroom closet has been leaking a little for a couple of months, and now I’m finding black mold spreading on the wall and on some of our shoes stored in there. I’ve told the building maintenance about the leak twice but they just dried the area and didn’t fix the root cause. Who is legally responsible for cleaning this mold and replacing our damaged items, me or the landlord?
|
|
The responsibility typically falls on your landlord. Under UAE tenancy law, landlords must maintain the property in a habitable condition, which includes ensuring all installed systems like AC units function correctly and do not cause damage. Since you have already reported the leak twice and the root cause was not addressed, the resulting mold growth and damage to your belongings are likely their liability.
Start by sending a formal, dated written complaint to the building management and your landlord, reiterating the previous reports and the new mold development. This creates a necessary paper trail. For health and verification purposes, consider a professional indoor environmental assessment. In Dubai’s high humidity, what you see is often just the surface of a larger moisture problem within the wall. A proper inspection can document the extent and source of the microbial growth, which strengthens your case. The landlord is generally responsible for the remediation of the mold itself and repairs to the property structure. Replacing damaged personal items, however, can be more complex and may depend on the specifics of your tenancy contract. It is advisable to document everything with photos and keep any damaged items as evidence. If the landlord continues to be unresponsive, you can file a case with the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre in Dubai. |
Please log in to post questions/answers: