Articles 16 & 17
Landlord Will Not Repair? Maintenance Disputes in Dubai
Article 16 puts maintenance, and any defect affecting your use of the property, on the landlord unless the contract says otherwise. The much-quoted "AED 2,000 rule" is not in Dubai law at all.
Direct answer
Under Article 16 the landlord is responsible during the whole tenancy for maintenance and for repairing any defect that affects your intended use of the property, unless the contract says otherwise. The Rental Disputes Centre puts it the same way: required maintenance affecting the tenant's enjoyment is the landlord's responsibility, while non-essential maintenance is typically the tenant's. If the landlord refuses, the route is a request at the RDC — AED 500 where the value is unspecified.
Law No. 26 of 2007 — Articles 16 and 17
Article 16: the landlord is responsible, during the term of the contract, for maintenance and for repairing any defect or damage affecting the tenant's intended benefit from the property, unless otherwise agreed. Article 17: the landlord may not make changes preventing the tenant's full use, and bears responsibility for defects not caused by the tenant.
Source: Dubai Legislation Portal — Law No. (26) of 2007.There is no AED 2,000 rule
You will read across the Dubai property web that tenants are liable for repairs under AED 2,000. No such threshold appears in Law No. 26 of 2007 or anywhere else. Many contracts do set a minor-repairs threshold — often AED 500 to 1,000 — and that is a term you agreed to, not a rule of law. It also does not displace Article 16 where the repair is structural or affects habitability.
Who pays for what, in practice
Landlord's side
- Structural repairs and the fabric of the building
- Defects that stop you using the property as intended
- Anything the contract does not validly shift to you
- Comprehensive cleaning at the end of the tenancy
- Handing the property over in a usable condition (Art. 15)
Tenant's side
- Non-essential and cosmetic maintenance
- Using the property as an ordinary careful person would (Art. 19)
- Damage you caused, beyond fair wear and tear (Art. 21)
- Any minor-repairs threshold your contract sets — within limits
What to do when repairs are refused
- 1
Report it in writing and keep the record
Date-stamped photographs and video, and a written request. WhatsApp and email are accepted as evidence where receipt is acknowledged.
- 2
Keep paying the rent
Article 31 requires it throughout any dispute. Withholding rent turns your maintenance claim into their eviction claim.
- 3
Serve a formal Notice
Through a Notary Public or by registered mail, requiring the works within a stated period.
- 4
File at the RDC
A maintenance request where the value is unspecified costs AED 500. Where you need approvals the landlord is withholding, an order obliging them to provide documents also costs AED 500.
- 5
If services are cut, that is a different case
Disconnecting utilities is not a maintenance failure — it is prohibited interference under Article 34, with a police route attached.
If you need approvals the landlord will not give
Where a tenant needs official approvals for works and the landlord refuses, the RDC's guidance is to bring proceedings requiring the landlord to provide the documents, establishing that the works do not affect the structure. Article 18 supports this where the tenant holds official documents requiring the approvals.
Documented properly, these cases are winnable
Send us the photographs, the contract and the messages. We will tell you which request fits, what else you need, and what must be translated into Arabic.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for maintenance in a Dubai rental?
Article 16 puts maintenance and the repair of defects affecting your intended use of the property on the landlord, unless the contract says otherwise. The RDC describes it the same way: required maintenance affecting the tenant's enjoyment is the landlord's; non-essential maintenance is typically the tenant's.
Is the AED 2,000 maintenance rule real?
No. It appears nowhere in Dubai tenancy law. Contractual thresholds of AED 500 to 1,000 are common, but they are contract terms and cannot displace Article 16 for structural or habitability repairs.
My AC has failed in summer and the landlord is ignoring me.
Document it with dated evidence, request the repair in writing, keep paying rent, and serve a formal Notice. If it is not remedied, file at the RDC — a maintenance request of unspecified value costs AED 500.
Can I pay for the repair and deduct it from the rent?
That is risky. Deducting unilaterally can be characterised as non-payment, and Article 25(1)(a) makes non-payment 30 days after a Notice a ground for eviction. Pay the rent, and claim the cost separately.
What if the landlord cuts the water instead of fixing it?
That is not maintenance, it is interference prohibited by Article 34 — and the March 2026 explanatory memorandum confirms Dubai Police can order it stopped and record the incident without a prior court order.
Who cleans the property at the end?
The RDC states that comprehensive cleaning is the landlord's responsibility, and that the tenant can reclaim the security deposit on returning the property in its original condition.
Does my contract override Article 16?
Article 16 applies "unless otherwise agreed", so contracts can shift some responsibility. But a clause is not unlimited: it does not convert a structural or habitability defect into the tenant's problem, and the RDC can be asked to look at it.
How much does a maintenance case cost?
The RDC charges AED 500 for a maintenance request of unspecified value, and AED 500 for an order obliging a landlord to provide documents. Standard process service, knowledge and innovation fees apply on top.
Related
Disclaimer. General information, not legal advice. Legislation is cited from the Dubai Legislation Portal and procedure from the Rental Disputes Centre as published at the date of writing. Taw-Theeq Corporate Services and Legal Translation LLC is a legal support services provider — not a law firm and not a government authority.