UAE Leasing Property And Maintenance Responsibilities

Overview

• The general principles, which govern the maintenance obligations of a landlord and tenant in the UAE, are set out in Federal Law No. 5/1985 referring to the Civil Code, and further amplified in the laws of the individual Emirates.
• The general principles are further amplified (concretised) in the tenancy contract signed by the landlord and tenant.
• The principles in respect of the parties' maintenance obligations apply to residential and commercial property as neither the Civil Code nor the laws of the Emirates draw any distinction between the two (as far as the maintenance obligations are concerned). However, it is practice that the tenant of a commercial property undertakes a greater responsibility in respect of the maintenance and repair of the leased property's interior.