Slow leak under kitchen sink in Dubai — landlord or tenant responsibility?
There's been a slow leak under my kitchen sink in my Dubai apartment for weeks. My landlord says it's a minor issue and the tenant's responsibility. The cabinet underneath is now water damaged. Who pays for the repair and the damaged cabinet?
1 Answer
10 May 2026
Structural plumbing leaks — including pipe leaks under sinks, in walls, or in any building infrastructure — are the landlord's responsibility under Dubai tenancy law. A slow leak that has now caused water damage to your cabinet is a structural plumbing issue, not a minor tenant maintenance item.
Your landlord is wrong on both counts: the leak is their responsibility to fix, and the consequential damage (the water-damaged cabinet) is also their liability since it resulted directly from their failure to maintain the plumbing.
What to do: document everything immediately. Photograph the leak, the water damage to the cabinet, and the extent of the damage. Video is even better. Check the date of your first notification to your landlord — if you have WhatsApp messages showing you reported it weeks ago and they didn't act, that evidence is crucial.
Send a formal WhatsApp or email today stating: the leak has been ongoing since [date], you notified them on [date], the cabinet has now sustained water damage as a result of their failure to act, and you require both the plumbing repair and cabinet replacement arranged within 7 days. If they continue to refuse, file a RERA maintenance complaint through the Dubai REST app and attach your evidence.
— BidMyJob Advice Team | support@bidmyjob.ae