Which parts of your home are you responsible for insuring?

If you live in a flat or other unit in a jointly owned building, the building is insured for you through the service charges. What is inside your home is not.

Who insures the building you live in?

In Dubai, the management entity of a jointly owned building must insure it. Article 41 of Law No. 6 of 2019 says the policy must cover “the maintenance and reconstruction of the Jointly Owned Real Property in case of fire, damage, or destruction for any reason whatsoever”, with the management entity as the beneficiary.¹ The same article requires liability cover for “damage and for bodily injuries sustained by Occupants or third parties”, and says the premiums owners pay are included in the service charges.¹

The law defines jointly owned property as a building with its common parts and land, or land divided into units or plots, and a unit as a flat, shop, office, town house or independent house that forms part of it.¹ The management entity can be the developer, a management company or a hotel project management company.¹

In Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) answers the same question directly: “The Community Management Company procures and renews insurance policy(ies) for the building and common parts. Insurance costs are included calculated as part of the approved service charges.”² A law firm summary of Administrative Resolution No. 25 of 2025 says the cover must be enough to repair or rebuild after destruction or collapse, must include liability to owners, occupants and third parties, and that an owner whose use of a unit raises the premium can be charged the extra.³

ADREC tells owners they “are encouraged to arrange for insurance of their homes as well as belongings as they wish”, and names home insurance and home contents insurance.²

Ask your management company for a copy of the building policy schedule, and check what it says about the inside of the units.

What does the building policy leave out?

The Dubai law sets what the management entity must insure. It does not mention the contents of a unit. Article 9 counts floors, ceilings, internal walls, “fixtures and fittings installed by the Occupant” and later improvements as part of your unit, and Article 41 does not say whether the building policy covers them.¹ Treat anything inside your front door as yours to insure until the building schedule says otherwise.

Home policies are written on the same split. Liva’s wording defines contents as household goods owned by your household, plus “Fixtures and fittings for which you are responsible as occupier”.⁴ Its buildings cover includes “landlord’s permanent fixtures and fittings”.⁴ GIG Gulf’s Home Comfort handbook sells Tenants Legal Liability for damage to “the Home and landlords fixtures and fittings” up to AED 1,000,000 unless the schedule shows another sum.⁵

If you changed the kitchen, flooring or bathrooms, ask the management company whether the building policy pays to put back your version or the developer’s original.

Who pays for damage in a rented home?

In Dubai, the landlord. Article 16 of the tenancy law says that, unless the parties agree otherwise, “the Landlord will, during the term of the Lease Contract, be responsible for the Real Property’ maintenance works and for repairing any defect or damage that may affect the Tenant’s intended use”.⁶ Article 17 makes the landlord responsible for “any defect, damage, deficiency, and wear and tear occurring to the Real Property for reasons not attributable to the fault of the Tenant”.⁶

The tenant must look after the property “as an ordinary person would maintain his own property” and hand it back in the condition received, “except for ordinary wear and tear or for damage due to reasons beyond the Tenant’s control”.⁶ Damaging the property wilfully or through gross negligence is a ground for eviction.⁷

A tenant’s contents policy usually includes cover for damage the tenant is liable for under the lease. The limits differ a lot by insurer, see tenant insurance.

Who pays for defects in a new home?

In Dubai, the developer, for a set period. A developer stays liable for 10 years from the completion certificate “to remedy or rectify any defects in the structural parts”, and for one year from handover to repair or replace defective installations, including “mechanical and electrical works, sanitary and sewerage installations”.¹

Home policies exclude faulty workmanship and defective design. Liva’s buildings cover excludes “Defective design or workmanship or the use of defective materials”.⁴ Report a defect in a new home to the developer in writing first.

Do you need a policy if you own a villa?

Yes, if no one else insures it. The Dubai law reaches a town house or independent house only when it forms part of jointly owned property.¹ Shared streets, gardens, pools and playgrounds in a master community are “Common Facilities” owned by the developer and paid for through usage charges. Article 41 puts the insurance duty on jointly owned property and does not name common facilities.¹ Ask the community management company in writing whether any policy covers your house itself before you buy buildings cover.

In Abu Dhabi, a 2015 regulation required each building management system to set out “insurance arrangements related to the building, including the rule on the basis of which the insurance cost is shared” between owners.⁸

Use the who insures what tool to see the split for your home.

The small print

• Dubai. Law No. 6 of 2019 repealed Law No. 27 of 2007 and transferred the rights and obligations of owners associations to management entities (Articles 49 and 51). It came into force 60 days after publication (Article 52). Service charge funds may be used to pay “the Jointly Owned Real Property insurance premiums” (Article 30(e)(4)).¹
• Abu Dhabi. ADREC lists Administrative Decision No. 25 of 2025 as the rule on ownership, use and management of common parts. The insurance detail for Abu Dhabi is from ADREC’s FAQ and from Al Tamimi & Company’s summary of the decision.²³
• Tenancy. Articles 16 to 21 of Law No. 26 of 2007 were not changed by Law No. 33 of 2008, which amended Articles 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 29 and 36.⁷