Building service charges in Jordan: owners’ associations explained
General information only, not legal, financial, tax or government advice. Rules, fees and prices change: check the current position with a lawyer and the relevant government office before you rely on it.
What shared building fees usually pay for.
At a glance
- Cleaning of stairs and entrances, and lighting of common areas.
- Lift maintenance and electricity.
- The guard (حارس) and his housing if the building has one.
- Water pumps, shared tanks and their electricity.
- Repairs to the roof, facade and common pipes.
The short answer
Shared service fees pay for a building’s common parts and services, such as cleaning, lighting, the lift, the guard and water pumps. By law, the owners of the units in a building form an owners’ association that manages the common parts, and a regulation sets how costs are shared and collected1. There is no fixed national amount: each building sets its own.
What the law sets up
Under the Real Estate Ownership Law, the common part of a building is managed by the owners’ association (جمعية المالكين), formed automatically from all the unit owners, and in a compound by an owners’ union (اتحاد المالكين). Both have legal personality as far as needed to manage the common part1.
A regulation sets the rules for maintaining and managing the common part, sharing the costs between owners and collecting them, and the association’s meetings, decisions and contributions1.
What the fees usually cover
- Cleaning of stairs and entrances, and lighting of common areas.
- Lift maintenance and electricity.
- The guard (حارس) and his housing if the building has one.
- Water pumps, shared tanks and their electricity.
- Repairs to the roof, facade and common pipes.
Tenants and service fees
Who pays the shared fees between landlord and tenant is set by the lease. If the lease makes the tenant pay a share of agreed common services and they do not pay, that can be a ground for eviction under the Landlords and Tenants Law, after a legal notice2.
Before you buy or rent
- Ask how much the monthly or yearly fee is, what it covers and whether there are arrears.
- Ask whether big repairs (roof, lift) are planned and how they will be paid.
- For a rental, write in the lease who pays the fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much are building service charges in Amman?
There is no fixed national figure. Each building sets its own fee based on its services, such as a lift, a guard or central heating. Ask the owners’ association or the seller.
Is joining the owners’ association optional?
No. The law forms the association automatically from all the unit owners in the building1.
Does the tenant or the owner pay the service fee?
The lease decides. Write it in clearly. If the tenant agreed to pay a share and does not, the landlord may have grounds under the Landlords and Tenants Law2.
What if a neighbour refuses to pay?
The regulation under the law sets how contributions are collected1. Talk to the association’s committee first; a lawyer can advise on the next step.
Sources
- Real Estate Ownership Law No. 13 of 2019, article 123(a), (b) and (c)(1)–(2), Arabic text (checked 31 October 2026)
- Landlords and Tenants Law No. 11 of 1994 as amended, article 5(c)(1) (Legislation and Opinion Bureau) (checked 31 October 2026)
This page was last reviewed on 31 October 2026.
General information only, not legal, financial, tax or government advice. Rules, fees and prices change: check the current position with a lawyer and the relevant government office before you rely on it.