Who pays for repairs in a rented home in Jordan?

Who pays for repairs in a rented home in Jordan.

At a glance

What the landlord usually fixes

• Defects that affect the use of the home: leaking roofs, broken main water or electricity lines, structural cracks.
• If the landlord does not act, the tenant may ask to end the lease, or ask the court for permission to do the repair and recover the customary cost.

What the tenant is responsible for

• The tenant pays for loss or damage caused by their fault or misuse.
• Normal wear from ordinary use is not the tenant’s cost.

What the landlord usually fixes

• Defects that affect the use of the home: leaking roofs, broken main water or electricity lines, structural cracks¹.
• If the landlord does not act, the tenant may ask to end the lease, or ask the court for permission to do the repair and recover the customary cost¹.
• Urgent or minor repairs: the tenant may do them and deduct the cost if the landlord delays or cannot be reached¹.

What the tenant is responsible for

• The home is held in trust by the tenant, who must take ordinary care of it¹.
• The tenant pays for loss or damage caused by their fault or misuse¹.
• Normal wear from ordinary use is not the tenant’s cost.
• Small everyday upkeep (bulbs, tap washers) is usually agreed in the lease.

Practical steps

• Report the problem to the landlord in writing, with photos and the date.
• Keep paying the rent; withholding it can expose you to an eviction case².
• Agree before work starts who pays and how the cost will be deducted, and keep invoices.

How people usually think about it

• Tenants often assume every repair is the landlord’s, and landlords often assume everything after move-in is the tenant’s. The Civil Code splits it by cause: defects affecting use versus damage from misuse¹.
• Many people deduct repair costs from rent without agreement. The law allows that only in limited cases¹; otherwise agree first or ask a lawyer.

Common misunderstandings

• “Anything that breaks after I move in is my cost.” Normal wear and defects affecting use are generally the landlord’s; damage from your fault or misuse is yours¹.
• “I can stop paying rent until it is fixed.” Rent must keep being paid during a case²; use the routes the Civil Code gives¹.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for a water leak in a rented apartment?

If it comes from a defect such as old pipes or the roof, generally the landlord¹. If the tenant caused it, the tenant. In a building, roof and common pipes may be for the owners’ association.

Can I fix something myself and deduct it from the rent?

For urgent or minor repairs when the landlord delays or cannot be reached, the Civil Code allows it¹. For anything else, agree in writing first or get the court’s permission.

Who pays for the boiler or air conditioner?

It depends on the cause and the lease. A unit that fails from age is usually the landlord’s; damage from misuse is the tenant’s¹. Write appliances into the lease.

Can the lease change these rules?

Leases often set details such as small upkeep. Ask a lawyer whether a clause that shifts major repairs to the tenant is enforceable.

Sources

1. Civil Code No. 43 of 1976, article 681 (landlord’s repairs) and article 692 (tenant’s duty of care) (Legislation and Opinion Bureau) (checked 31 October 2026)
2. Landlords and Tenants Law No. 11 of 1994 as amended, article 13(a) (Legislation and Opinion Bureau) (checked 31 October 2026)

This page was last reviewed on 31 October 2026.