Landlord Not Fixing Repairs in Qatar? Your Rights as a Tenant

A broken air conditioner, a leak, or a fault that the landlord ignores is one of the most common rental problems. The law gives you a route, but it works only if you follow its order: written notice, then the committee. We read the leasing law on Al Meezan in September 2026. It was amended by Law No. 8 of 2026, and we could not read the amended text, so we mark what may have changed.

What the law says

Law No. 4 of 2008 regarding property leasing is listed on Al Meezan as in force. These are the relevant articles, in plain terms.

• Article 4: the landlord must hand over the property in a condition suitable for its purpose. If the agreed use is not provided, the tenant may revoke the lease or ask for a proportional rent decrease under a decision of the Committee.
• Article 5: the landlord is responsible for maintaining the property in a fit and usable condition. If the landlord, after receiving written notice, or if notice has failed, does not carry out maintenance in a timely fashion, the tenant may, without losing the right to revoke the lease or ask for a proportional rent decrease, obtain the Committee's permission to do the maintenance at their own expense and deduct the cost from the rent.
• Article 6: the tenant's right to revoke, reduce, or stop paying rent, or to extend the tenancy, is treated as waived if the tenant occupies the property for thirty days without a reasonable excuse and without going to the Committee. The text we saw was cut off, so read the full article or ask the Committee how the 30 days is counted.
• Article 8: the tenant must keep the property in good condition, and may not make changes without the landlord's written consent.

Who pays for what

The law makes the landlord responsible for keeping the property fit and usable, and the tenant responsible for keeping it in good condition. It does not list which items count as landlord or tenant repairs. Your lease may say more, so read it. This is our analysis: a fault from age or a building defect points to the landlord, while damage you caused points to you.

Steps to take

• Photograph and video the problem, with dates.
• Report it to the landlord or agent in writing, describing the fault and asking for a repair date. Keep proof that it was delivered.
• Send a second written notice if there is no reply, and set a reasonable deadline. Say that you will go to the Rental Disputes Settlement Committee if it is not fixed.
• Get a repair quote in writing if you may need to ask for permission to do the work.
• Ask the Committee for permission before you pay a repairer and deduct the cost from the rent.
• Keep paying the rent on time unless the Committee decides otherwise, because Article 11 has its own rules for rent the landlord refuses to accept.

Going to the Committee

The Rental Disputes Settlement Committee works under the Ministry of Municipality, and we reported earlier that the Ministry has a Unified Communications Center on 184. Under the 2026 amendments, claims are reported to go to the committee first before any court action, and appeals go to the Court of Appeal within 15 days. Our guide to a rental deposit not returned covers how to prepare and file a claim, and the same evidence habits apply.

Evidence to keep

• The signed lease and any addendum.
• Dated photos and video of the fault.
• Every written notice and proof of delivery.
• Repair quotes and invoices.
• Messages in which the landlord admits the problem or refuses to act.

A written notice you can adapt

"Hello, the air conditioner in the living room of my apartment has not worked since 3 September. I reported it by message on 4 September and have had no repair. Please arrange the repair by 15 September. If it is not repaired by then, I will refer the matter to the Rental Disputes Settlement Committee and ask for permission to repair it and deduct the cost. I attach photos and the lease."

Real problems people run into

• The landlord replies only by phone. Follow up in writing so there is a record.
• It is an emergency, such as a serious leak. Take photos, report it at once, and ask the Committee what to do. We found no official emergency procedure in the law.
• I already paid a repairer. Article 5 requires the Committee's permission before you deduct, so ask the Committee before you reduce rent, and keep the invoice.
• The landlord threatens eviction. See our guide to deposit and lease disputes, and ask the Committee. We did not verify eviction rules.
• I want to leave. Article 4 lets a tenant revoke the lease when agreed use is not provided, under a Committee decision, so do not simply walk out.

What we could not verify

• Whether Law No. 8 of 2026 changed Articles 4 to 6.
• Any deadline for the landlord to respond to a notice. The law says a timely fashion.
• How the 30 days in Article 6 is counted.
• The Committee's current filing method, fees, and processing times.