No rental relationship in Malta survives long without the question: the geyser died, the AC drips, the blind broke — whose bill is this? The law sets the frame, the lease fills the details, and habit fills whatever is left. Here is the practical version both sides can work with.
The default logic
The principle running through Maltese practice: the landlord maintains the property and what came with it; the tenant covers damage they cause and their own belongings, plus the small consequences of daily living. Registered leases operate within a framework that expects the dwelling to be kept habitable — the structure, the installations, the essentials functioning.
In practice, that sorts most cases:
| Situation | Usually pays |
|---|---|
| Water heater fails from age | Landlord |
| Blocked drain from normal use | Landlord (recurring misuse: tenant) |
| AC stops cooling (supplied with the flat) | Landlord |
| Broken window from a slammed shutter | Tenant |
| Mould from a leaking pipe | Landlord |
| Mould from never ventilating | Contested — see below |
| Light bulbs, batteries, hinges loosening | Tenant, customarily |
| Tenant-installed fixtures | Tenant |
The two classic battlegrounds
Mould. Landlords say lifestyle, tenants say building. The truth is diagnosable: leak-driven and penetration damp trace to the building (landlord); pure condensation mould in a ventilated, reasonably heated flat leans tenant-side. Our damp and mould guide explains how professionals tell them apart — worth reading before the argument, not during.
Appliance death. Supplied appliances that die of age are the landlord's; died-of-misuse is the tenant's. The provider's diagnosis note ("element failed, scale-related, normal wear") is usually decisive — ask for one whenever a repair happens.
The habits that prevent disputes
- Report faults in writing, immediately. A message with a photo, dated. Slow reporting turns small landlord problems into arguable tenant negligence.
- Move-in photos, thoroughly. Every room, every existing defect, the electrical panel, meter readings. Ten minutes at handover outweighs any amount of end-of-lease memory.
- No DIY repairs on the landlord's property without agreement — a botched fix converts their problem into yours.
- Landlords: respond fast and use real providers. A €60 same-week fix through a plumber or electrician is cheaper than a resentful tenant, a worsening fault, or both. Keeping invoices builds the property's history.
When repairs stall
Tenants: escalate in writing with a reasonable deadline; for genuine habitability failures, the housing authority's channels exist and registered leases have formal routes. Withholding rent unilaterally creates a second dispute rather than solving the first. Landlords: if a tenant reports something, treat the report as the gift it is — the alternative is finding the damage at checkout.
Both sides can shortcut the "finding someone" delay: post the job on Qabbad, get quotes from approved providers covering the locality, and share the thread — a transparent price is its own dispute-prevention.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for water heater repairs in a Malta rental?
If it came with the property and failed from age or scale, the landlord. If identifiable misuse caused it, the tenant. The technician's diagnosis usually settles which story is true.
Can my landlord make me pay for mould damage?
Only if the mould traces to how you lived — chronic non-ventilation in an otherwise sound flat. Mould from leaks, rising damp or building defects is the landlord's to fix. Diagnosis beats assertion; get a professional opinion in writing.
What should I do before signing a Maltese lease?
Photograph everything, test every appliance and tap, confirm the lease is registered, and get the inventory in writing with the defects you found noted. The deposit conversation at the end is written at the beginning.