Abdullah Ghousha, the head of the Engineers’ Syndicate, stated that the expiration of the ten-year warranty period for buildings, defined as ten years from their construction date, places the direct responsibility for the building’s safety and maintenance on the owner or group of owners.

Ghousha added in a Tuesday press statement that this aligns with the provisions of the Jordanian Civil Code, which holds the engineer and contractor responsible only during the first ten years “the ten-year warranty,” while the owner’s responsibility remains after this period expires.

He explained that this legal rule means that the end of the warranty period exempts the designer and executor from any subsequent obligations and obliges the owner to maintain the building and address any defects or risks that may arise over time.

Ghousha emphasized that the repeated questions about old buildings confirm the need for greater awareness among owners regarding their legal and technical duties.

According to Article (788) of the Jordanian Civil Code, the engineer and contractor guarantee against total or partial collapse of the building or any defect threatening its durability and safety during the first 10 years. After this period, their legal responsibility ceases, and the building’s safety and maintenance become solely the owner’s responsibility.

It is worth noting that the number of buildings in the kingdom that have exceeded the legal ten-year period is estimated at about 800,000 buildings, highlighting the importance of owners committing to regular maintenance and technical inspections to preserve lives and property.

Field incidents such as the collapse of the Al-Lweibdeh building, constructed in the 1950s, confirm the serious risks of neglecting maintenance after the warranty period ends.

Ghousha pointed out that some areas have witnessed multiple incidents and complaints in recent years, reaching administrative governors, related to technical problems in several buildings older than ten years. In some cases, official authorities were forced to evacuate old buildings to preserve the safety of residents, reflecting the urgent need to monitor building conditions regularly and not leave them exposed to aging without treatment.

According to Ghousha, the importance of regular building maintenance and attention to early technical indicators such as water leakage, cracks in walls and ceilings, or any technical defects that may affect the building’s durability and safety is highlighted. Neglecting these minor details may lead to major structural problems over time, while early treatment helps extend the building’s life and preserve the safety of residents and property.

Ghousha added that the Real Estate Ownership Law clearly organizes responsibility for the safety of common parts in the property through the establishment of owners’ associations or unions from the date of property purchase. The management of common parts is entrusted to the owners’ association, which sets internal regulations defining the mechanism for benefiting from common amenities such as land and parking, provisions for rebuilding a destroyed or collapsed property, and insurance mechanisms for these benefits.

He referred to the Common Section Management System in Property and Real Estate Complex No. (89) of 2020 and its amendment by the amended system No. (23) of 2025, which granted the owners’ association legal personality and independent financial liability, and defined the duties of its board of directors, including maintenance of common sections and infrastructure, service continuity, removing any violations, and obliging the association to insure against risks of destruction, collapse, or fire to ensure repair or reconstruction of common parts.

The system also defined the administration’s powers, owners’ meetings procedures, decision-making, financial management, and imposed penalties on non-compliant owners.

He also clarified the limits of the real estate developer’s (Housing Company) responsibility for building safety and defect warranty during the specified period.