With the increased demand for membrane structures in recent years, there have been many studies of their mechanical properties, to the extent that such structures have become recognized as independent structures with a level of safety and durability comparable to those of other general structures. But in reality, the study for the maintenance of membrane structures has not been as active. In particularly, the study of watertightness from the perspective of maintenance has been very limited. Accordingly, a study on securing watertightness performance and the guidelines for maintenance is necessary. In this study, through a case study of water leakage accidents in membrane structures overseas, causes of leakage were selected from the membrane material itself, joint parts and open door of roof part in membrane structure. The water leakage and deterioration elements were analyzed from those leakage causes. The degree of importance of the water leakage and deterioration index was also designated using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. As a result, the basic technical index was suggested for the maintenance of the roofs of large-span membrane structures to prevent water leakage. This index will be used to make a guideline for the long-term maintenance of the roofs of large-span membrane structures.