Repairs: What Landlords Must Fix (and How Fast)

Repair arguments generate more landlord–tenant friction than money does. The law here is older and clearer than most landlords realise: Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 fixes a core of repairs on you that no tenancy agreement can shift, and the fitness-for-habitation rules layered on since give tenants direct routes to enforce.

Always the landlord's job

• Structure and exterior: roof, walls, windows and external doors, drains, gutters and external pipes.
• Installations for supply: water, gas, electricity, sanitation — basins, sinks, baths, toilets and the pipework serving them.
• Heating and hot water: boilers and space-heating installations.

Layered on top, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires the property to be fit to live in throughout the tenancy — covering damp, mould, ventilation, pests and the other hazards in the housing health rating system, with tenants able to sue directly. Damp and mould now carry their own enforcement momentum as Awaab's law extends to the private sector under the Renters' Rights Act — treating "it's condensation, open a window" as a complete answer is over.

What tenants are responsible for

Tenant-like use: changing bulbs and smoke alarm batteries, unblocking a sink they blocked, gardens if the agreement says so, minor upkeep, ventilating and heating reasonably, and reporting problems promptly. Damage caused by the tenant is theirs to fix or fund — but note the sequence: you may still need to repair (your duty is to the property) and recover the cost, ultimately via the deposit with evidence.

How fast is fast enough?

The law says "reasonable time", which in practice scales with severity: no heating or hot water in winter is days at most, with temporary heaters bridging the gap; a leaking roof is urgent; a dripping tap or cracked tile is weeks. Two disciplines protect you: acknowledge every report in writing immediately (the clock, and the goodwill, both start there) and keep a dated log of report, inspection, contractor instruction and completion. Your duty formally begins on notice of the defect — which is why written repair channels beat "I mentioned it to him in the drive" for both sides.

Why ignoring repairs is expensive now

The enforcement landscape has teeth: council improvement notices (which have long blocked no-fault possession and will weigh against you under grounds-based possession), fitness claims with damages measured in months of rent, ombudsman complaints as membership becomes mandatory, and rent repayment orders in the worst cases. Meanwhile disrepair is the tenant's strongest defence narrative in any possession claim. The commercial read: maintenance is cheaper than litigation every single time, and a responsive-repairs reputation is what keeps good tenants paying a fair rent — the point we made in the rent increase guide.

This is general information about the law in England, not personalised legal advice — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules, and landlord law changes regularly (some areas covered here are under active reform). For anything that affects a real tenancy, check GOV.UK for the current position or speak to a solicitor or a body like the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).