Walls and ceilings should not shed plaster. If the plaster in your rented home is crumbling, cracking, or falling away, there is usually an underlying cause.
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Walls and ceilings should not shed plaster. If the plaster in your rented home is crumbling, cracking, or falling away, there is usually an underlying cause. In most cases, your landlord is responsible for fixing it. Here is why plaster fails, who is responsible, and what to do.
Why does plaster crumble or fall?
Plaster can fail for several reasons. Most of them are problems your landlord should be fixing:
- Damp and water getting in: plaster soaks up moisture and breaks down. If a roof is leaking, a pipe is dripping, or rain is getting in through an outside wall, the plaster will fail sooner or later.
- Rising damp: moisture travelling up through walls can make plaster bubble, crumble, and peel away
- Old or worn-out plaster: in older properties, plaster may simply have reached the end of its life. This is common in Victorian and Edwardian homes with lime plaster on laths.
- Structural movement: cracking and plaster loss can follow movement in the building, especially around window frames and door openings
- Impact damage: plaster that has been hit or knocked can loosen and fall
Is the landlord responsible for plaster?
In most cases, yes. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords must keep the structure of the property in repair. Plastered walls and ceilings are part of the structure. Where the plaster failed because of an underlying problem, damp, a leak, or movement, the landlord must fix both the root cause and the damaged plaster.
Even where the plaster has simply aged and grown fragile, the landlord must keep the property safe and fit to live in. Falling plaster can injure people. Loose ceiling plaster in particular is a safety hazard.
Is falling plaster dangerous?
Yes, it can be. A lump of plaster falling from a ceiling can hurt someone and damage belongings. If electrical cables or fittings are nearby, it can create an electrical hazard too. Is plaster actively falling, or can you see large loose sections that look ready to fall? Report it to your landlord at once as an urgent repair.
What should you do?
- Photograph the damage: take clear, dated photos showing where the plaster is crumbling or has fallen
- Report it in writing to your landlord. Say exactly where it is, how much has fallen, and whether it is still happening.
- Keep a safe distance from areas where ceiling plaster is loose or large sections may fall
- Contact your council's environmental health team if the landlord does not respond. Falling plaster and exposed surfaces can be assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
What if the plaster was already damaged when I moved in?
Did you report it at the start of the tenancy? If it is noted in your check-in report, that helps show the problem was not caused by you. Even if it was not recorded, the landlord still has to maintain the property. They should still deal with wear that makes the home unsafe or unfit.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
We help tenants with housing disrepair claims. If crumbling or falling plaster is part of a wider pattern of disrepair in your home and your landlord has not fixed it, we may be able to help you claim compensation.
Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
- Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) guidance (GOV.UK)
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We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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