Water pressure so low the shower barely trickles, or a bath takes an age to fill? Whether the landlord must fix it turns on the cause. Here is when they must
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Water pressure so low the shower barely trickles, or a bath takes an age to fill? Whether the landlord must fix it turns on the cause. Here is when they must act, and what you can do.
Is low water pressure a repair your landlord must fix?
It turns on where the problem comes from.
Low pressure born of a defect inside the home, a blocked or corroded pipe, a faulty pressure valve, damage to the internal supply, is the landlord's repair. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the water supply installations must be kept in repair and proper working order. A system failing to deliver reasonable pressure is not in proper working order.
Low pressure from the mains outside the home generally sits with the water company. No landlord controls mains pressure; the water supplier is the one to contact.
In practice, many stubborn low-pressure cases trace inside: a partly closed stopcock, a failing regulator, limescale or debris built up in old pipes, a poorly designed installation. All of these fall to the landlord.
How to find out the cause
Living with low pressure?
Check the stopcock. The main internal one usually sits under the sink or in a cupboard. Accidentally turned down, it can cause the problem. Never turn it yourself: tell the landlord.
Check whether the pressure runs low everywhere, or only somewhere. A weak shower beside a fine kitchen tap points at the shower itself: a blocked head, a failing pump, a faulty valve. Low pressure at every tap points at the supply system.
Contact your water supplier. Ask whether known pressure problems run in your area. Where they do, the issue sits outside, beyond the landlord.
What to do
Report in writing. Tell the landlord or agent the problem, where it hits, how bad it runs, and how long it has run. Keep a copy.
Ask the landlord to investigate. A plumber should inspect the system and find the cause. An internal cause means the landlord must repair.
Escalate where needed. A landlord who neither investigates nor acts leaves the council's environmental health team. The HHSRS assessment covers water supply adequacy, and stubborn pressure failure can count as a hazard.
Can you claim compensation for low water pressure?
Stubborn low pressure that spoils the shower or bath is a lost amenity. An internal defect the landlord knew of and left unfixed may support compensation inside a disrepair claim.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
Did the landlord fail to sort a pressure problem born of the home's pipework or supply? We may be able to help.
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
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) guidance (GOV.UK)
Related articles
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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