No working bath or shower: is the landlord responsible?

A working bath or shower is a basic requirement in a rented home. Is yours broken, leaking or out of action? This guide explains your rights and what your landlord must do.

Is a working bath or shower a legal requirement?

Yes. The law requires landlords to keep water and sanitation installations, including baths, showers and wash basins, in repair and proper working order. The duty comes from the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

So if your bath or shower broke because of a defect, not something you did, your landlord must fix it.

What kinds of problems are the landlord responsible for?

Your landlord is responsible for:

• A broken bath that cannot be used because of a crack, leak, or structural failure
• A shower that does not work: a failed pump, a broken head, or no water pressure
• An electric shower that is faulty or dead
• Hot water problems that stop you running a hot bath or shower
• Drainage problems, such as a bath or shower that will not empty

What is not the landlord's responsibility?

You are responsible for damage you cause, say a fitting broken through misuse, and for keeping fixtures clean. An item that is simply old but still works may not trigger a repair duty either.

What to do

Report it in writing

Contact your landlord by email, text or letter as soon as you spot the problem. Include:

• What is wrong: the shower stopped working on a certain date, or the bath has a crack that leaks
• When you first noticed it
• Whether you have managed to use the bath or shower since
• Photographs if you have them

Keep a copy of everything you send.

Follow up if there is no response

No reply, or no repair in a fair time? Write again. For a lost bath or shower, a fair time is short: days, not weeks. This is basic sanitation.

How long does the landlord have to fix it?

Losing your bath or shower is not a small inconvenience. It affects basic hygiene, and it hits hardest for people with health conditions, mobility difficulties or young children. Expect a prompt response from your landlord.

If the landlord cannot fix it straight away, they should arrange something temporary, such as a portable shower, while the real repair happens.

Can I make a housing disrepair claim?

Told your landlord, and still no fix in a fair time? You may be able to make a housing disrepair claim. It could bring:

• An order making the landlord do the repair
• Compensation for the inconvenience and the hit to your daily life

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If your landlord has failed to fix a broken bath or shower in your rented home, call us.

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)
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) guidance (GOV.UK)