Repairs and your landlord's duties
What your landlord legally owes you, the deadlines they have to meet, and the complaint routes when they ignore you.
Guides in this topic
37 plain-English guides. 3 to 5 minute reads, no jargon, free to use.
- What are your rights as a tenant? Landlord obligations under UK lawPlain-English guide to tenant repair rights. English and Welsh law are explained separately, with repair timeframes and steps when a landlord ignores you.5 min read
- What is Section 11? (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, plain English)Section 11 is the law that makes your landlord responsible for repairs to the structure, exterior, and key services of your home. Plain English explainer.2 min read
- What is Awaab's Law? (plain English)Awaab's Law sets strict legal deadlines for social landlords to fix damp, mould, and emergency hazards. Here's what it means for tenants.2 min read
- Does Awaab's Law apply to private tenants?Awaab's Law is among the most talked-about renter protections in years. Renting privately with damp or mould, you may wonder whether it covers you. The3 min read
- Who was Awaab Ishak and why did his death change the law?Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old boy from Rochdale. He died on 21 December 2020. A coroner found that he died from a breathing problem. It was caused directly3 min read
- How quickly must my landlord fix an emergency repair?Emergency repairs (gas leaks, no heating in winter, exposed wiring) must usually be made safe within 24 hours. Here's the law for England and Wales.2 min read
- How long can a landlord leave you without heating?No heating or hot water is an emergency. Social landlords must make it safe within 24 hours under Awaab's Law. Here is the law and what to do.3 min read
- How long can a landlord leave you without hot water?No hot water is an emergency. Social landlords must make it safe within 24 hours under Awaab's Law. Here is the law and what to do.1 min read
- How long should a repair take?There is no single deadline for every repair, but emergencies must be quick and routine repairs should not drag on. Here is a simple guide for tenants.1 min read
- Is my landlord responsible for pests and infestations?Often yes. If pests get in because of disrepair, like holes or damp, it is your landlord's job to fix the cause. Here is the law and what to do.2 min read
- Carbon monoxide: your landlord's duties and what to doCarbon monoxide is a silent, deadly gas from faulty boilers and heaters. Your landlord must fit a CO alarm where there is a fixed combustion appliance and fix faulty ones. Here is what to do.2 min read
- Electrical safety: your landlord's duties and the EICRYour landlord must keep the electrics safe and have them checked at least every 5 years (an EICR). Here is what that means, the warning signs, and what to do if it is unsafe.2 min read
- Asbestos in your home: what it is and what to doMany older homes contain asbestos. Left alone and in good condition it is usually safe, but damaged asbestos is dangerous. Here is what to do and what your landlord must do.2 min read
- Can I be charged for repairs in my council flat? (Rechargeable repairs explained)Councils can charge tenants for repairs they cause through damage, neglect, or unauthorised alterations. Section 11 disrepair, fair wear and tear, and accidental damage are not rechargeable. Here's the line.4 min read
- The council is ignoring my repairs. What can I do?If your council or housing association ignores repairs, you have rights. Awaab's Law sets deadlines for repairs. Here is how to act.2 min read
- How to write a complaint letter to your landlordA free template and structure for a disrepair complaint letter that gets results. What to include, what to leave out, and where to send it.2 min read
- How to ask for an HHSRS inspection of your homeAn HHSRS inspection is how the council checks your home for serious hazards like damp, mould and cold. Here is who can ask, how to do it, and what happens next.2 min read
- Fire safety: what your landlord must doBroken fire doors, faulty smoke alarms or blocked escape routes are repairs your landlord must fix. Report them in writing, and for danger now call 999. Free routes to get them sorted.1 min read
- Gas safety: your landlord's duties (and what to do if you smell gas)Your landlord must get an annual gas safety check and give you the record. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999. Here are your gas-safety rights as a tenant.1 min read
- Gas safety check overdue: what to do if your CP12 is missing or out of dateThe landlord must run a yearly gas safety check on every gas appliance in your home, and give you the certificate. Where that has not happened, they are3 min read
- Will I have to move out while repairs are done?For most repairs you can stay. But if major work makes a home unsafe to live in, your landlord may move you out temporarily. This is called a decant. Here is what to expect.1 min read
- Do I have to let my landlord in to do repairs?You usually must give your landlord reasonable access to inspect and repair, with notice. Refusing can delay your repair. Here is how access works.1 min read
- Landlord access for repairs, when can they come in and when can they not?Your landlord must give 24 hours' written notice before entering for repairs. Here is what they can and cannot do, and how to handle disputes.3 min read
- Fire safety in flats, EWS1 forms, cladding and your rightsSince Grenfell, fire safety in flats is a high-priority concern. Here is what your landlord owes you, what an EWS1 form is, and what to do if you think your home is not safe.4 min read
- The Right to Repair Scheme for council tenants, what it is and how to use itThe Right to Repair Scheme gives council tenants set timescales for small urgent repairs, plus compensation if missed. Here is how to use it.3 min read
- Smoke alarms: your landlord's legal dutySmoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives. In rented homes, landlords carry clear legal duties to fit and keep them. Here is what the law requires. Here is2 min read
- Communal areas: who is responsible for repairs?Broken lifts, unlit stairwells, crumbling entrance lobbies: find out who is legally responsible for communal areas and what to do when repairs are ignored.3 min read
- The Decent Homes Standard: what your home must be likeThe Decent Homes Standard sets out what social housing must be like to be considered acceptable. Find out what the four criteria are and what happens if your home does not meet them.4 min read
- How to make a formal complaint to your landlordStep-by-step guide to the two-stage social housing complaints process, what to put in your letter, and when to take things further.4 min read
- My landlord keeps promising to fix repairs. What can I do?If your landlord keeps promising repairs but never does them, the legal clock is already running. Here is how to escalate and when to get legal help.3 min read
- What Section 11 does NOT cover: the limits of your landlord's repair dutySection 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 gives tenants important repair rights. But it does not cover everything. Knowing what falls outside Section 114 min read
- EICR: Electrical Installation Condition Report and your rights as a tenantSince 1 April 2021, private landlords in England must get the electrical wiring in their rental homes checked. A qualified electrician must do this at least4 min read
- The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): explainedThe Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the legal system councils use to check for hazards in homes. Knowing how it works can help you. It can4 min read
- What repairs are the tenant's responsibility?Not every job in a rented home is the landlord's. Some small, day-to-day jobs fall to the tenant, under the law and under your tenancy agreement. Knowing3 min read
- Legionella and water safety: your landlord's dutyLegionella is a germ that can grow in water systems and cause Legionnaires' disease, a serious lung infection. Landlords carry a legal duty to manage the2 min read
- Can you carry out repairs yourself and deduct the cost from your rent?Landlord ignoring a repair request while you live with a serious problem? You may have heard you can fix it yourself and take the cost off the rent: "repair2 min read
- The difference between repairs and improvements: what your landlord must doOne of the most common rows between landlords and tenants: is a job a repair, which the landlord must do, or an improvement, which they need not? The3 min read
Free tools that might help
Ready to take a step? These are free to use, with no email required.
Build a complaint letter
Make a formal disrepair letter to your landlord that cites the right law. Free, no email needed.
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Estimate your compensation
Move three sliders to see a rough compensation range for a disrepair claim. No form, no email.
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Free letter templates
Plain-English letters to copy, fill in or print: to your landlord, for complaints, and a repair diary.
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This is what we do. You may have a claim.
If your landlord has left your home in disrepair, we can check whether you may have a claim. Free call, no pressure. 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.