Specific repair problems
Step-by-step guides for the exact problems tenants ring us about: boilers, leaks, mould, pests, drains, sockets, doors and more.
Guides in this topic
40 plain-English guides. 3 to 5 minute reads, no jargon, free to use.
- Burst pipe: who is responsible, the landlord or tenant?A burst pipe is your landlord's job to repair. It is an emergency. Here is the law, who pays for the damage, and what to do right now.2 min read
- Is my landlord responsible for a broken toilet?Yes. Your landlord must fix a broken toilet. If it is the only toilet in the home, it is an emergency. Here is the law and what to do.1 min read
- Is my landlord responsible for broken windows?Yes, your landlord must repair broken windows. A window that will not close is a security and cold-weather risk. Here is the law and what to do.2 min read
- New-build snagging: your rights as a tenantMoving into a brand-new home is exciting. But new builds often come with defects that need fixing in the first months. This guide covers your rights as a3 min read
- Failed cavity wall insulation: damp, your landlord, and what to doYes. Failed cavity wall insulation can let damp soak into the outside walls of your rented home. If that happens, putting it right is your landlord's job.4 min read
- Loose or rotten floorboards: is my landlord responsible?Floorboards loose, rotten, springy, or broken are more than a nuisance. They are a structural defect and a trip hazard. In most cases the landlord must3 min read
- Is my landlord responsible for a broken door lock or front door?Yes. A broken front door or lock leaves your home unsafe, so your landlord must fix it quickly. Here is the law and what to do.2 min read
- Cockroaches and bedbugs: is it your landlord's responsibility?Pests like cockroaches and bedbugs can be the landlord's responsibility, especially where they get in through disrepair. Here is who must deal with them and what to do.2 min read
- Cracks and subsidence: what to doSome wall cracks are harmless, but widening cracks, sticking doors or a sinking feel can mean subsidence. Your landlord must keep the structure safe. Here is what to do.1 min read
- My ceiling has collapsed or is bulging, what should I do?A bulging or collapsed ceiling is dangerous and usually an emergency repair. Here is what to do, your landlord's duty, and how to claim if they ignored the cause.1 min read
- Blocked drains, sewage and bad smellsBlocked drains, sewage backing up, or a constant drain smell are your landlord's responsibility to fix. Here is what to do and how we can help.1 min read
- The lift in my block is broken, what are my rights?A broken communal lift is your landlord's or managing agent's responsibility, and matters most if you are disabled, elderly or live high up. Here is what to do.1 min read
- My home is freezing cold, what are my rights?A home you cannot keep warm is a health hazard. Your landlord must keep heating working and the home fit to live in. Here is what to do about excess cold.2 min read
- My storage heaters don't work, what are my rights?Broken or useless storage heaters mean your landlord is not keeping your heating working. That is their job to fix. Here is what to do.1 min read
- There's been a leak from the flat above for months, what can I do?A leak from the flat above can damage your ceiling, walls and belongings. Your landlord must act. Here is how to push it forward.2 min read
- Water is coming through my ceiling light, what should I do?Water coming through a ceiling light is an emergency. Turn the electrics off, report it as urgent, and we may be able to help with a claim.1 min read
- My boiler won't fire up at all, what should I do?A boiler that won't fire up is an emergency, no heating and no hot water. Your landlord must fix it fast. Here's what to do step by step.3 min read
- No hot water but the heating works, what's going on?Hot water gone but radiators still warm? It is usually a diverter valve or cylinder fault. Your landlord must fix it. Here is what to do.3 min read
- Mice keep coming back even after pest control, what can I do?If mice keep coming back after pest treatment, your landlord has not fixed the cause. Here is what they must do, and how we can help.3 min read
- I keep getting little shocks from a socket or switch, what should I do?Small electric shocks from a socket or switch are a serious warning sign. Stop using it, report it as an emergency. Here is what your landlord must do.3 min read
- The home is in bad condition the day I moved in, what now?If the home was already in disrepair on day one, document it fast, refuse to sign anything that says 'good condition', and report it in writing within 48 hours.3 min read
- Radon gas in your home: your landlord's responsibilityRadon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can build up in homes in certain parts of England and Wales. Find out what your landlord must do and how to escalate if they ignore it.3 min read
- Japanese knotweed and invasive plants: your landlord's dutyJapanese knotweed can cause serious structural damage and make a property unmortgageable. Find out what your landlord is required to do and what options you have as a tenant.3 min read
- Draughty windows: is your landlord responsible?Yes, in most cases. If cold air is getting in through a broken window frame, a failed seal, or gaps around the window, this is a repair your landlord must4 min read
- Storm damage to your roof or windows: who is responsible for fixing it?Your landlord is responsible for repairing storm damage to the roof, windows, and structure of your rented home. This is true even if the damage was caused3 min read
- Pigeons or birds in my home: is my landlord responsible?Pigeons or other birds getting in through gaps in the roof, eaves or vents? Fixing the entry point is the landlord's legal job. The mess left behind, and any3 min read
- Misted or fogged double glazing: is the landlord responsible?Misted double glazing is common in rented homes: the sealed unit fails, condensation creeps between the panes, and the window fogs for good. Many landlords3 min read
- Low water pressure: is it your landlord's problem?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 must2 min read
- Bed bugs in a rented home: your landlord's dutyIt depends on the cause. An infestation born of a disrepair problem, or already present when you moved in, is usually the landlord's to deal with. One3 min read
- Wasps and bees: is it your landlord's problem?A wasp nest or bee colony in the home is alarming. Whether the landlord must deal with it turns on where the nest sits, your tenancy, and whether real2 min read
- Broken oven or cooker: what can I do?If the oven or cooker came with the property, on your inventory or in the agreement, your landlord must keep it working and repair or replace it within a3 min read
- 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 your2 min read
- Gas leak in a rented home: your rights and what to doA gas leak is a serious safety emergency. Smell gas, or think a leak exists in your rented home? Act at once. Here is what to do in an emergency, what the3 min read
- Leaking roof: is your landlord responsible?A leaking roof can wreck your home and your belongings. Water through the ceiling brings damp, mould, ruined plaster and furniture, and electrical risks.3 min read
- Sewage leak or drainage problem: who is responsible?A sewage leak or blocked drain is an urgent health hazard. The smell and the germ risk can make a home unsafe to use. The landlord must not drag their feet.3 min read
- Spray foam insulation in rented homes: what tenants need to knowSpray foam insulation (also called polyurethane foam or PU foam) was put into many homes to save energy. It can insulate well, but it has become linked to3 min read
- Cracks in ceilings and walls: when is the landlord responsible?It depends on the crack. Thin, cosmetic cracks are usually not something the landlord must fix. But wide or growing cracks, diagonal cracks, cracks that go3 min read
- Crumbling or falling plaster: is it your landlord's problem to fix?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.3 min read
- Radiator not working in a rented home: your landlord's dutyA radiator cold, half-heating, or leaking is a disrepair issue the landlord should fix. Here is what falls to the landlord, the common causes, and what to do3 min read
- Leaking shower: is it the landlord's responsibility to fix?A leaking shower can wreck a bathroom if no one fixes it. The leak may come from the showerhead, the tray, the door seal, or the pipes behind the wall. Here3 min read
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