What Section 11 does NOT cover: the limits of your landlord's repair duty

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 gives tenants important repair rights. But it does not cover everything. Knowing what falls outside Section 11 matters just as much as knowing what falls inside it. It saves you from arguments about who is responsible. And it helps you focus your complaint where the law is clearly on your side.

Key facts

• About 9% of homes in England, around 2.3 million, had a category 1 (most serious) hazard under the HHSRS in 2024 to 2025. In privately rented homes the figure was 10%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK
• About 5% of homes in England, around 1.4 million, had a damp problem. It is most common in privately rented homes, at 10%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK

A quick summary of what Section 11 does cover

First, here is the core of what Section 11 makes your landlord repair:

• The structure and outside of the home (walls, roof, windows, outside doors, foundations)
• The systems that supply water, gas, electricity, drainage, space heating, and hot water
• Any system the landlord put in for heating rooms or heating water

For more detail on what is included, see our guide: What is Section 11?

What Section 11 does NOT cover

1. Damage caused by the tenant

Section 11 does not make the landlord repair damage that you or your guests caused. If you broke a window, damaged a door, or caused a leak through misuse, the landlord does not have to repair it under Section 11. They may charge you for the repair, or take it from your deposit.

2. Your own furniture, fixtures and fittings

Section 11 covers the structure and the systems that are part of the property. It does not cover:

• Your own furniture, appliances, or belongings
• Anything you installed yourself
• White goods (fridge, washing machine, cooker), unless the landlord provided them as part of the tenancy and they are on the inventory

Say the landlord provided a washing machine and it breaks. Whether they must fix it depends on the tenancy agreement and whether they agreed to maintain it. The basic Section 11 duty does not cover appliances.

3. Decorations and cosmetic condition

The landlord does not have to keep the home decorated under Section 11. Peeling paint, dated wallpaper, worn carpets, and faded surfaces are not Section 11 matters. The home needs to be sound and to have working essential services, not freshly decorated.

But if a repair failure caused the damage (for example, staining from a roof leak), the landlord may need to redecorate as part of putting it right.

4. Garden maintenance and outbuildings

Section 11 does not make the landlord look after the garden, cut the grass, or tend the plants. The garden is usually the tenant's job, unless the tenancy agreement says otherwise.

Outbuildings (garages, sheds, garden walls, and fences) are also usually outside the Section 11 duty, unless they are part of the structure of the home. Fences and boundary walls are often left out.

5. Works needing planning permission

Section 11 is about repair: putting the home back to its earlier condition. It does not make the landlord improve the home beyond its original state, make alterations, or do work that needs planning permission they have not got. This is a narrow point, and landlords sometimes overuse it. If the work is genuine repair, not improvement, planning permission is usually not needed.

6. Shared parts the landlord does not control

The disrepair may be in a part of the building run by a freeholder, managing agent, or other third party, not your direct landlord. If so, Section 11 may not apply to your landlord directly. This is common in leasehold cases, where your landlord is a leaseholder, not the freeholder. Here, the route to a fix may be through the freeholder or management company, not your immediate landlord.

7. Homes outside England and Wales

Section 11 applies to tenancies in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own repair laws.

8. Very short tenancies

Section 11 applies to tenancies of fewer than 7 years. Longer leases work differently. Most standard tenancies are well within this limit.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act: a wider duty

Even where Section 11 does not cover something, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 may still apply. It says the home must be fit to live in throughout the tenancy. That is a broader test, and it can cover problems that fall outside Section 11.

Does Section 11 apply to social housing?

Yes. Section 11 applies to social housing tenancies (council and housing association) in the same way as private ones.

If you are not sure whether Section 11 applies

If you have a repair problem and are not sure it is your landlord's duty, call us for advice. Many cases that seem borderline turn out to have a clear answer.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

Call us on 0800 030 4669 and we will tell you honestly what your landlord is, and is not, responsible for.

No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation. 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)

Related articles

• What is Section 11?
• What is the Fitness for Human Habitation Act?
• Can I claim if I am behind on rent?
• Communal areas, who is responsible for repairs?