Roofing, guttering and drains in Durham

Durham has 37,482 social housing homes. Roofing, guttering and drains can be a serious problem, and a legal trigger for claims under Section 11(1)(a), Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Symptoms to look for

• Water stains near the top of walls or ceilings (roof leak)
• Overflowing gutters during rain
• Drains backing up indoors
• Foul smells inside near ground-floor pipes
• Missing roof tiles visible from the garden

Evidence to gather

• Photograph the symptom INSIDE (stain, smell, backup), your landlord owns the outside fix
• Note dates of heavy rain when problem worsened
• Photograph external roof if you can do so safely (or ask a neighbour)