Access for repairs

Access for repairs is your right, as landlord, to enter the property to inspect and carry out repairs or safety checks, balanced against the tenant’s right to privacy and quiet enjoyment.

Most tenancy agreements say you can enter for repairs or inspections if you give at least 24 hours’ written notice and attend at a reasonable time of day, except in a genuine emergency, where immediate entry may be justified. This might include a major leak, gas leak, fire or serious electrical fault. The tenant’s consent is normally required, even if the contract gives you a right of access.

Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) rules and the wider Renters’ Rights Act standards, you must keep the structure and key services in repair and deal promptly with hazards like damp and mould. That means you must try hard to arrange access, by proposing dates in writing, offering alternatives and keeping records if the tenant repeatedly refuses.

You must never just let yourself in for convenience, or use repair visits as an excuse to harass or check up on the tenant. Persistent, unreasonable refusal of access can support possession or injunction action, but only after proper attempts at communication and, if needed, legal advice.

Also see our landlord blog articles.