Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is one of the core laws shaping what you must do as a landlord once you let a property to a tenant. For most short residential lets, including the types commonly used in the private rented sector, the Act implies duties into the tenancy agreement whether or not you write them down and you generally cannot contract out of them.
The headline provision for day-to-day management is Section 11, which requires you to keep the structure and exterior in repair and proper working order, and to maintain key installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water. If something breaks, you’re expected to act within a reasonable time once you’re on notice. The Act also supports access for inspections and repairs. You may enter at reasonable times of day after giving at least 24 hours’ written notice, but you still need to behave reasonably and respect the tenant’s quiet enjoyment.
A second major change, now embedded into the 1985 Act is the “fitness” duty. Section 9A requires that rented homes are fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy and remain so throughout, with common triggers including damp and mould, sanitation problems, and serious hazards.
If you fall short, the consequences can go beyond an unhappy tenant. Issues can escalate to the local housing authority, often Environmental Health using HHSRS enforcement such as an improvement notice or prohibition order, and in some cases a rent repayment order may follow where the legal tests are met.
From 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act increases the practical importance of getting these basics right, including Section 21 notice ends, most lets move to an open-ended periodic tenancy as an assured tenancy, and possession relies on Section 8 notice and specific grounds for possession, so “fix the standard, document the work” becomes even more central.
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