Repairs
Repairs are the works needed to keep a rented property safe, functional and in good condition during a tenancy. For a landlord, repairs are not optional “maintenance favours”: many are legal obligations that apply even if they are not written into the tenancy agreement.
Your core duty in most residential lets comes from Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This requires you to keep in repair the structure and exterior, and to keep in proper working order installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and hot water. A separate, related duty under Section 9A requires the home to be fit for human habitation at the start and throughout the tenancy, for example, serious damp and mould, unsafe electrics, or sanitation failures can engage this).
Process matters. In many cases, your obligation to act is triggered once the tenant has put you on notice that repairs are needed through reporting a repair, so you should encourage written reporting and keep an audit trail. When access is required, arrange it reasonably and respect quiet enjoyment. Section 11 anticipates entry at reasonable times with at least 24 hours’ written notice for inspections and repairs, but you should still agree appointments wherever possible.
Delays can escalate to enforcement. If conditions present serious hazards, the local housing authority can act under HHSRS, for example, by serving an improvement notice, making emergency works, or making a prohibition order restricting use of the home.
The Renters’ Rights Act raises the bar in England. It extends the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector and applies Awaab’s Law expectations, alongside a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman and Private Rented Sector Database. With Section 21 notice abolished, strong repairs handling and documentation also becomes central to managing disputes and, where necessary, any possession route via Section 8 notice and valid grounds for possession.
Also see our landlord blog articles, including:
