Updated August 2026. Repairs are where most landlord disputes and enforcement actions start, so it pays to know exactly where your legal duty ends and your tenant’s begins. This guide sets out what UK residential landlords must repair by law, what tenants are responsible for, the timescales you’re expected to work to, and what happens if you don’t — including the standards tightening under the Renters’ Rights Act.
Last reviewed: 9 August 2026. Applies to England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Key takeaways
- Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes you responsible for the structure, exterior and key installations — and you can’t contract out of it.
- The home must be fit for human habitation throughout the tenancy (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018).
- Tenants must repair damage they or their guests cause and use the property responsibly.
- You must act within a reasonable time of being told — and stricter fixed timescales for damp and mould (Awaab’s Law) are coming to the private sector.
- Fail to repair and you risk council enforcement, fines, rent repayment orders and tenant claims.
What the law makes you repair
The backbone of a landlord’s repairing obligation is Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It applies to virtually all residential tenancies and cannot be signed away — any clause trying to push these duties onto the tenant is void. Under it, you must keep in repair:
- The structure and exterior — walls, roof, foundations, windows, external doors, gutters and drains.
- Installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, and for sanitation — basins, sinks, baths and toilets.
- Installations for space heating and heating water — boilers, radiators and pipework.
On top of that, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires the property to be fit to live in at the start of, and all the way through, the tenancy — and lets a tenant take you to court directly if it isn’t, even if the problem developed after they moved in. The fitness standard covers issues like serious damp and mould, inadequate ventilation, unsafe layout, and anything the council rates as a serious hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Who fixes what: landlord vs tenant
| Usually the landlord | Usually the tenant |
|---|---|
| Roof, walls, windows and external doors | Damage caused by the tenant or their guests |
| Boiler, heating, hot water and pipework | Replacing light bulbs, smoke-alarm batteries |
| Baths, sinks, toilets and drainage | Minor upkeep and keeping the home reasonably clean |
| Electrical wiring and installations | Garden upkeep, if the agreement says so |
| Gas and electrical safety | Reporting repairs promptly |
The dividing line is straightforward: you handle the fabric of the building and the systems that make it safe and habitable; the tenant handles day-to-day care and anything they break. A tenancy agreement can add tenant duties like basic garden maintenance, but it can never remove your Section 11 responsibilities.
The safety rules that sit alongside repairs
Repairs don’t stand alone — several safety regimes run in parallel, and breaching them carries its own penalties:
- Gas. An annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer on all gas appliances and flues.
- Electrics. A satisfactory EICR at least every five years, plus safe installations throughout.
- Alarms. Working smoke alarms on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance.
- Fire safety and furnishings. Supplied furniture must meet fire-resistance rules, and HMOs carry extra fire-safety duties.
- Defective Premises Act 1972. A duty of care to anyone who could be affected by disrepair — tenants, their family and visitors.
How quickly must you act?
Your legal duty to repair is triggered once you’re put on notice — so a tenant must tell you about the problem, in writing ideally. From there, the standard is to carry out the repair within a reasonable time, and what’s reasonable scales with severity: no heating or hot water in winter, a dangerous electrical fault or a major leak is an emergency measured in hours or a day or two, while a dripping tap can wait for a scheduled visit.
Keep dated records of when a tenant reported an issue and when you responded — that timeline is the first thing a court or council looks at.
Damp, mould and Awaab’s Law
Damp and mould deserve special attention because the rules are tightening. Awaab’s Law — which sets strict, fixed timescales for investigating and fixing damp and mould — already applies to social landlords in England. The Renters’ Rights Act contains the power to extend it to the private rented sector, but at the time of writing the regulations and start date have not been confirmed, and an extension isn’t expected imminently.
That doesn’t mean you can wait. Under existing law you must already deal with damp and mould within a reasonable time, and the fitness and HHSRS rules bite hard where a tenant’s health is affected. The sensible approach is to treat serious damp as urgent now: investigate the cause (leaks, failed ventilation, structural issues), fix it rather than just wiping the surface, and document what you did. The Decent Homes Standard is also being extended to private rentals under the Act, so the direction of travel is clear.
What happens if you don’t repair
Ignoring a genuine repair is an expensive mistake. Your tenant can report the property to the council, whose environmental health team can inspect under the HHSRS and serve an improvement or emergency remedial notice — and carry out the work themselves, billing you, if you don’t. Beyond that you can face:
- Civil penalties and, for some breaches, prosecution.
- A rent repayment order in certain cases.
- A tenant claim for an order forcing the repairs and compensation for disrepair.
- Restrictions on regaining possession while you’re in breach of certain duties.
Extra duties for HMOs
If you let a House in Multiple Occupation, the bar is higher. HMO management regulations require you to keep common parts, installations and fire-safety measures in good order, and a licensable HMO must meet the conditions of its licence. Fire safety in particular — alarms, escape routes, fire doors — is scrutinised far more closely than in a single-family let.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tenancy agreement make the tenant responsible for major repairs?
No. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places responsibility for the structure, exterior and key installations on the landlord, and any clause trying to shift those duties onto the tenant is void. A tenancy can add minor tenant duties, like garden upkeep, but not remove your core obligations.
How quickly do I have to carry out a repair?
Within a reasonable time of being notified, judged by severity. A loss of heating or hot water, a gas leak or unsafe electrics is an emergency needing action within hours; minor repairs can be scheduled within a few weeks. Keep a record of when it was reported and when you acted.
Does Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords?
Not yet. Awaab’s Law currently applies to social landlords in England. The Renters’ Rights Act allows it to be extended to the private rented sector, but the regulations and start date haven’t been confirmed. In the meantime you must still deal with damp and mould within a reasonable time under existing law.
Who is responsible for damp and mould?
Where damp or mould stems from the building — leaks, penetrating or rising damp, inadequate ventilation — it’s the landlord’s responsibility to investigate and fix the cause. Tenants are expected to ventilate and heat reasonably, but you can’t dismiss a genuine damp problem as mere “lifestyle”.
What can my tenant do if I don’t repair?
They can report you to the council’s environmental health team, which can inspect and serve enforcement notices, and they can bring a court claim for repairs and compensation. You may also face civil penalties or a rent repayment order, so it’s far cheaper to act promptly.
Written by the Landlords Portal team — experienced UK landlords covering the private rented sector. This is general information, not legal advice; take advice from a solicitor for a specific dispute.
