What repairs is a landlord legally responsible for?

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 puts the structure and exterior on the landlord, along with water, gas and electricity installations, heating and hot water, and sanitary fittings. That covers walls, roof, windows, external doors, guttering, drains, pipes, wiring, boilers, radiators, basins, baths and toilets.

Can a tenancy agreement make the tenant responsible for the boiler?

No. The Section 11 duties cannot be signed away, so a clause asking the tenant to repair the boiler or the roof will not hold up. Those responsibilities stay with the landlord by law however the agreement is worded.

What are tenants responsible for?

Everyday care of the home, including keeping it reasonably clean and ventilated, minor tasks such as light bulbs and smoke alarm batteries, reporting problems promptly, any damage they or their visitors cause beyond fair wear and tear, and their own belongings.

What is the difference between damage and fair wear and tear?

Fair wear and tear is the natural ageing of a property: faded paint, lightly worn hallway carpet, small scuffs. Damage is a burn in a carpet, a cracked basin or a hole in a door. The line matters most at check out, where it is the most common cause of deposit disputes.

Landlord repair responsibilities: who fixes what

Q: How quickly does a landlord have to carry out a repair?

The duty generally starts once you know, or ought to know, about the defect, and the repair must follow within a reasonable time. Reasonable depends on severity. No heating in December is urgent, a dripping outside tap in summer is not. Record the report date and what you did, because that log is what protects you in a dispute.

21 August 2026 · AgentCheck Editorial · 7 min read

Part of our UK Landlord Legal Guide

In short: The law sets a clear baseline for who is responsible for repairs in a rented home. In broad terms, landlords are responsible for the structure, exterior and key installations, while tenants are responsible for looking after the property and for minor upkeep. Knowing where the line sits prevents most disputes before they start.

The legal starting point

Most repairing responsibilities in a private tenancy in England come from Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This sets duties that cannot be signed away in a tenancy agreement. It means a clause telling the tenant to fix the boiler or repair the roof will not hold up, because those duties stay with the landlord by law.

On top of that, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires the property to be fit to live in throughout the tenancy, giving tenants a direct route to action if serious problems are ignored.

A man working on a roof with a power drill — Photo: Unsplash

What the landlord is responsible for

Under Section 11, the landlord must keep in repair and proper working order the following.

The structure and exterior. This covers walls, roof, foundations, windows, external doors, guttering and drains. A leaking roof or rotten window frame is your responsibility.
Water, gas and electricity installations. Pipes, wiring and the supply of these services fall to you.
Heating and hot water. Boilers, radiators and water heaters are landlord responsibilities. A broken boiler in winter is usually an urgent repair.
Sanitary fittings. Basins, sinks, baths and toilets, along with their pipework, sit with the landlord.

You are also responsible for repairing damage caused by a failure to maintain these things. If a leaking pipe ruins the flooring, that flows from your repairing duty.

It is worth being clear on timing. The obligation generally bites once you know, or ought to know, about a defect, and you must then carry out the repair within a reasonable time. What counts as reasonable depends on severity. No heating in December is far more urgent than a dripping outside tap in summer.

What the tenant is responsible for

Tenants are not off the hook. They are expected to use the property in a tenant like manner, an old phrase that still carries weight. In practice this means the following.

Everyday care. Keeping the home reasonably clean, ventilated and looked after.
Minor tasks. Replacing light bulbs, changing smoke alarm batteries where fitted that way, and unblocking a sink they have blocked.
Reporting problems promptly. A tenant who spots a small leak should report it, not wait until it becomes major damage.
Their own damage. Any damage caused by the tenant, their household or their visitors, beyond fair wear and tear, is theirs to put right.
Their own belongings. The landlord does not insure or repair the tenant's furniture and possessions.

Close up of a stainless steel sink drain — Photo: Unsplash

The grey areas that cause disputes

Fair wear and tear

You cannot charge a tenant for the natural ageing of a property. Faded paint, lightly worn carpet in a hallway and small scuffs are wear and tear. A burn in a carpet, a cracked basin or a hole in a door are damage. This distinction matters most at the end of a tenancy and is a common flashpoint in deposit disputes.

Condensation and mould

Mould can come from a building defect, which is the landlord's problem, or from condensation linked to how the home is used and ventilated. In reality it is often a mix. The fair approach is to investigate the cause rather than reach for blame. Our guide to damp and mould landlord responsibilities goes into this in detail.

Gardens and outside spaces

Basic garden upkeep such as mowing is often the tenant's job under the tenancy agreement, but structural items like fences, walls and trees usually remain with the landlord. Spell this out in the agreement to avoid confusion.

Appliances

If you provide white goods, check the tenancy terms. Many agreements say the landlord will repair supplied appliances, but some make clear they are provided as a gesture and not maintained. Clarity up front saves arguments later.

How to handle a repair the right way

Make reporting easy. Give tenants a clear way to report problems and encourage them to do it early.
Respond and record. Acknowledge the report, note the date, and keep a log of what was done and when.
Prioritise by severity. Deal with anything affecting safety, heating, hot water or security quickly.
Use qualified trades. For gas and electrical work you must use appropriately registered professionals.
Follow up. Confirm the repair worked and the tenant is satisfied.

Good record keeping is your friend. If a dispute ever reaches a court or a deposit scheme, the landlord who can show a prompt, documented response is in a far stronger position.

When an agent takes the strain

Repairs are where self managing landlords feel the pressure most, especially out of hours or when they live far from the property. A managing agent fields reports, dispatches trusted trades, handles the paperwork and keeps you compliant. If maintenance is eating your evenings, that service can pay for itself in time and peace of mind. For the wider set of duties, see our guide to landlord legal requirements in England.

The bottom line

The rule of thumb is simple. Landlords own the structure, exterior and the systems that make a home habitable. Tenants own everyday care and their own damage. The disputes happen in the grey areas, so set expectations clearly in the tenancy agreement, respond to reports quickly and keep records. Do that and repairs stay a routine part of letting rather than a source of conflict.

Want repairs handled for you by people who know the rules? Compare letting agents on AgentCheck to find a local managing agent that matches how hands on you want to be.

Letting agents by area

Fees and service levels vary a lot from one town to the next. See which agents cover your area and what they charge:

Compare local letting agents on AgentCheck

Free for landlords. No paid placements. Verified Google reviews you can independently confirm.

Start comparing →