Your rights to repair will differ depending on whether you rent from a landlord/agent who doesn't live with you or if you share the accommodation with the owner of the property.

Renting from a Landlord who does not live with you

If you rent from a landlord/agent who doesn't live with you, they have a legal responsibility to carry out certain repairs - even if these are not directly stated in the contract. Your contract may have other landlord responsibilities in it, but these responsibilities are a minimum obligation and never for you to pick up.

Statutory repairs

These are things that the landlord must repair, regardless of what your contract says:

• electrical wiring
• gas pipes and boilers
• heating and hot water
• ventilation and chimneys
• sinks, baths and toilets
• plumbing and drains
• internal and external walls
• stairs and bannisters
• doors and windows
• the roof.

If you rent via an agency, both the landlord and their agent are equally responsible for ensuring that repairs are carried out. The agent cannot refuse to undertake essential repairs by saying that the landlord will not authorise the works.

Contractual repairs

Other repairs are contractual which means your contract will say whether the landlord is responsible.

Landlords should be responsible for ensuring that appliances and furniture that they provide as part of a furnished property are maintained, as these form a part of the contract.  It is best to ensure that the contract makes this clear to avoid disputes.

Things like decorating or repairing worn carpets are only the landlord's responsibility if the contract says so, but a good landlord should keep the property in good shape.

Fitness for habitation

Your property must be fit to live in.  This is a complex definition. Serious health hazards, such a fire safety may make a property totally unfit, but many things (damp, mould, vermin) that can make a property very unpleasant do not necessarily mean that the property cannot be lived in. 

However, a court may rule that disrepair is such that a tenant should not be expected to accept it, and has powers to make the landlord do the work. There's more about this here.

Repairs the Landlord does not have to do

Most contracts make it the tenants responsibility to look after the property and this includes minor repairs such as mending knobs and handles, changing lightbulbs, unblocking sinks.  However if these are part of a wider problem (such as poor quality plumbing) the landlord should rectify the underlying issue.

Landlords must do repairs, even if the tenant causes the damage, but they can charge the tenant if this is the case.

Living with the Owner

If you live with an owner you have fewer rights to repair, unless your contract is specific about what repairs the owner has agreed to cover. The only statutory repairs are those relating to health and safety of tenants and the public e.g gas/electrical safety. You can talk to your landlord about getting work done but if you have problems contact LUU Advice.

See the related articles to learn about how to request a repair.