Key points
- Private landlords must keep your home in repair and fit to live in.
- A letting agent's delays do not remove your landlord's responsibility.
- Gas and electrical safety checks are legal requirements for private landlords.
- No Win, No Fee, with nothing to pay upfront.
What a private landlord has to repair
For most tenancies in England, your landlord must keep the structure and exterior of the home in repair, including the roof, walls, windows, gutters and drains. They must also keep the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water in repair and working order. These duties apply whatever your tenancy agreement says.
Your home must also be fit to live in at the start of your tenancy and throughout it. Serious damp and mould, excess cold, faulty electrics and other hazards can make a home unfit.
Safety checks your landlord must do
- A gas safety check every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy of the record given to you
- An electrical safety inspection at least every five years, with a copy of the report given to you
- Working smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms where required
If these checks have not been done, tell us. It can matter for your claim and for your safety.
When a letting agent manages your home
Many private tenants only ever deal with a letting agent. Reporting a problem to the agent normally counts as telling the landlord. If the agent passes the blame or never books the repair, your landlord is still responsible for getting it done.
Help from the council
Your local council's private housing or environmental health team can inspect privately rented homes and order a landlord to fix serious hazards. That is a useful route to getting repairs done, but it does not pay you compensation. A housing disrepair claim can do both.
What a claim can get you
- The repairs done properly
- Compensation for the discomfort and inconvenience you lived with
- The value of damaged belongings and extra costs you had
Compensation is usually based on your rent, how serious the problem was and how long it went on after your landlord knew about it.
How a claim works
We start with a free check of your situation. If you have a claim, we send your landlord a formal letter of claim under the court's Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. Your landlord usually has 20 working days to respond, and a surveyor may inspect the property. Most claims are settled without going to court, and we deal with your landlord for you.
What you can do now
- Report the problem to your landlord or agent in writing and keep a copy
- Take dated photos and videos of the problem and any damaged belongings
- Keep your tenancy agreement and any gas or electrical safety certificates you were given
- Keep a note of every time you chased the repair and the replies you got
This page explains the law in England. Tenants in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules, so call us if you live there.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord evict me for making a claim?
The law gives private tenants protection against so-called revenge evictions for complaining about disrepair. How it applies depends on your tenancy, so talk to us before you worry.
My tenancy agreement says I am responsible for repairs. Is that right?
For most tenancies of less than seven years, a landlord cannot pass their legal repair duties for the structure, heating, water and other installations on to the tenant. A clause that tries to do this is unlikely to hold.
Can I stop paying rent until the repairs are done?
We strongly advise against it. Withholding rent can put your tenancy at risk. Keep paying and let us deal with the repairs through a claim.
Can I still claim if I have moved out?
Often, yes. You may be able to claim for the time you lived with the disrepair, as long as it is within the time limits.