Private Tenants

If you’re renting privately, you have a duty to report repairs to your landlord. They must make sure the property meets the criteria of the Repairing Standard.  

Reporting the problem

As soon as you become aware of the repair you should let your landlord know. You can do this by phone or in person but you should also follow this up with an email or letter. If you have a Private Residential Tenancy (PRT), the agreement will define how communications are sent between you and your landlord.  Make sure the email or letter includes what the problem is, date and your address.

Include as much information about the repair as possible, for example:

• photos of the disrepair
• inform the landlord If there is any damage to your possessions or if you’ve had to replace anything
• if you’ve had the disrepair looked at by a builder or other professional, include their assessment of the problem
• a doctor's note if the disrepair is affecting your health

Make sure your preferred way of being contacted is also in the letter – you might want to include your mobile phone number and email address. Keep a copy of the email or letter. Your email provider may well allow you to ask for a read receipt so check if you can do this.  If you send a letter you should send it recorded delivery and keep the receipts.

The repairs should be done in a reasonable amount of time. What is reasonable depends on the repair. If the problem is making the property unsafe the repair should be carried out urgently.  Write a reminder for yourself so you have a date you expect to hear back from your landlord by – a week is a sensible timeframe.

If the repairs aren't done

Your first step should be writing again to your landlord. Repeat what you said in the previous letter and include a copy of that letter. Ask when they intend to do the repair and ask them to talk to you about arranging access.

You are still having problems because the repairs aren’t done

You can apply to the First Tier Tribunal if you have a private residential tenancy, short assured tenancy, assured tenancy, regulated tenancy or if you live in tied accommodation (accommodation provided by your employer).

You could ask the council’s environmental health department for help if the problem is damp or another issue that is affecting your health. Check what your council’s environmental health department can help investigate.

Another option would be for you to arrange repairs to be done yourself, agreeing that with your landlord first. It would be a good idea to get at least 3 quotes for the work and decide between yourself and the landlord which is the best option.

Your landlord will need to pay for repairs so the money will ideally need to be paid before the work starts so you don't get a bill.