Private housing: Improvements and repairs

Your landlord must keep in good condition and repair:

• The structure and exterior of the building.
• Basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary installations.
• Heating and hot water installations.

Your landlord must also make sure that:

• All gas appliances are maintained in good order.
• The electrical installation (for example fixed wiring) and any electrical appliances supplied (cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and immersion heaters) are safe to use.
• Any furniture and furnishings he or she supplies meets fire resistance requirements.

The landlord is not generally responsible for:

• Repairs arising from damage caused by you.
• Rebuilding the property in the case of damage by fire, flood or other inevitable accident.
• Repairing anything which you have a right to take away unless, in some circumstance, the damage was caused as a result of the landlord's failure to carry out his or her obligations.

Examples of things that your landlord should put right might include:

• Leaking roofs
• Damp
• Rotten window frames
• Central heating that is not working.

Repairs regarding other things depend very much on the terms of the agreement between the landlord and the tenant. If a landlord, in doing repairs that he or she is obliged to do, spoils the internal decoration, he or she should make good the damage.

If you are a landlord and want further guidance about the standards your property should meet please contact the Residential Services team who can offer confidential impartial advice.

More about Private renting - Landlord responsibilities.