Landlords have certain legal responsibilities.
This includes keeping their properties safe and habitable.
Tenants can get frustrated if problems take a long time to be fixed.
Common problems for renters
Issues with a rental property usually fall into one of two categories:
Minor problems
Minor problems are non-urgent issues that may create an inconvenience for tenants. Examples include:
- Wear and tear on a doors
- Appliance repairs
- Repainting.
Major problems
Other issues need more urgent attention. This could be because it’ll cause damage to the house or makes the people living there unsafe.
Examples include:
- A leaking roof
- A broken gas detector
- Pest problems
- The lock on the front door broke.
Tenants reporting and landlord responses
Tenants should contact their landlords about major problems immediately.
And for minor problems, they should make contact at the soonest convenient time.
They should explain the issue and give photographic or video evidence (if possible).
In turn, landlords should respond to major problems immediately and minor problems at the soonest convenient time.
What if landlords don’t respond?
If landlords don’t respond to repeated communications, tenants can contact:
- Their local housing authority
- A tenant advocacy organisation like the Citizens Advice Bureau.
In a worst-case scenario, they may need to get legal representation.
However, there are exceptional circumstances. Landlords’ delayed responses might be justified if they are out of the country or ill when contacted.
How long do landlords have to fix problems in the UK?
Landlords in the UK must fix a problem within a ‘reasonable’ timeframe.
The definition of this varies based on the nature of the issue. However, a good general guideline is:
- Minor repairs must be fixed within 14 days.
- Major repairs must be fixed within 48 hours.
These circumstances can be complicated if there’s disagreement about how severe a problem is.
For example, heating problems are a minor issue in summer and a major issue in winter.
Fixing it could be slowed if parts need to be ordered. Or if a local contractor must be found to fix the issue.
Who pays for fixing problems rental property problems?
In most cases, landlords should pay.
The landlord often pays if the problem is due to natural wear and tear.
And if the landlord’s negligence caused it, they’re responsible for paying it, too.
However, if tenants damage the property, a landlord can use the tenant’s deposit money to help fix it.
Or the terms of your contract may enable landlords to force tenants to pay for it. This is common in cases involving problem tenants.
