Renting
Repairs in a rented home: who is responsible for what
The division is usually set by statute rather than by the agreement, and the tenant duty is mostly about reporting.
Everything here earned its place by changing an outcome. Nothing about repair responsibilities is included to round the number up.
What matters most
- Structure, exterior and installations are typically the landlord responsibility.
- Tenants must usually report promptly and allow access.
- Withholding rent is rarely the correct remedy and often creates liability.
The usual dividing line
In most systems the landlord is responsible for the structure and exterior, and for the installations supplying water, heating, gas, electricity and sanitation. The tenant is generally responsible for using the property properly, for minor items such as light bulbs, and for damage they or their visitors cause. Clauses shifting structural or installation repairs onto the tenant are commonly unenforceable in residential lettings.
The precise boundary varies by jurisdiction, and knowing where it sits locally settles most disputes before they start.
Reporting is the tenant obligation that matters
A landlord duty to repair generally arises once they know of the defect, which makes the report the trigger. Reporting in writing, with dates and photographs, creates the record that any later dispute turns on. A tenant who does not report a small leak can be liable for the consequential damage, which is how a minor issue becomes a deposit deduction.
Following up a verbal report by email the same day converts a conversation into evidence.
Access and notice
Landlords generally need to give notice before entering, commonly a set period, and must enter at reasonable times. Emergencies are usually an exception, and a tenant who repeatedly refuses access can be in breach. A tenant right to quiet enjoyment means a landlord cannot enter at will even with a key.
In practice, agreeing access arrangements in writing avoids both the intrusive landlord and the obstructive tenant problem.
Condensation and mould are contested
Landlords often attribute mould to tenant lifestyle; tenants often attribute it to the building. The physical mechanism involves moisture production, ventilation and cold surfaces, so both a poorly insulated wall and a dried washing load can contribute. Adequate ventilation provision and insulation are usually the landlord side; using them is usually the tenant side.
In practice, several jurisdictions have strengthened landlord obligations on damp and mould specifically, so check current rules rather than older guidance.
What to do when repairs are ignored
Escalate in writing with a reasonable deadline, then to the letting agent, then to the local authority or housing regulator where one exists. Many jurisdictions provide enforcement powers to local authorities for hazards in rented housing, and complaints there are free.
For most people, some systems allow a tenant to arrange repairs and offset the cost, under strict conditions that must be followed precisely. Retaliatory eviction protections exist in some places and not others, which is worth checking before complaining formally.
If that does not fit your week, it is not a failure of willpower.
Do not stop paying rent
Withholding rent is almost never a recognised remedy and usually creates arrears that support a possession claim. The correct routes are enforcement, a disrepair claim or a rent repayment mechanism where one exists. Keeping the rent paid preserves your position while the complaint proceeds.
In practice, a tenant advice service can identify which remedy exists where you live, and this article is general information rather than advice.
Everything above, in order of what to do first
- The usual dividing line. In most systems the landlord is responsible for the structure and exterior, and for the installations supplying water, heating, gas, electricity and sanitation.
- Reporting is the tenant obligation that matters. A landlord duty to repair generally arises once they know of the defect, which makes the report the trigger.
- Access and notice. Landlords generally need to give notice before entering, commonly a set period, and must enter at reasonable times.
- Condensation and mould are contested. Landlords often attribute mould to tenant lifestyle; tenants often attribute it to the building.
- What to do when repairs are ignored. Escalate in writing with a reasonable deadline, then to the letting agent, then to the local authority or housing regulator where one exists.
- Do not stop paying rent. Withholding rent is almost never a recognised remedy and usually creates arrears that support a possession claim.
The takeaway
Report everything in writing the day you notice it, and keep paying the rent while you pursue it.
Pick the one that costs you least, and let the rest wait.
Questions readers ask
Who replaces a broken appliance that came with the property?
Usually the landlord if it was supplied as part of the tenancy and has failed through age or fault, unless the tenant damaged it. The inventory decides what was supplied.
Can I decorate or put up shelves?
Only with permission in most agreements. Get it in writing, since an unauthorised alteration becomes a deposit deduction at the end regardless of whether it improved the property.
