What repairs is a landlord responsible for under section 11?

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes you keep the structure and exterior in repair, and the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water in repair and working order.

It applies to almost every private tenancy in England, and you can't pass these repairs to the tenant in the tenancy agreement.

The rules below follow the Act and GOV.UK, as checked on 19 October 2026.

What section 11 makes you repair

If you let a flat, the duty also reaches common parts and shared installations you own or control, such as a shared roof, where the disrepair affects your tenant. GOV.UK's tenant page puts it simply: the landlord is always responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior, fire safety, sanitary fittings including pipes and drains, heating and hot water, gas appliances and electrical wiring.

The standard of repair depends on the age, character and expected life of the property and the area it's in.

What section 11 doesn't cover

You don't have to:

• repair damage the tenant is responsible for because they haven't used the property in a tenant-like manner, such as damage they or their visitors cause
• rebuild after fire, storm, flood or another accident nobody could prevent
• repair anything the tenant is entitled to take away with them

Appliances you supply, such as a cooker or washing machine, aren't part of the section 11 duty, although GOV.UK lists gas appliances among the repairs a landlord is always responsible for, and any gas appliance you provide must be kept safe. For other appliances, your tenancy agreement usually says who repairs them. Gas appliances you provide must also pass the annual gas safety check.

Which tenancies it applies to

Section 11 applies to a tenancy of a home granted for less than seven years, which covers almost every private let. A tenancy that the landlord can end before seven years counts as less than seven years. Private assured tenancies in England have been periodic since 1 May 2026, and a periodic tenancy counts as a term of less than seven years, so section 11 applies. The one exception is a tenancy granted for seven years or more before 1 May 2026 by a landlord other than a social housing provider. Wales has its own rules for occupation contracts.

Fitness for human habitation

Separately, section 9A of the same Act says a home in England let for less than seven years must be fit for human habitation when the tenancy starts and stay fit throughout. Under section 10, a home is unfit only if it is so far defective in one or more of these that it isn't reasonably suitable to live in: repair, stability, freedom from damp, internal arrangement, natural lighting, ventilation, water supply, drainage and toilets, facilities for cooking and for waste water, or a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. So a home can be unfit, for example through serious damp, even where nothing is broken. A tenant can take you to court, and the court can order the work. You aren't liable where the unfitness is wholly or mainly caused by the tenant's own breach of the tenancy.

Getting in, and what happens if repairs aren't done

You have a legal right to enter to inspect or carry out repairs. Give at least 24 hours' notice in writing; GOV.UK says immediate access may be possible in an emergency. Section 11 itself only gives a right to enter to inspect, at reasonable times; the right to enter to do the repairs comes from the tenancy, as GOV.UK's guidance describes.

If you don't make repairs, GOV.UK says your tenant can:

• make a small claims court claim for repairs under £5,000
• in some cases, do the repair themselves and take the cost off the rent
• ask the council to inspect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System; if it finds serious hazards, it must take enforcement action

Awaab's Law and the Decent Homes Standard

Awaab's Law, which sets deadlines for dealing with damp, mould and other hazards, doesn't apply to private landlords yet: the government is consulting until 18 December 2026. A Decent Homes Standard for private rented homes is also planned.

The tax side

The money you spend on repairs and maintenance, as long as it is wholly for the letting, comes off your rental income as an allowable expense. Costs covered by insurance or a kept deposit count only above the amount you recovered, and work to make a run-down property fit to let before the first tenancy is usually capital. Replacing an appliance or furnishing isn't a repair, but may qualify for replacement of domestic items relief. A repair puts something back as it was, and replacing a part with its nearest modern equivalent, such as a single-glazed window with a double-glazed one, still counts as a repair where any improvement is incidental. Adding something new, or upgrading, is an improvement: it isn't deducted from rent, but keep the records for Capital Gains Tax when you sell. Our guide to repairs versus improvements explains where the line falls.

What this means for you

Treat the roof, walls, windows, drains, pipes, wiring, sanitary fittings, boiler and hot water as yours to keep working, whatever the tenancy agreement says, and keep every repair invoice for your tax return.

This is general information to help you understand the rules. It isn't tailored to your circumstances, so check your own position before acting on it.

Steps

1. Check your tenancy agreement doesn't try to make the tenant repair anything section 11 covers; that term is void.
2. Set up one way for tenants to report repairs, and record the date you hear about each one.
3. Give at least 24 hours' written notice before visiting to inspect or repair, unless it's an emergency.
4. Keep every repair invoice and record it as a repair or an improvement for your tax return.

The landlord section has more guides on the Renters' Rights Act and safety checks. The free MTD check shows when Making Tax Digital starts for you.