Who is responsible for repairs to your rented home?
Both you and your landlord have a duty to look after the home.
Your landlord is responsible for ensuring that the property is fit for human habitation, which means that it must be safe, healthy and free from anything that can cause serious harm. This means that your landlord should make most of the big repairs if you are a private tenant.
Big repairs include:
- electrical wiring and safety
- gas pipes and boilers
- heating and hot water
- chimneys and ventilation
- sinks, baths, toilets, pipes and drains
- shared areas, like entrance halls and stairways
- the structure and the outside of the building.
Your landlord must always take care of these repairs, even if your contract or tenancy agreement says something different.
Your landlord also must do anything extra that's included in your tenancy agreement.
You need to tell your landlord about any work that needs to be done as soon as you can. This will give them time to fix things for you. It will also make sure the problem doesn't get worse.
If a repair problem gets worse because you didn't report it, your landlord might say any damage caused was your fault.
You'll be responsible for minor repairs to your home and some maintenance.
Minor repairs and maintenance include:
- keeping your home clean and tidy
- the safety of your own electrical items
- keeping gardens or outside areas in a reasonable state
- changing light bulbs and smoke alarm batteries
- fixing anything you've damaged.
My landlord won’t make the repairs I need
You should let your landlord or letting agent know of any problems as soon as they arise. You can do this in person, by phone, text, email or in writing.
You need to give your landlord reasonable time to make the repairs to your home. How long you need to give them depends on how serious the problem is.
You should take photos of the problem and keep a record of any conversations or updates. You might need these later.
These can include:
- photos of any damage - both when reported and showing changes over time
- any letters, texts, emails or notes of phone calls between you and your landlord or letting agent
- notes of any conversations or estimates from workmen sent to carry out the work
- receipts if you've had to replace anything
- doctors' letters if the problem has made you ill
- a copy of your tenancy agreement
- any other evidence relating to the problem.
In Wales, contract-holders under occupation contracts do not always have to pay their rent when their home is not fit to live in. You should check the terms of your occupation contract to see if this applies to you.
You can complain about your landlord to or to your local council if they won't do the repairs. You can also report your landlord to Rent Smart Wales.
If you are still unable to resolve things, you may wish to take legal action.
My property is not fit to live in
If there is a risk to your health and safety, or you can’t make full use of your home, it may not be fit to live in. In Wales, there are 29 matters to think of when considering whether a home is fit to live in, including damp and mould, lighting and noise. You can find further information at Shelter Cymru here.
You can report your landlord to your local council’s Environmental Health department if your home is not fit to live in. All private residential landlords in Wales must be registered with Rent Smart Wales. You can also report your landlord to Rent Smart Wales if they have failed to ensure the property is fit for human habitation under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and if you are unhappy with the Landlord’s response after 14 days. You can find further guidance from Rent Smart Wales here.
You can find your local council's contact details on GOV.UK.
Can I decorate my rented home?
You might be allowed to decorate your rented home, depending on your occupation contract
You should check your occupation contract to find out what you can and can’t do. For example, you might be able to paint but not hang pictures.
Talk to your landlord about it first. You may be able to come to an agreement even if your occupation contract says you can’t decorate.
You will also need to check if you need to leave the property in the same state as you found it. This could mean redecorating and doing minor repairs when you move out.
Where can I get help?
There are some places you can go to get free advice: Citizens Advice, a Law Centre and Shelter.
You can find out more at Your legal Choices if you think you may need legal advice.