It’s the call that every landlord dreads receiving: a tenant telling you that there is an issue with their home that needs to be repaired. It might be a broken boiler, a leaky pipe or a damaged window or door. 

Whatever needs to be repaired, it can feel stressful as a landlord when you have to navigate these kinds of situations. The law is also a little vague on this point, merely stating that landlords need to carry out repairs “in a reasonable time” after being notified about them by their tenant. 

This can sometimes make it challenging to work out how quickly you need to act. Although, naturally, no landlord wants problems to persist, you do also need time to make sure any repairs are within your budget and are carried out by a suitable professional. 

What is a reasonable time? 

Generally speaking, what constitutes a reasonable time will be determined by how serious or urgent the problem is, as well as who your tenants are. Any issue that makes a property uninhabitable would be considered urgent. 

For instance, a boiler breaking in the depths of winter when your tenant will likely be using their heating would need to be fixed urgently – ideally within 24–48 hours. However, if the boiler were to break down in the summer months when it’s much warmer, you would likely be able to take longer to carry out the repairs or install a replacement boiler. 

You also need to consider your tenants when working out what seems reasonable. If you’re renting to a family with young children, for instance, or someone with disabilities, you will likely want to act quickly to carry out any repairs that could seriously compromise the quality of their living environment. 

The government is due to introduce a Decent Homes Standard for all private rented properties as part of its Renters’ Rights Bill, however the full details of this standard have yet to be published. In the meantime, the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which is currently only applied to social housing, could provide a useful benchmark.

This categorises the risks certain hazards pose to tenants by grading them into one of ten different bands. So, a hazard that falls into the A category would need to be dealt with immediately, while one the J category would be considered less dangerous.

Short-term vs long-term fixes

In some situations, you may be able to take short-term action, such as isolating a leak, giving you a bit longer to make more substantial repairs. This can be helpful to give you time to source materials and an appropriate professional to carry out the repair work. 

However, it’s important to remember that you are still expected to provide an effective and lasting repair, so even if you manage to fix an issue quickly, it is important to ensure that your fix will stand the test of time. 

Under the current regulations, if you carry out a short-term fix, you are required to give your tenant a timeframe for completing longer-lasting repairs. 

Speak to your tenant

When your tenant notifies you of a problem, it’s worth speaking to them to find out how urgent they feel the issue is. This can help you determine what would be considered a reasonable timeframe for any repair work. 

If a tenant asks you to fix an issue, such as a broken lock or leaking pipe, with urgency, do your best to accommodate this request. This is when having a letting agency working on your behalf is very helpful, because they will have a team of professionals who can deal with such issues without needing to get you involved.