The law does not specify a single fixed repair timeframe for landlords — instead, it requires repairs within a "reasonable time" that depends on the severity and nature of the problem. Case law and regulatory guidance have established a clearer picture of what this means in practice. This guide sets out which repairs demand immediate action and which allow more time.
The Legal Framework: Reasonable Time, Not Fixed Periods
The principal statute governing landlord repair obligations in England is Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It requires landlords to keep in repair and proper working order: the structure and exterior of the property; installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity, and sanitation; and installations for space heating and heating water.
Critically, Section 11 does not specify a fixed timeframe in which repairs must be completed. The obligation is to carry out repairs within a "reasonable time" after the landlord has been notified of the defect. What constitutes a reasonable time depends entirely on the nature of the defect and its consequences for the tenant — a total loss of heating in January is not reasonable to leave for a week; a dripping tap in summer may reasonably wait several weeks for a contractor appointment.
Case law, HSE guidance, and local authority enforcement practice have built up a body of guidance on what "reasonable" means for different categories of defect. The following framework reflects this accumulated guidance, though it does not have the force of statute — each case is assessed on its specific facts.
Category 1: Emergency — Action Required Within 24 Hours
These are defects where the tenant's safety, health, or basic habitability is immediately threatened. The landlord's obligation is to act immediately upon notification — not the next working day, not Monday after a weekend call. Emergency means emergency.
Total Loss of Heating and Hot Water in Winter
A complete failure of the heating and hot water supply during the winter months (October through April, and any period when temperatures are forecast below 10°C) is an emergency. Tenants — particularly those with young children, elderly occupants, or occupants with health conditions — face genuine health risks from cold exposure. The landlord must arrange emergency boiler repair or provide temporary heating within 24 hours. Most heating engineers offer emergency call-out services. If repair cannot be achieved within 24 hours, the landlord should provide electric heaters to the affected rooms while awaiting the repair.
Gas Leak
Any suspected gas leak — smell of gas, carbon monoxide alarm activation, gas meter running continuously when no appliances are in use — requires immediate action. The tenant must be instructed to call the National Gas Emergency Service (0800 111 999) immediately and evacuate if necessary. This is not a landlord repair in the first instance — the emergency service will attend and isolate. The landlord is then responsible for ensuring the installation is repaired and made safe before gas supply is restored. This must happen within hours, not days.
Burst Pipe Causing Flooding
A burst pipe actively flooding a room requires emergency response — turn off the water supply (stopcock), and arrange emergency plumbing repair. The landlord must be able to provide the tenant with the stopcock location and must have an emergency plumber contactable at all times. Flooding left unaddressed causes escalating structural damage, water damage to contents, and mould growth that creates further health risks and repair costs.
Sewage Backflow or Sewage Smell in Property
Sewage backing up through drains, toilets, or drain points into the property is both a health emergency and a deeply disruptive defect. The property is effectively uninhabitable while sewage is present or drains are backing up. Emergency drain clearance must be arranged immediately.
Total Loss of Electricity
A complete electrical failure leaving the tenant without power requires emergency investigation. Check whether the issue is within the property (consumer unit, internal fault) or external (power cut). If internal, an emergency electrician must attend. A property without electricity is not safely habitable.
Structural Danger or Serious Roof Leak During Heavy Rain
A structural hazard — a wall or ceiling showing signs of imminent collapse, a serious roof leak allowing significant water ingress during heavy rain — requires immediate assessment and either emergency repair or a temporary measure (props, tarpaulin over the roof) to prevent danger to occupants.
Category 2: Urgent — Action Required Within 28 Days
These defects significantly affect the tenant's quality of life or present health risks that are serious but not immediately acute. The landlord should aim to resolve these within 28 days of notification, and should acknowledge the issue and provide a repair timeline promptly.
Partial Heating Failure
Loss of heating to some but not all rooms, or heating that is intermittent and unreliable, should be repaired within 28 days during the heating season. In a property with multiple radiators where several are cold but the boiler is functioning, the tenant has some heating — this is urgent, not an emergency. In summer, partial heating failure that does not affect hot water may allow a longer repair timeline, though the landlord should still act promptly.
Intermittent Hot Water
Hot water that is unreliable — sometimes available, sometimes not — represents a significant defect. The landlord must arrange diagnosis and repair within 28 days. An underlying boiler issue causing intermittent hot water failure will not resolve itself and may develop into a complete failure.
Blocked Toilet — Only Toilet in Property
If the property has a single toilet and it is blocked and not clearing, this is an urgent repair — the tenant has no sanitary facility. Arrange clearance within 24 hours. If the property has multiple toilets and one is blocked, the urgency is reduced but the defect should still be addressed within a few days, not weeks.
Broken Windows in Winter
A broken external window allowing cold air ingress during winter is an urgent repair — it affects thermal comfort, creates a security risk, and in properties with children presents a safety hazard. Arrange temporary boarding and then glazing replacement within the 28-day window.
Category 3: Non-Urgent — Reasonable Time, Typically 28 Days or More
These defects do not create immediate health or safety risks and do not render the property uninhabitable. The landlord must still act — repair obligations do not evaporate because a defect is less serious — but a longer timeline is acceptable.
- Dripping tap: Not an immediate health or habitability issue. Can reasonably be scheduled within a few weeks. Do not leave indefinitely — a dripping tap wastes water, can cause limescale damage to sanitary ware, and may develop into a more significant leak.
- Minor damp — condensation or penetrating damp not causing structural damage: Requires investigation and remediation but the timeline can reflect contractor availability.
- Cosmetic damage: Peeling paint, small areas of damaged plaster, cosmetic tile cracks — these are maintenance items with no urgency from a health or safety perspective.
- Garden maintenance: Generally the tenant's responsibility under the tenancy agreement, but boundary fencing, external drainage, and shared access paths are typically the landlord's maintenance obligation.
Consequences of Failing to Repair
Failing to repair within the appropriate timeframe exposes landlords to:
- Rent withholding: Tenants have a common law right to withhold rent where the landlord is in breach of a repairing obligation. This is a high-risk strategy for tenants and usually requires legal advice, but it is a real risk for landlords who ignore repair requests.
- Right to Repair Scheme: For Housing Association tenants, the Right to Repair Scheme provides a statutory process for obtaining repairs and compensation when landlords fail to meet prescribed repair timeframes.
- Disrepair claims: A tenant who has suffered loss — damage to belongings, health impacts, additional costs — due to the landlord's failure to repair can bring a disrepair claim in the County Court. Damages can include compensation for inconvenience, personal injury, and property damage.
- Local authority enforcement: The council can serve an Improvement Notice under the Housing Act 2004 requiring repairs. Failure to comply with an Improvement Notice is a criminal offence.
Documenting Repairs for Your Protection
Landlords should keep a written record of all repair notifications and actions taken. When a tenant reports a repair, respond in writing (email) acknowledging the notification, confirming the repair category, and stating the expected timeline. Keep records of contractor callouts, invoices, and completion dates. This documentation is essential if a tenant subsequently claims the repair was not done or was delayed — and it demonstrates that the landlord was not in breach of the reasonable time obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly must a landlord fix a boiler in winter in London?
A total loss of heating and hot water during winter (October–April, or any period of cold weather) is a Category 1 emergency requiring action within 24 hours. The landlord must arrange emergency boiler repair or provide temporary heating (electric heaters) within 24 hours of notification. Partial heating failure — some rooms without heat but the boiler functioning — is an urgent repair requiring action within 28 days. Failure to act within these timeframes can lead to disrepair claims, rent withholding, and local authority enforcement.
What are the legal consequences if a landlord delays repairs in London?
Delays in repair can expose London landlords to: rent withholding by the tenant under common law; disrepair claims in the County Court for damages including compensation for inconvenience, health impacts, and property damage; local authority enforcement through Improvement Notices under the Housing Act 2004 (failing to comply is a criminal offence); and for HMO landlords, potential revocation of HMO licence. Document all repair requests and responses to demonstrate you acted within a reasonable time.
What counts as a plumbing emergency that a landlord must fix immediately?
Plumbing emergencies requiring immediate action (within 24 hours) include: a burst pipe causing active flooding; complete loss of hot water and heating in cold weather; sewage backflow into the property through any drain point; gas leak (call 0800 111 999 immediately and evacuate). The landlord should have an emergency plumber contactable at all times and must be able to direct tenants to the property's stopcock location. Emergencies do not wait for working hours — the obligation applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Does a landlord have to fix a dripping tap quickly?
A dripping tap is a non-urgent repair under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It does not create immediate health or safety risks and does not render the property uninhabitable, so a reasonable timeline of several weeks is acceptable for scheduling a repair. However, the repair cannot be deferred indefinitely — it remains a repair obligation, and ignoring it indefinitely could eventually lead to more significant damage. The landlord should acknowledge the report and schedule a repair within a reasonable period.