Landlords' responsibilities for repairs
As a landlord, you must keep your property in good condition, and any gas or electrical systems must meet specified safety standards.
You are normally responsible for repairs to:
the structure of your property
basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings
heating and hot water systems
any damage you cause through attempting repairs
If your property is seriously damaged by a fire, flood or other similar incident, you do not have to rebuild or renovate it. However, if you do, you cannot ask your tenants to pay a service charge for any repairs made.
If you own a block of flats, you will usually be responsible for repairing common areas, like staircases.
If a tenant is damaging another tenant's flat - for example if they leave water to overflow and it leaks into the flat below - you should try to stop the damage from continuing. You can ask the tenant responsible for the damage to pay for the repairs. Councils can ask landlords to fix problems in common areas, or to repair a tenant's flat that has been damaged by another tenant.
Tenants' responsibilities for repairs
As a tenant, you should only carry out repairs if the tenancy agreement says you can.
You should take reasonable care of the property - for example, by turning off the water at the mains to prevent burst pipes if you will be away during cold weather. You are also responsible for making repairs to put right any damage caused by your family and friends.
Your landlord is not obliged to repair anything that belongs to you in the property, unless it has been damaged because they didn't carry out their repair obligations, for example, not fixing a leaking roof.
Guide for repairs and landlords