Most repair disasters do not start as big problems. They start as a small one — a reported leak, a dodgy socket — that sat in an inbox while everyone assumed someone else had it. Weeks later it is water damage, a cold tenant, and a letter from a no-win-no-fee firm. The fix is not spending more; it is having a system so nothing gets lost between "reported" and "done".
Here is the workflow.
General guidance, not legal advice.
Step 1: Capture the report properly
The moment a tenant reports something, it needs a timestamp and a home that is not your personal inbox. Record what was reported, when, and by whom — ideally with a photo from the tenant. This is not bureaucracy: the date a hazard was reported is the single most important fact if it ever becomes a dispute, and "I told him weeks ago" versus your dated log is what decides who is believed.
Step 2: Triage by urgency
Not every repair is equal. A rough hierarchy:
Triaging stops the genuinely dangerous thing from waiting behind the trivial one.
Step 3: Know your legal duty
Repairs are not just good service, they are the law. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires you to keep in repair the structure and exterior and the installations for heating, water, gas, electricity and sanitation. On top of that, damp and mould and other hazards engage the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and HHSRS, and a council can serve an Improvement Notice.
One thing to get right, because there is a lot of confusion: Awaab's Law — with its fixed repair timescales — currently applies to social landlords (since 27 October 2025), not the private rented sector. The Renters' Rights Act carries the power to extend it to private lets, but that is not yet in force. So a private landlord's binding duties today are Section 11, fitness for habitation and HHSRS — already enough reason to move fast — with the Awaab clock heading for the PRS later.
Step 4: Brief the contractor well
A good contractor visit starts with a good brief: what the problem is, where, the tenant's contact details and access arrangements, and any photos. Give proper notice for access — at least 24 hours in writing for a non-emergency, at a reasonable time. Vague briefs mean wasted visits, which mean delay, which is the enemy. Keep a couple of reliable trades lined up before you need them, not scrambled for at the point of an emergency.
Step 5: Close the loop and keep the trail
The job is not done when the contractor leaves — it is done when you have confirmed the fix with the tenant and logged it: what was done, when, by whom, and the invoice. That record is your defence against a disrepair claim, your evidence for tax (repairs are deductible; improvements are not), and the reason the next person who looks at the property knows its history.
Why the system beats good intentions
Every landlord intends to handle repairs. The ones who avoid disrepair claims have a process that does not depend on remembering: report captured, triaged, actioned, closed, logged — every time. That is exactly what turns a frightening letter of claim into a five-minute export of the dated history.
How LetCompliance helps: tenants raise maintenance requests with photos, each timestamped on receipt; you triage by urgency, brief and dispatch a contractor, and keep a dated repair history on every property — so the report never sits forgotten in an inbox, and the paper trail that protects you builds itself.
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Frequently asked questions
What are a landlord’s repair responsibilities?
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires you to keep in repair the structure and exterior and the installations for heating, water, gas, electricity and sanitation. Damp, mould and other hazards also engage the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and HHSRS, and a council can serve an Improvement Notice. The practical duty is to respond promptly and keep a dated record of what was reported and done.
Does Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords?
Not yet. Awaab’s Law, with its fixed repair timescales, applies to social landlords (since 27 October 2025). The Renters’ Rights Act carries the power to extend it to the private rented sector, but that is not in force. So a private landlord’s binding duties today are Section 11, fitness for human habitation and HHSRS — reason enough to act fast — with the Awaab timescales heading for the PRS later.
How should a landlord handle a repair report?
Capture it with a timestamp (not just in your inbox), triage it by urgency — emergency within hours, urgent within days, routine scheduled — brief the contractor properly with access and photos, then close the loop by confirming the fix with the tenant and logging what was done and the invoice. The dated record is your defence against a disrepair claim and your evidence for tax (repairs are deductible; improvements are not).