Why it matters
What Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Section 11) means for a landlord
Section 11 is the repairing obligation that actually binds a private landlord today, not Awaab’s Law, which remains a social-sector duty. It is implied into the tenancy by statute and cannot be contracted out of, however the agreement is drafted. The practical trigger is **notice**: your duty to repair generally starts when you are told, which is why a dated log of what the tenant reported and what you did matters more than any clause. The remedy is damages, commonly expressed as a percentage of rent for the period affected, and, the part landlords underestimate, it can be raised as a counterclaim inside your own possession case, where it is set off against the arrears.
Worked example
How it plays out
In January a tenant in Derby reports that the boiler has stopped. Under section 11 the landlord must keep the heating and hot water installations in repair, and has a reasonable time to fix a defect once told about it. The landlord gets an engineer out the next day, provides electric heaters in the meantime and fixes the boiler within three days. A landlord who took three weeks in winter would struggle to call that reasonable if the tenant claimed damages.
Common mistakes
Where landlords go wrong
- 01Adding a clause making the tenant responsible for the boiler, which section 11 does not allow.
- 02Waiting for a routine inspection instead of responding to a report.
- 03Treating mould without repairing the leak behind it.
What to do
A short checklist
- Keep a list of reliable contractors for heating, plumbing and electrics.
- Log the date each repair is reported and completed.
- Tell tenants in writing how to report repairs.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11
- legislation.gov.uk: Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Checked against these sources on 16 September 2026. A guide to the rules in England, not legal advice: for a dispute or a possession claim, speak to a solicitor.
