What a Landlord Repairs and What Falls to You

The theory of repair responsibilities in a tenancy is well covered elsewhere. This is about the version you meet in practice.

The general shape of the split

Across most tenancy systems the landlord is responsible for the structure and exterior, and for the installations that supply water, heating, sanitation and power. The tenant is responsible for damage they or their guests cause, and for the small routine upkeep that using a home involves. This split exists because the landlord owns an asset with a life measured in decades and the tenant owns a period of occupation.

It follows that a failing boiler is almost always theirs and a blocked sink full of your cooking fat is almost always yours. The precise wording, and how far it can be varied by the contract, differs by country, so read your national tenancy guidance before arguing.

What usually sits with the landlord

Roof, walls, windows, external doors and drains fall on the owner because they are the fabric of the building itself. The heating system and the supply of hot water are treated as essential in most jurisdictions, which is why they attract shorter repair deadlines. Fixed electrical installations, gas appliances where fitted and the plumbing behind the walls are the landlord's, and they generally require certified tradespeople by law.

Anything supplied with the property, such as a fitted oven or a provided washing machine, is normally maintained by whoever supplied it. Safety equipment including smoke alarms and, where gas is present, carbon monoxide alarms is increasingly a legal requirement on the landlord rather than a courtesy.

What usually sits with you

Replacing bulbs, unblocking a sink you blocked, keeping the flat reasonably ventilated and not letting a small problem become a large one. Damage from your own negligence, from a guest or from a pet is chargeable, and this is where most deposit deductions actually originate. Many agreements include a tenant-like manner clause requiring ordinary care, which covers turning off the water when away in freezing weather.

Cooking for one, condensation management is usually treated as shared, since the landlord provides ventilation and the tenant has to use it. Anything you installed yourself is yours to maintain and often yours to remove at the end, so ask before drilling into anything.

Reporting so that it counts

In most systems the landlord's repair obligation begins when they have notice, which makes the date you reported it the important fact. Report in writing even after a phone call, with a dated photograph and a plain description of what is not working.

On a Sunday evening, say what the consequence is, because no heating in December and a slow tap are treated with different urgency by every system. Keep the thread in one place rather than across three apps, since a single continuous record is far more persuasive than scattered messages.

Follow up in writing when nothing happens, and note each attempt, because the pattern of non-response is itself the evidence.

When it is genuinely urgent

A gas smell, a burning smell from an electrical fitting, or water pouring through a ceiling are emergencies rather than repair requests. If you smell gas, do not operate switches, ventilate the space, leave and call the national gas emergency number for your country.

For an electrical fault that trips repeatedly or scorches a fitting, stop using that circuit and get a qualified electrician, since this is never a DIY repair. For a burst pipe, close the main stopcock first, which is why finding it on your first day matters so much. Emergency access rights and out-of-hours obligations vary, so find out at the start of the tenancy who you are supposed to call.

Buy the cheap version first; a month of use tells you whether it deserved better.

Where disputes actually go

Withholding rent feels like leverage and is legally dangerous in many countries, since it can put you in arrears and at risk of eviction. Most jurisdictions have a defined route instead, whether a tribunal, a local authority environmental team, an ombudsman or a housing court.

The version that survives a bad week: some systems allow a repair to be carried out and deducted, but only after a strict notice procedure that must be followed exactly. Because these mechanisms differ sharply, the right first step is to read your own national or regional tenant guidance rather than a forum post. Whatever route applies, it will run on your written record, which is why the reporting habit is worth more than the argument.

The takeaway

Report it in writing, keep the thread, and never let an urgent gas or electrical fault become a DIY project.

Do the ten-minute version tonight rather than the proper version never.