Repairs are the most common subject of tenant complaints, and section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is the provision most often cited.
What section 11 requires
For most residential tenancies of less than seven years, section 11 implies a covenant that the landlord will:
- keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling, including drains, gutters and external pipes;
- keep in repair and proper working order the installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, and for sanitation, such as basins, sinks, baths and toilets;
- keep in repair and proper working order the installations for space heating and heating water.
Section 12 means these obligations can't be contracted out of in the tenancy agreement.
What it doesn't say
- No fixed deadline. Section 11 doesn't set a number of days for repairs. Tenants sometimes cite a specific deadline. Check where it comes from: it may be from your own policy, your management agreement or guidance rather than the Act.
- Notice matters. The duty is generally understood to be triggered once the landlord knows about the disrepair. When and how it was reported is often the key fact.
- It's about repair, not improvement. Section 11 is about keeping things in repair. Complaints about the property being unsuitable in other ways may fall under the separate fitness duty in section 9A, or under local authority enforcement.
- Tenant damage. The landlord isn't required to repair damage caused by the tenant's failure to use the property in a tenant-like manner.
Records to pull
- The date and method the problem was first reported, and every follow-up.
- Contractor instructions, visits, invoices and completion notes.
- Access arrangements and any failed attempts.
- The landlord's instructions and approvals.
- Photos and inspection reports.
Answering it
For a heating complaint, a reply might accept that section 11 covers the heating installation, set out exactly what happened from report to repair with dates, and address any delay directly, without claiming or denying a statutory deadline the Act doesn't contain.
Casebriar separates a tenant complaint into its issues, checks the legal claims it covers against legislation.gov.uk and lists the records you’ll need. It’s in a free pilot with letting agents in England.
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