RESOLVING POTENTIAL ISSUES

Check your tenancy agreement for guidance. Generally you will be reporting issues to your landlord or managing agent.

Some landlords or managing agents have a portal they ask you to request repairs through, however, if you do this make sure you keep the record of having made this request, and a copy of the text sent over.

Sometimes the contract will include expected timeframes for different repair types (urgent vs non-urgent), however, regardless your landlord is required to complete repairs within a reasonable amount of time. 

This depends on the different types of repairs, but there are some general UK guidelines: 

Emergency (e.g. no hot water, burst pipe) - Within 24 hours. 

Urgent (e.g. fridge not working) - Within a few days.

Non-urgent (e.g. dripping tap) - Within 2-4 weeks. 

If your landlord fails to carry out repairs after being informed: 

1. Follow up in writing (email is best)

2. Check your rights with Citizens Advice or Shelter.

3. In extreme cases you can:

• Contact your local council's housing department. 

• Report them for a breach of contract.

• Consider filing with a redress scheme for some monetary compensation. This is the Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme (they must legally be a part of one of these). 

However, this is only appropriate action if the issues are persisting and have impacted your ability to have proper use of the apartment.