Section 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Repair Duties Explained

What does the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 require?

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is a core piece of legislation governing repair obligations in residential tenancies in England. Section 11 implies a repairing covenant into tenancies within its scope. A tenancy agreement cannot exclude or limit it; the county court can authorise an exclusion or modification under section 12, but only with the parties' consent and where it is reasonable.

Section 11 generally applies to residential leases granted on or after 24 October 1961 for terms of less than seven years, subject to the detailed rules in sections 13 and 14 and other statutory exceptions. It commonly applies to private, council and housing-association tenancies, but the tenancy type and terms must be checked.

What does section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 cover?

Section 11 imposes three distinct duties on the landlord.

First: structure and exterior. The landlord must keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling. This includes:

• External walls, roof, and foundations
• External windows and external doors (frames, seals, and glazing)
• Gutters, downpipes, and external drains
• External staircases and balconies in flats
• Structure and exterior of other parts of the building in which the landlord has an interest, where disrepair affects the tenant's enjoyment of the dwelling (section 11(1A), for tenancies granted on or after 15 January 1989)

Second: heating and hot water. The landlord must keep in repair and proper working order the installations for space heating (central heating, boilers, radiators) and water heating (immersion heaters, combination boilers).

Third: water, sanitation, gas and electricity. The landlord must keep in repair and proper working order the installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity and for sanitation, including basins, sinks, baths and toilets, as well as fixed pipes and wiring.

The phrase "repair and proper working order" in section 11 is significant. A boiler that works intermittently or a hot water system that regularly fails may not be in proper working order, even if it has not completely broken down.

What repairs are outside the section 11 duty?

Tenant-installed fixtures. If the tenant fitted a shower, an appliance, or any other installation themselves, section 11 does not require the landlord to repair it.

Internal decoration. Repainting walls, replacing carpets, or refitting kitchens are not section 11 obligations. However, if damp caused by the landlord's failure has damaged the decoration, the cost of redecoration may be recoverable as special damages.

Damage caused by the tenant. Where the tenant has caused the disrepair, the section 11 duty does not arise in respect of that damage.

Appliances. White goods and other appliances supplied by the landlord are not automatically within section 11, unless they form part of the heating or water heating system.

Improvements and design defects. Section 11 is a duty to repair, not to improve. A problem caused by the original design, with no physical deterioration, may fall outside section 11 but could still be relevant under the fitness for habitation duty.

When is the landlord's repair duty triggered?

A landlord is not necessarily in breach of section 11 the moment a defect appears. For defects inside the dwelling, the landlord generally must know about the problem and then fail to repair it within a reasonable time. Parts of a building that the landlord keeps control of can be treated differently. Either way, written notification of every defect is the most important practical step a tenant can take.

Once the landlord has notice, it must carry out the repair within a reasonable time. What is reasonable depends on the severity and urgency of the defect:

• A complete heating failure in January is urgent. A reasonable period is likely to be days, not weeks.
• Significant water ingress through a roof defect causing active damage is urgent.
• A hairline crack in an external wall with no immediate structural concern may allow a longer period.

For social housing tenants, Awaab's Law imposes specific timeframes for in-scope hazards on top of the section 11 "reasonable time" standard. For the full timetable, see our guide to Awaab's Law deadlines.

Section 11 and Awaab's Law: overlapping obligations

For council and housing association tenants, two layers of obligation can apply at the same time. Section 11 defines what must be repaired. Awaab's Law sets out when the landlord must investigate and make the home safe where an emergency or significant hazard is in scope. From 30 November 2026, Phase 2 extends the significant-hazard timeframes beyond damp and mould to further hazards such as excess cold, falls, structural collapse, fire and electrical hazards.

Completing a repair does not erase an earlier section 11 breach caused by unreasonable delay after notice. A relevant social landlord may also breach the separate Awaab's Law timetable. Liability and available remedies depend on the facts and evidence.

For both private and social tenants in England, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 added section 9A to the 1985 Act, a second implied term requiring the property to be fit for human habitation at the start of and throughout the tenancy.

What happens when a landlord breaches section 11?

A landlord that fails to carry out a section 11 repair within a reasonable time after notice is in breach of the repairing covenant implied into the tenancy.

County court claim for damages. The usual remedy is compensation. General damages reflect loss of comfort and use of the home; rent can be a reference point, but there is no fixed percentage formula. Special damages cover proven financial losses such as damaged belongings. Personal injury damages may be claimed where medical evidence shows the disrepair caused or worsened a health condition.

Specific performance. The court can order the landlord to carry out the repairs in addition to awarding compensation.

Injunction. In urgent cases where the disrepair poses an ongoing risk to health or safety, an interim injunction can be applied for.

Before issuing a claim, parties are expected to follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims (England). For a full explanation, see Pre-Action Protocol. For how general damages are assessed, see loss of amenity compensation.

How to start your disrepair claim

If your landlord has been notified of a potential section 11 repair and has not acted within a reasonable time, obtain an assessment of duty, notice, breach, causation, limitation and remedy. Eligible cases may be offered No Win, No Fee funding. For a full guide to the claim process, see housing disrepair claim.

This article provides general legal information only. It does not constitute legal advice on any specific case. Awaab's Law Claims Specialists is a trading name of Driscoll Kingston & Co Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 839699).