What plumbing is a landlord legally responsible for in the UK?

Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords must keep in repair and working order the installations for supplying water, gas and electricity, for sanitation (basins, sinks, baths and toilets), and for heating water and heating rooms. This covers pipes, taps, boilers, radiators, cisterns and drains. The duty applies to most residential tenancies and cannot be removed by the tenancy agreement.

How quickly must a landlord fix a plumbing problem?

The law says repairs must be done within "a reasonable time", which depends on how serious the problem is. A burst pipe, a gas leak or a total loss of heating or hot water is an emergency and should be dealt with the same day. Less urgent issues should be sorted within days, and minor repairs are commonly expected within around 28 days. Leaving an urgent repair too long can breach the landlord's legal duties.

Is a landlord responsible for a blocked drain?

Usually yes — clearing blocked drains and waste pipes falls under the landlord's repairing duty. The exception is where the tenant caused the blockage through misuse, such as flushing wipes, fat or nappies. In that case the cost can reasonably be passed to the tenant. If in doubt, a plumber can often tell what caused a blockage, which helps settle who pays.

Does a landlord have to provide heating and hot water?

Yes. Installations for heating and hot water must be kept in working order under section 11, and a home without them can be judged unfit to live in. There is no legal minimum room temperature a landlord must guarantee, but a broken boiler leaving a tenant with no heating or hot water — particularly in winter — is an urgent repair that must be dealt with promptly.

What is a landlord gas safety certificate (CP12)?

It is the record of the annual gas safety check that landlords must arrange under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. A Gas Safe registered engineer checks every gas appliance and flue each year. You must give the tenant a copy within 28 days of the check, provide it to any new tenant before they move in, and keep records for at least two years. This is a legal requirement, not optional.

Can a landlord make the tenant pay for plumbing repairs?

Only in limited cases. A landlord cannot pass on their core repairing duties from section 11. However, if a tenant causes damage through negligence or misuse — a blockage from flushing wipes, or a frozen pipe from turning the heating off and leaving in winter — the cost of that specific repair can reasonably be recovered, often via a deposit deduction with evidence. General wear and tear always remains the landlord's responsibility.

What can a tenant do if the landlord will not fix a plumbing problem?

Report it in writing and keep a record. If it is not fixed within a reasonable time, tenants in England can contact their local council's environmental health team, who can inspect and order works under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. For serious disrepair that makes the home unfit, tenants may be able to take action under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Tenants should not simply stop paying rent, as that can put them at risk.

Landlord Plumbing Responsibilities: What You Must Legally Fix (2026)

If you let out a property in Exmouth or anywhere in the UK, the law is clear about the plumbing you must keep in working order — and it cannot be signed away in the tenancy agreement. This guide breaks down what you are legally responsible for, what falls to the tenant, how quickly you must act, and where landlords most often get caught out.

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What the Law Requires of Landlords

These duties come mainly from the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Gas Safety Regulations 1998. They apply to almost every residential let.

Water, Drainage & Sanitation

Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you must keep in repair and proper working order the installations that supply water and deal with sanitation — pipes, taps, basins, sinks, baths and toilets. This duty applies to almost all residential tenancies and cannot be signed away in the tenancy agreement.

Heating & Hot Water

The same law requires you to keep installations for space heating and heating water in working order. In practice that means a working boiler and heating system. There is no legal minimum temperature, but a tenant left without heating or hot water — especially in winter — is an urgent repair you must deal with quickly.

Annual Gas Safety Check

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require an annual gas safety check on every gas appliance and flue by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You must give the tenant a copy of the record within 28 days (or before a new tenant moves in) and keep records for at least two years.

Fit for Human Habitation

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 lets tenants take a landlord to court if the property is not safe to live in. Serious plumbing problems — no hot water, persistent leaks, damp from a leaking pipe, or a broken toilet — can all make a home legally unfit.

Legionella Risk

You have a duty to assess and control the risk of legionella bacteria in the water system. For most small domestic lets this is a simple risk assessment rather than expensive testing — keeping the system in good order, avoiding stagnant water and running through taps between tenancies usually covers it.

Keep the Records

Gas safety certificates, service records, invoices and any correspondence about repairs all matter. Good records protect you if a tenant disputes a deposit deduction or claims a repair was ignored — and they show the property has been properly maintained.

Landlord vs Tenant: Who Fixes What

Most disputes come down to who was responsible. Here is how plumbing repairs usually split.

The Landlord Must Fix

Leaking or burst pipes, a broken boiler or heating, no hot water, faulty or leaking taps, cisterns and toilets, blocked drains and waste pipes (unless the tenant caused the blockage through misuse), and the annual gas safety check. These flow from section 11 and cannot be passed to the tenant.

The Tenant Is Usually Responsible For

Day-to-day care and minor upkeep: unblocking a sink or toilet blocked by their own misuse, replacing tap washers on some agreements, keeping the property ventilated to avoid condensation damp, and not damaging the plumbing. They must also use appliances properly and report faults promptly.

Report It Straight Away

Tenants have a duty to report problems quickly. A landlord can only fix what they know about — and a leak reported early is a small repair, while one left for weeks becomes water damage. Keep reporting in writing (text or email) so there is a clear record on both sides.

Shared or Grey Areas

Frozen pipes, drain blockages and appliance breakdowns can go either way depending on cause. If the tenant left the heating off in a cold snap and a pipe froze, that may be their responsibility; if the pipe was simply unlagged, it is the landlord's. Judge it on the cause, and keep it reasonable.

How Quickly Must You Act?

The legal standard is "a reasonable time" — and what counts as reasonable depends on how serious the problem is.

Emergency (same day)

No water, no heating or hot water in cold weather, a burst pipe or major leak, a gas leak, or a blocked toilet in a one-bathroom home. These need attention the same day — a delay can make the home unfit and cause serious damage.

Urgent (1–3 days)

A partial loss of heating or hot water, a persistent leak that is contained, a dripping tap wasting water, or a slow drain. Not a crisis, but not something to leave for weeks either.

Routine (up to ~28 days)

Minor drips, a running toilet, low water pressure at one tap, or cosmetic issues. There is no single fixed deadline in law — the standard is "a reasonable time" — but around 28 days is a widely used benchmark for non-urgent repairs.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Repairing duties can vary with the type of tenancy and the wording of the agreement — check your own contract and, for disputes, seek advice from Shelter, Citizens Advice or a solicitor.

Landlord Plumbing FAQs

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