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Repairs

If you are living in a rented flat landlords are legally responsible for maintaining things such as the walls, roof, external doors & windows. The interior of the building including sinks, toilets and drains and also gas appliances and ventilation.

If repairs need doing tell your landlord in writing and give them a deadline for carrying them out. If your landlord refuses to carry out the repairs, or is unreasonably slow in getting them done there are steps you can take to get things fixed.

If your landlord refuses to carry out repairs you need to write to your landlord asking them to carry out the repairs. Give them a deadline by which you would like the repairs done.

If repairs are not carried out, you have options, depending on what needs doing. If the repairs pose a serious health and safety risk, contact your local council's Environmental Health Department. It can force your landlord to carry out repairs if it thinks there is a serious health or safety risk.

If the repairs are necessary but do not pose a health and safety risk, you have the option of making a claim in the small claims court (if repairs are less than £5,000) or arranging for the repairs to be done yourself and take the cost out of your rent.

To do this correctly you will need to have:

• Written to your landlord asking for the repairs to be carried out and allow time for them to be done.
  
  
• Have waited ample time for a response and if you do not receive a response write again saying that, unless repairs are carried out within a certain time you intend do the work yourself and take the costs out of your rent.
  
  
• If this deadline passes without a reasonable response, get three quotes for the work from reliable contractors and send the quotes to your landlord
  
  
• If your landlord hasn't responded within this time, arrange for the work to be done by the contractor that gave the cheapest quote and pay for the work yourself and send a copy of the receipt to your landlord, asking them to refund the money.
  
  
• If your landlord does not refund the money, write and confirm that you are going to deduct the money from your future rent.

Be sure to keep copies of all correspondence, and keep receipts and other records of what you have paid and when. Make sure the repairs are carried out properly. If you carry out or arrange repairs that are done badly, you'll be legally responsible for the consequences.