Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 Explained

What Section 11 actually says

Section 11 implies three repairing obligations into your tenancy, whether or not your tenancy agreement mentions them.

Your landlord must:

• 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, which includes basins, sinks, baths and sanitary conveniences, but not the other fixtures, fittings and appliances that make use of the supply

• keep in repair and proper working order the installations for space heating and heating water

The section is short, and you can read it in full on legislation.gov.uk. Almost every housing disrepair claim starts with those three obligations.

What structure and exterior covers

Structure means the parts of the building that hold it up and keep the weather out. Exterior means the outside of the building and the things fixed to it.

So a leaking roof, rotten window frames, plaster breaking away from the wall, failing brickwork and blocked drains are all structure and exterior problems.

What installations covers

The second and third obligations deal with the systems that bring water, gas and electricity in, take waste away, and heat the home and the water.

Covered

• Boilers, radiators and hot water cylinders

• Water pipes, gas pipes, stopcocks and the pipework running through the property

• Wiring, sockets, light fittings and the fuse board

• Baths, showers fixed to the wall, sinks, basins and toilets

• Waste pipes and soil pipes

A boiler that has stopped working, unsafe electrics and a leak from pipework all fall under them.

Not covered

Cookers, fridges, washing machines, kettles and other appliances that simply use the supply are outside Section 11. The duty is on the supply itself, not on the things you plug into it. If your landlord provided a cooker and agreed in the tenancy to maintain it, that is a promise in your contract, not Section 11.

Section 11 also does not cover your own belongings. If water coming through the roof ruins your sofa or your carpet, the duty broken relates to the roof, not to the sofa. Damage to your possessions is recovered separately, as special damages.

Which tenancies Section 11 applies to

Section 11 applies to residential tenancies granted for less than seven years. That covers almost every social tenancy in England and Wales, including:

• Secure council tenancies

• Most housing association tenancies

• Assured and assured shorthold tenancies

• Periodic and rolling tenancies that run on week to week or month to month

Your landlord cannot contract out of it. Any clause in a tenancy agreement that tries to make you responsible for the roof, the boiler or the wiring is void. Our guide to landlord repair responsibilities covers the wider list of duties.

The three conditions that must be met

Section 11 is not automatic liability. Three things must be true before your landlord is in breach.

1. There must be actual disrepair

Something must be damaged or in a deteriorated condition. This is the biggest limitation of Section 11. A home that is badly designed but not damaged may not be in disrepair at all.

The classic example is condensation mould in a building that is sound but has no real ventilation. Nothing is broken, so Section 11 may not bite. That is why the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 matters. It deals with hazards and unfitness rather than damage, and it closes exactly this gap. Where the mould comes from a failed damp course, a leaking roof or defective brickwork, Section 11 applies in the ordinary way. See our guide to damp and mould claims.

2. Your landlord must have notice

Your landlord is generally not liable until they know about the problem. Inside your own home the duty is triggered by notice, not by the defect appearing. That is why reporting in writing matters. An email or a message through the tenant portal creates a dated record of the moment the obligation started to run, and in a claim that date usually decides how far back your compensation goes.

There is an exception. Where the disrepair is in a part of the building the landlord keeps control of, such as a communal roof or pipework serving several flats, notice may not be needed, because the landlord is treated as knowing what they retain.

3. A reasonable time must have passed

Once told, your landlord gets a reasonable time to put it right. What counts as reasonable is judged against how serious the problem is.

Social landlords publish their own repair timescales in the tenant handbook. That is a fair measure of what your landlord considers reasonable, so hold them to it.

The laws that sit alongside Section 11

Section 11 rarely stands on its own. A strong claim uses it alongside other duties.

• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. This inserted section 9A into the same Act. It covers hazards and unfitness, including condensation mould, where Section 11 cannot reach.

• Awaab's Law. Fixed statutory deadlines for social landlords, in force since 27 October 2025. Our guide to Awaab's Law sets out the timetable.

• Defective Premises Act 1972, section 4. A duty of care to anyone who could be injured by the disrepair, including your children and visitors.

• Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 82. A route to the magistrates' court where the condition amounts to a statutory nuisance.

What you can claim when Section 11 is breached

• An order for the works, requiring the repairs to actually be carried out

• General damages for the inconvenience and distress of living with the problem, usually worked out as a percentage of your rent for the period

• Special damages for belongings that were damaged, higher energy bills and any alternative accommodation

• Personal injury damages, where your health or that of someone in your household has been affected

What you may recover depends on your circumstances, how bad the problem was and how long it went on. The limitation period is six years from the breach, and three years for any personal injury element. If you have already been round the complaints process, our page on suing your landlord for repairs explains what happens next.

Frequently asked questions

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

The structure and exterior of your home, and the installations supplying water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and hot water. It does not cover your own belongings or the appliances you plug in.

Can a landlord contract out of Section 11?

No. Any clause in a tenancy agreement that transfers these repairing obligations to the tenant is void.

Does Section 11 cover condensation and mould?

Only where something is actually damaged, such as a failed damp course or a leaking roof. Condensation mould in a building that is not damaged is covered instead by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

Does Section 11 cover my cooker or washing machine?

No. It covers the installations that supply gas, water and electricity, not the appliances that use them.

When does my landlord become liable under Section 11?

Generally once they have notice of the defect and a reasonable time to put it right has passed.

How long does a landlord have to repair under Section 11?

A reasonable time, judged by how serious the problem is, from the same day for an emergency to around 28 days for routine works.

Does Section 11 apply to council and housing association tenancies?

Yes. It applies to residential tenancies granted for less than seven years, which covers secure council tenancies, most housing association tenancies, assured tenancies and assured shorthold tenancies.