A landlord (or owner) is responsible for making sure their property is safe and fit to live in. The property must be dry and structurally stable. The heating and hot/cold water supplies, lighting, ventilation, gas and electricity supplies, bathrooms, kitchens and drainage must be kept in good working order.
The tenant is responsible for carrying out minor repairs such as replacing light bulbs or paying for any damage they or a visitor has caused to the property such as a broken window.
The How to Rent a Safe Home Guide explains tenants’ and landlords’ obligations.
What you can do
- you have the right to come into a property to check what repairs are needed, but
- you should give the tenant 24 hours notice and agree a suitable time with them, and
- you should arrange for certain jobs to be carried out more quickly than others e.g. a toilet should be unblocked within 24 hours whereas a dripping tap may be repaired within a longer timescale.
What your tenant can do
If you don't carry out repairs, your tenant can report this to us. We will investigate the problem and take necessary action.
What we can do
If you fail to maintain the property and meet the legal standards we can, if necessary, serve notices requiring work to be carried out within a given period. If you fail to carry out repairs, or fail to ensure the property meets minimum requirements then we have the powers to hire contractors to carry out works in default and/or prosecute you.
If you are a landlord and need to contact us about safety issues in your rented property (such as notifications under electrical safety legislation) please email us at prscompliance@manchester.gov.uk