Our expert advice team recently helped a member who had a question about repairs, following the various storms that have affected most of the country in recent weeks.
Our member was contacted by their tenant because a section of roof tiles at their rental property had come loose and blown off in high winds.
Thankfully, no one was injured and there was no damage caused on the ground, but the loss of the tiles meant the roof could start to leak.
It is important for landlords to check on the safety of the tenant and assess the damage quickly, to start taking action to provide temporary fixes and arrange for proper repair to be carried out as soon as possible.
At the time of the call, our member had already taken some sensible, practical steps that we would advise, for example they had visited the rental property to inspect the reported damage, and to also establish if there were any leaks.
They brought a bucket for the tenant to place down if rain did start to come in, and asked the tenant to contact them immediately should this happen, or should there be any further damage to the property. These are important steps to take as soon as a tenant gets in touch.
Further damage
The next question our member had for us, was what to do if the damage got worse.
When they called they said the roof had been fixed temporarily, but needed a proper repair.
While the landlord had made contact with local firms to arrange this, they were concerned that more bad weather may be on the way before the full repairs could be carried out, not least given the time taken for a major roofing job and the demand for such repairs at this time.
We told the landlord that if the property were to be damaged even further, for example leaks started occurring, and worst case the property were to become unhabitable due to it being unsafe, the primary course of action is for the tenant to get in touch with their local authority for support in finding temporary accommodation.
It is also recommended the landlord checks the tenancy agreement, as some contain a provision stating rent may either be refunded or is not due for that the time period a property is uninhabitable.
We reminded our member that we are always here to help if the problem does worsen, and that should they need further guidance on the matter they should give our advice team a call.
- Read more about landlords responsibilities for repairs in our guide for landlords
- The NRLA runs an eLearning Property Standards course, which covers repair obligations and more.