Forum spotlight: Do I reduce the rent while repairs are carried out?
A member got in contact with our forum to ask if they should reduce the rent for their property while repairs were carried out in one of the bedrooms.
They said the tenant has another bedroom to use while the work is done, but wanted to know whether they should reduce the rent to reflect the inconvenience, and because part of the property was out of use.
They took to our forum to ask for advice from fellow landlords.
The advice
The first user to post said the landlord wouldn’t have to provide compensation because the property was still usable.
However they said that if they, personally, were in that situation they would take some money off the rent for the hassle of having contractors in the property.
A second landlord agreed with this. They said that, while there is no hard and fast rule, if they were a good tenant they would be inclined to give a discount on the next month’s rent by way of compensation for the inconvenience.
They pointed out that keeping the tenants happy generally means that they look after the house and report any issues as they come along - as opposed leaving them until it’s a major job.
Another landlord said that they would decide whether to give a rent reduction based on whether the work was essential. For example, if they were redecorating at the tenant’s request they probably wouldn’t offer a rent reduction, but, if it was to repair an issue with the building they would offer a reduction for the duration of the work.
A member of the NRLA landlord advice team then joined the thread. They agreed with advice given by the two landlords at the start of the thread, and clarified our landlord’s position; that they did not have to offer compensation or a rent reduction, however they may consider doing so as a gesture of goodwill.
