Winter is coming - and so are your tenants’ expectations

By October, there’s no ambiguity about what’s coming. Temperatures are falling, heating demand is rising, and tenants are living in - and relying on - your property in a way they simply weren’t during the summer months. 

This is the point in the year where the gap between prepared landlords and unprepared ones becomes most visible. Both may have the same quality of property. But when a boiler breaks down in October, the landlord with the right cover in place resolves it the same day. The landlord without it spends hours making calls, pays emergency rates, and leaves a tenant without heating overnight. 

Your legal obligations don’t pause for winter

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you’re required to keep the property’s heating and hot water system in proper working order. There’s no grace period, no seasonal exemption. If the boiler fails and a tenant is left without heat or hot water, the obligation to fix it is immediate. 

In practice, this means the speed of your response depends entirely on the infrastructure you have in place before the failure happens. Scrambling to find a Gas Safe engineer during a cold snap - when every provider is stretched - is not a situation you want to be in. 

The cost of being unprepared

An emergency boiler call-out outside of a plan can cost anywhere from £150 to over £400 depending on the job, the time of day, and availability. If parts are needed and the engineer has to return, that cost compounds. Then there’s the question of temporary heating - whether you provide it, and whether your tenants feel you’re managing the situation adequately. 

A protection plan changes that entirely. One call, an engineer dispatched, parts and labour covered, no bill at the end of the job. For landlords managing more than one property, the financial predictability alone makes it worthwhile. 

October is the right time to get covered

Policies taken out now are in place before the most demanding months arrive. December and January are when boilers work hardest and fail most often - having cover already active means you’re not trying to arrange it in the middle of a problem. 

Beyond the boiler, winter brings increased risk across several areas: pipes are more likely to freeze and burst during cold snaps, electrical systems come under higher load with more lighting and heating use, and drainage issues can worsen with leaves and debris. A comprehensive landlord plan accounts for all of this, not just the headline risk. 

For landlords approaching winter without a plan, October is the last sensible moment to act. By November, the season is already underway. 

Here’s what could be included in a YourRepair landlord plan: 

• Boiler 

• Central Heating 

• Plumbing 

• Electrics 

• Drainage 

• Pest control 

• Landlord Gas Safety Certificate 

Exclusive NRLA member offer

NRLA members can save up to 30% on any YourRepair landlord protection plan — exclusively via NRLA. 

Cover your boiler, heating, plumbing, electrics, drainage, pest control and annual gas safety certificate — all under one plan, with no expensive surprises. 

Our specialist landlord plans are built around the way you work. 

Discover more and claim your exclusive NRLA discount below.