Send the landlord a written reply today attaching the independent survey and asking for a clear decision on repairs within a set deadline. If nothing is done, the problem usually drifts into repeated chasing, worsening damage, and a dispute about who is responsible. Keep paying rent as normal and keep everything in writing so the timeline is clear. If the landlord still refuses, move to the council’s housing team and use their inspection route rather than arguing point-by-point.
What the problem is
This comes up in UK private renting when a landlord says a defect is “tenant damage”, “condensation”, or “not disrepair”, but an independent surveyor’s report points the other way. It often affects tenants in older flats and houses where damp, leaks, cracking, or rotten windows have been present for a while, and it tends to surface after a first complaint has already been made and the landlord has either denied responsibility or offered a partial fix. The flashpoint is usually after the tenant has paid for a survey to move the conversation on, only to be told the landlord will not accept it or will only accept their own contractor’s view.
In practice, this stage commonly appears after a deadline has been missed for an inspection or repair, or after the landlord has sent a brief email saying the issue is “lifestyle” or “wear and tear” without engaging with the evidence. It can also appear after a letting agent has changed staff and the file is treated as a fresh complaint, with earlier photos and messages ignored. The result is a stalemate: the tenant has a professional report, but the landlord relies on a different narrative and delays action.
Why this happens
The most common cause is cost and liability. If the landlord accepts the survey’s findings, it can trigger repairs that are disruptive and expensive, and it can also open the door to rent reduction requests, compensation discussions, or involvement from the local authority. A second cause is that landlords and agents often rely on their usual contractors, who may focus on quick fixes and may not provide a written diagnosis that stands up to scrutiny. A third cause is that survey reports vary in quality and scope; if the report is brief, lacks photos, or does not clearly link the defect to a building issue, a landlord may treat it as “opinion” and refuse to act.
Another driver is process: many letting agents work to internal targets that prioritise closing tickets, and a “tenant-caused” label is an easy way to close a repair request without authorising spend. Landlords also sometimes assume that if a tenant has lived with a problem for months, it cannot be urgent, so it gets pushed down the list. A typical organisational response pattern is a short denial followed by a request for more information, then silence until chased again.
Where damp and mould are involved, landlords may default to ventilation advice because it is simple and shifts responsibility. Where cracking or movement is involved, landlords may say it is “settlement” and not actionable. Where leaks are involved, landlords may argue the source is unclear and insist on access for their own inspection, then delay arranging it. These behaviours are common because they reduce immediate spend and keep control of the narrative.
Your UK position
A survey that contradicts the landlord’s claim is leverage because it changes the quality of the dispute from “tenant says/landlord says” to “professional evidence exists”. What usually works is making the landlord choose between engaging with the report properly or facing an inspection route that creates an independent record. The practical aim is not to win an argument about terminology; it is to force a decision on repairs, timescales, and access arrangements.
In UK renting, the strongest position tends to come from a clean paper trail: a dated report, dated photos, a clear request for action, and proof the landlord received it. If the landlord disputes the findings, asking them to set out their reasons in writing and to provide their own written assessment often exposes whether the refusal is evidence-based or just a holding line. It also helps to separate immediate safety or habitability issues (active leaks, electrical risks, severe mould) from longer-term works (repointing, roof repairs, window replacement), because landlords are more likely to act when the request is framed around urgent risk and access rather than blame.
Keeping rent payments up to date is also practical leverage, because it prevents the dispute being reframed as arrears or “retaliation”. Where access is needed, offering reasonable dates and confirming them in writing removes a common excuse for delay. If the landlord is an agent-managed property, copying the landlord (if contact details are available) can help, because agents sometimes filter complaints and landlords may not see the full evidence.
Official basis in UK
The most effective official route in many UK cases is the local council’s Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) inspection process, used by Environmental Health or Private Sector Housing teams to assess hazards in rented homes. In practice, this works because an officer can inspect, record conditions, and require action where hazards are found, which shifts the dispute away from competing opinions and towards an enforceable standard. The independent survey can be used as supporting evidence when requesting an inspection, especially if it identifies damp sources, structural concerns, or defective installations.
Prepare to explain the impact on day-to-day living (for example, persistent damp smell, mould growth, or water ingress), the timeline of reports, and what the landlord has said in response. Councils vary in speed and thresholds, but a clear hazard-focused report and good photos usually help the request be taken seriously. Use the council’s official contact route for housing disrepair and inspections, and follow the steps described in GOV.UK guidance.
Evidence that matters
Evidence is what turns a disputed survey into a repair decision. The goal is to show the condition, show the timeline, and show that reasonable access and notice were offered. Landlords often challenge surveys by saying the issue was not present, was caused by the tenant, or was never properly reported, so evidence should be organised to answer those points without emotion.
Collect the survey report in full (including photos and any limitations), plus a short summary of the key findings in plain language. Add dated photos and videos showing the defect over time, ideally with wide shots that show location and close-ups that show detail. Keep copies of all emails, texts, and portal messages, and take screenshots if the agent uses an online system that later hides old tickets. If there are health impacts, keep a simple log of symptoms and any advice received, but avoid overstating or guessing causes.
Do not start repairs that alter the evidence unless there is an immediate safety risk and the landlord has failed to act. Do not remove mould or repaint just before an inspection if the condition is part of the complaint, because it can undermine the record of severity. One thing not to do yet is to withhold rent as a way to force action, because it commonly backfires and shifts attention to arrears rather than repairs.
Checklist to pull together before the next message:
- The independent survey report and the date it was produced
- Dated photos/videos showing progression and any water staining or mould regrowth
- A timeline of when the issue was reported and the landlord’s responses
- Proof of access offered (dates proposed, keys/availability, missed appointments)
Three common mistakes seen in UK disputes are sending only the survey’s conclusion page without the supporting photos, arguing about blame instead of asking for a repair plan and dates, and relying on phone calls with no written follow-up.
Next steps to take
Start by resetting the dispute into a decision request. Send one calm email or letter to the landlord or managing agent attaching the survey and asking for a written response that either accepts the findings and confirms the repair plan, or explains precisely what they dispute and what evidence they rely on. Give a clear deadline that is reasonable for a response, and include two or three access windows for an inspection or works. Keep the message focused on outcomes: stopping the leak, addressing damp sources, repairing defective fabric, and preventing recurrence.
If the landlord says their contractor disagrees, ask for that assessment in writing, including what was inspected, what tests were done, and what remedial works are proposed. If the landlord wants a second opinion, agree to access but insist on dates and confirmation in writing. Where the survey identifies urgent risks (active leak, unsafe electrics, severe mould), state that the issue is being treated as urgent and ask for an emergency attendance date.
If there is no response, or only a repeat denial, move to the council’s official housing disrepair/inspection route rather than continuing the back-and-forth. Use the council’s official online form or published complaints/inspection process; the correct route is normally found on the council website under “private renting”, “housing standards”, “report a housing problem”, or “environmental health”. Prepare the information the form usually asks for: the property address, landlord/agent details, a short description of hazards, dates of reporting, and copies of the survey and photos. Do not paste long narratives into the form; attach evidence and keep the description factual.
Checklist for the council submission:
- Survey report PDF and 6–10 key photos labelled by room/date
- One-page timeline of reports and responses
- Any missed appointment details and access offered
- Current impact on living conditions (smell, damp, water ingress, unusable room)
A normal response timeframe is an acknowledgement within a few working days and then an inspection date depending on urgency and local capacity. If there is no acknowledgement within that period, escalate by contacting the council’s housing standards team through the same official channel and asking for the reference to be reviewed, then follow the council’s complaints process if the request is not being triaged. If the landlord engages after the council contact and offers a credible repair plan with dates, switch strategy to monitoring delivery: confirm appointments in writing, photograph before and after, and keep notes of what was done.
When the issue is usually resolved in UK cases, it is after the landlord receives a clear inspection request backed by evidence and realises delay will lead to an independent record and required works.
One neutral typical outcome in the UK is that the landlord agrees to carry out repairs after the council becomes involved.
Related issues on this site
If the dispute is mainly about damp and mould, it can help to compare the landlord’s “condensation” explanation with what tends to count as building-related damp and what evidence usually persuades councils and agents. Where the problem is a leak that keeps returning after patch repairs, the next issue is often how to document repeat failures and push for a proper investigation rather than another temporary fix. See damp and mould when a landlord refuses and recurring leak with repeated patch repairs when those patterns match what is happening.
Get help with the next step
Contact UKFixGuide — Get help drafting a calm evidence-led message that attaches the survey and sets a clear deadline for repairs.
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