Send a clear written repair request today, attach photos, and ask for a dated plan for inspection and works. If nothing is done, the problem usually drifts into repeated chasing while the property condition worsens and costs rise. Keep communication in writing and set a short deadline for a response so the next escalation step is ready. If the issue affects safety or basic facilities, treat it as urgent and move to formal complaint routes without waiting for goodwill.
A typical UK outcome is that repairs get done only after a formal complaint or council involvement prompts a firm timetable.
What the problem is
This shows up when a new landlord takes over a tenancy and then pushes back on repairs that were already needed, already reported, or clearly pre-date the change of ownership. It commonly affects private renters in England and Wales, especially where the tenancy continues with the same occupants but the property is sold, inherited, or transferred to a new letting company. The flashpoint is often after an early “welcome” email or first rent payment, when a repair request is raised and the reply comes back as “that’s historic” or “take it up with the previous landlord”.
It also appears after a partial response, such as an inspection with no follow-up, or a promise to “look into it” that turns into silence once the new landlord realises the job is costly. Many tenants only notice the refusal when they ask for a date for works and are told the landlord is not responsible because the damage existed before the purchase. The practical issue is that the tenancy is still running, the home is still being lived in, and the repair need is still present regardless of who owned the property when it started.
Why this happens
The most common driver is cost control during a handover: the new landlord has paid for the property and wants to avoid unexpected spend, so the first instinct is to reframe the problem as “tenant-caused” or “pre-existing” and therefore not their bill. Another frequent cause is poor transfer of information, where the previous landlord’s repair history, contractor notes, or emails never reach the new owner or managing agent, leaving them to treat the report as unverified. Where an agent is involved, the agent may also be working from a limited instruction set and will default to asking for proof, even when the defect is visible.
There is also a process incentive: if responsibility can be pushed back onto the previous owner or onto the tenant, the new landlord avoids arranging contractors, avoids disruption, and avoids admitting a standard-of-condition issue that could trigger further requests. The refusal is often framed as a “liability” point rather than a practical housing point, which can stall progress because the tenant is pulled into arguing about history rather than getting the repair booked. A typical organisational response pattern is that the first reply asks for more evidence, the second reply blames the previous owner, and the third reply offers a slow inspection date instead of a repair date.
Your UK position
In day-to-day UK renting, the leverage comes from keeping the issue current and specific: the home has a present defect, it affects use of the property now, and the landlord is the current party with control over repairs. The most effective approach is to describe the impact and the location, attach time-stamped photos, and ask for a written schedule rather than an open-ended promise. When the landlord tries to make it about who caused it, it usually helps to separate two tracks: getting the repair done now, and discussing any alleged tenant responsibility later with evidence.
Practical pressure points that tend to work are a formal complaint to the managing agent (if there is one), a clear deadline for a response, and escalation to the local council if the defect affects health, safety, heating, hot water, electrics, leaks, mould, or security. Landlords and agents often move faster when they can see the tenant is organised, has a paper trail, and is ready to involve the council’s housing team. Where the landlord suggests the tenant should pay upfront, it is usually safer to refuse and keep the request within the landlord’s repair process unless there is a genuine emergency and clear agreement in writing.
Legal or official basis
The practical official route in many UK repair disputes is the local council’s Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) inspection process, which can be triggered when conditions may pose a hazard. In practice, this works best when the tenant can point to a specific ongoing defect (for example, a persistent leak, unsafe electrics, broken heating, severe damp and mould, or insecure external doors) and show that the landlord has been notified but has not arranged a timely fix. The council can inspect, assess hazards, and require action where standards are not met, which often shifts the landlord from debating responsibility to booking works and providing dates.
Use the council route when the landlord’s refusal is blocking progress and the issue is more than cosmetic. The starting point is usually the council’s private renting or environmental health pages, and the process and contact routes are signposted through GOV.UK guidance.
Evidence that matters
Evidence is about showing the defect exists now, that it was reported, and that the landlord had a reasonable chance to act. Photos and short videos taken in good light, with a date stamp or a clear timeline in messages, are usually enough to move the conversation from “historic” to “current”. Keep copies of emails, portal messages, and texts, and write down the dates of any calls, inspections, and missed appointments. If the issue affects health or safety, keep a simple note of symptoms or impacts (for example, rooms unusable, repeated tripping of electrics, water shut-offs) without exaggeration.
What not to do is just as important. Avoid making accusations about fraud or negligence in early messages, because it can harden positions and slow down practical scheduling. Avoid sending long bundles of unrelated issues in one message, because agents often respond only to the easiest point and ignore the rest. Avoid withholding rent as a pressure tactic, because it can create a separate dispute that distracts from getting the repair completed.
Useful proof
A short, clean pack tends to get faster results than a long story. Keep it focused on what needs fixing and what has already been reported.
- Photos or video showing the defect and its location
- Copy of the repair report and any replies
- Dates of inspections, no-shows, and promised follow-ups
- Any contractor notes or quotes already provided
Common mistakes
These three errors regularly weaken a repair request and make it easier for a landlord to stall.
First, relying on phone calls only and having no written trail of what was agreed. Second, agreeing to pay for works “for now” without a written agreement on reimbursement. Third, sending edited photos or unclear screenshots that make the defect look minor or uncertain.
Do not do yet
Do not arrange non-emergency repairs with a contractor and deduct the cost from rent yet, even if the landlord hints that it would be “simpler”.
What to do next
Send written request
Send one message that states the defect, the impact, and the action needed, and attach the best photos. Ask for an inspection date if the landlord says they need to see it, but also ask for a repair plan and timescale so the inspection does not become a dead end. Give a clear deadline for a written response, and keep the tone factual so it can be forwarded to the council if needed.
Use complaint route
If there is a managing agent or an online portal, use the official complaints process only and keep everything inside that channel as well as email copies. The complaints page is usually on the agent’s website or inside the tenant portal under “complaints” or “feedback”, and it should confirm how the complaint is logged and who reviews it. Prepare the property address, tenancy start date, a short timeline of reports, and the photos so the complaint can be assessed without back-and-forth.
- Repair reference numbers or message screenshots
- Best current photos and short video if relevant
- Dates of any inspections and outcomes
- One-paragraph summary of impact
The normal response timeframe is the one set out in the agent or landlord’s complaints policy, and where no policy is provided a reply within a couple of weeks is a common expectation in UK practice for non-urgent issues. If there is no response by the stated deadline, escalate by replying to the complaint thread asking for a stage-two review (or the next stage named in the policy) and state that the local council will be contacted if a repair schedule is not provided. Where the landlord is delaying by blaming contractors, the decision point is whether dates are actually being offered; if not, the steps in Landlord delays repairs citing contractor issues fit the usual pattern of moving from vague excuses to firm deadlines.
Escalate to council
Escalate when the defect affects safety, heating, hot water, electrics, leaks, mould, or security, or when the landlord has had a reasonable chance to act and is still refusing responsibility. Use the council’s official reporting route on its website (often “private renting”, “housing standards”, or “report a hazard”), and provide the same evidence pack plus the complaint timeline. Ask for an inspection or advice on enforcement options, and keep the landlord informed in writing that the council has been contacted so there is no surprise later.
Change strategy
If the landlord keeps insisting the issue is “old” and tries to push costs onto the tenant, shift the conversation to present condition and minimum standards rather than history. Ask a single, closed question: whether the landlord will arrange the repair and by what date, and request that any claim of tenant responsibility is put in writing with supporting evidence. If the landlord claims the defect is the tenant’s fault, the next steps depend on proof and check-in evidence; the patterns and responses in Landlord claims damage is tenant’s responsibility are usually the most relevant at that point.
In many UK cases, the issue is usually resolved when a firm repair date is agreed in writing and the contractor is booked with access arrangements confirmed.
Related issues on this site
If the refusal is paired with slow scheduling, missed appointments, or repeated “waiting for a contractor” messages, the situation often needs a tighter escalation plan and clearer deadlines, which is covered by Landlord ignoring repairs — escalation steps in the UK. Where the landlord’s stance shifts into blaming the tenant for the condition, it can become a separate dispute about responsibility and evidence, and the approach in landlord responsibility disputes can help decide whether to focus on getting the repair done first or challenging the allegation alongside it.
FAQ
New owner liability
For new landlord refuses responsibility for old repairs situations, the practical expectation is that the current landlord arranges fixes for present defects during the tenancy. Debates about who caused it usually come after the repair is scheduled.
Agent versus landlord
For managing agent refusing repair request cases, the quickest route is using the agent’s formal complaints process and copying the landlord if contact details are available. Agents often act faster when a complaint stage is triggered.
Emergency repair steps
For urgent repair after landlord takeover problems, report it in writing and contact the council if there is risk to health or safety. Keep evidence of the urgency and any lack of response.
Paying upfront risk
For landlord asks tenant to pay for repairs upfront scenarios, payment without written agreement commonly leads to disputes about reimbursement. Keep the request within the landlord’s repair process unless there is a genuine emergency.
Before you move on
Draft one message that asks for a repair date, sets a response deadline, and attaches the clearest photos, then decide in advance the exact day the complaint or council escalation will be triggered if nothing comes back. Time pressure can show up as being pushed to accept a slow inspection date as if it settles the issue.
Get help with the next step
Contact UKFixGuide — If a new landlord is refusing to deal with pre-existing repairs, share the timeline and the latest reply so the next escalation message can be tightened.
