How to arrange repairs in a rented property

To arrange a repair in a rented property, record the reported problem, identify who is arranging and approving the work, agree access with the resident and give the contractor one clear job brief. Keep the payer and invoice details separate from the person opening the door. Confirm the appointment with everyone who needs to act on it.

This guide covers organising a routine repair, from report to handover. It is for a landlord or property manager commissioning work and for a resident checking what has been arranged. If you are the resident, report the problem through the landlord’s or managing agent’s agreed repair route first. Booking a contractor yourself does not establish that someone else will pay.

Start with the resident’s words and observations. Keep a reported symptom separate from a contractor’s later findings. Include the property, room, item, when the problem began and its effect on using the home. If the report suggests danger or an urgent loss of an essential service, use the appropriate emergency or urgent repair route rather than waiting for a routine appointment.

• Reported: “The kitchen cupboard door has come loose and no longer closes.”
• Known: two permitted photos; resident available on Wednesday morning.
• Unknown: whether the hinge or its fixing needs replacement; contractor to inspect.
• Requested: assess and quote to repair the existing door, not replace the kitchen.

Give the report a reference and record subsequent visits against it. A fresh message about the same door should update the repair record, rather than make it look as though a second repair has been agreed.

A single person can fill several roles. Write down who is actually doing each task instead of assuming the resident, landlord and payer are interchangeable.

A resident can say whether the cupboard now closes without being the person who approves a new cost. Likewise, an accounts contact may pay an agreed invoice without choosing the repair method. If a role is unresolved, ask the person commissioning the work before making that decision.

Offer a visit window the contractor can attend and the resident can accommodate. Say who will open the door, how they will recognise the contractor and who to contact if the arrival time changes. Share entry details only through the agreed direct route. Do not assume that held keys make entry acceptable.

For private rented homes in England, GOV.UK states that a landlord should give at least 24 hours’ notice and visit at a reasonable time, except an emergency needing immediate access. Agree the actual arrangement with the resident; a notice message is not a substitute for resolving an access objection. For a property elsewhere in the UK, check the relevant national rules rather than applying the England rule.

If access fails, record the agreed appointment, the actual attendance and contact attempt, and the work left undone. Agree who will rearrange and update the resident. Do not mark the repair complete because someone attended.

Fictional example: a property manager handles the reported kitchen cupboard repair. The owner has asked the manager to obtain a quote before authorising work. The resident can provide access on Wednesday morning.

1. The manager sends the symptom, photos and requested repair to a contractor. The first appointment is an inspection, with any inspection charge agreed in advance.
2. The resident confirms the visit window and receives the contractor’s arrival details. This confirms access, not approval of the repair price.
3. The contractor reports what was found and sends the repair quote to the manager. The manager obtains the owner’s approval under their agreed arrangement.
4. The manager confirms the approved scope to the contractor and arranges the repair visit with the resident. Proposed dates remain proposed until agreed.
5. After the visit, the contractor supplies the work summary. The resident reports whether the door closes; the manager checks the summary against the approved scope.
6. The invoice goes to the agreed payer. A concern about the finish is recorded for follow-up, not hidden inside an invoice email.

If an additional door is found damaged, put it through a separate change decision. The original approval covered the described repair.

• Repair: reference ___; property/room ___; reported symptom ___; reported at ___.
• People: arranging ___; approving ___; access ___; updates ___; invoice/payer ___.
• Work: inspection or approved repair ___; quote/reference ___; excluded or unresolved items ___.
• Visit: proposed window ___; agreed window ___; access confirmed with ___; change contact ___.
• Result: what was done ___; what remains ___; contractor’s report/photo references ___; resident’s feedback ___.
• Next step: person responsible ___; next visit or update ___; document still needed ___.

Keep the resident informed even when the repair is waiting for a part or decision. For landlords in the Housing Ombudsman’s scheme, its repairs guidance emphasises appointment communication, progress information and accessible repair records. The same recordkeeping approach is useful here; it does not set a universal legal repair deadline.

Use the resident update sheet and examples to write the message once you have the facts. For safety inspections, the landlord EICR booking guide covers that specific task. Keep inspection reports distinct from the record that a general repair was completed.

When you have the brief and permission to arrange the work, find a local tradesperson or start a quote request. Tell the tradesperson this is an occupied rented property and who is handling the decisions.