A leaking roof is one of the clearest examples of housing disrepair. The roof is part of the structure and exterior of the building, and keeping it in repair is your landlord's job, whether you rent from Haringey Council, a housing association or a private landlord.
If you have reported a leak and are still putting out buckets when it rains, you can claim for the repair and for the months you have lived with it.
Signs your landlord should be dealing with
- Water dripping or running through ceilings or light fittings when it rains
- Brown stains or bulging on ceilings and upper walls
- Slipped, cracked or missing tiles or slates
- Split felt or standing water on a flat roof
- Blocked or broken gutters sending water down the walls
Why it happens and who is responsible
Roofs fail through age, storm damage, poor past repairs, perished flat-roof coverings, cracked flashing around chimneys and blocked valleys and gutters. On blocks of flats the leak may start in a communal roof space a long way from the room where water appears.
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes the landlord responsible for the structure and exterior, which includes the roof, chimneys, gutters and external pipes. In a flat, the duty extends to parts of the building the landlord owns or controls, so a top-floor tenant and the tenant below can both claim for the same defective roof. The landlord must act within a reasonable time once they know. A patch that fails after the next storm does not discharge the duty.
How it affects you
Roof leaks soak plaster and insulation, bring down ceilings, cause mould and can make electrics unsafe. Bedrooms often become unusable, forcing families to sleep in one room.
Evidence that helps your claim
- Photos and video taken while water is coming in
- Photos of stains, damaged ceilings and ruined belongings
- A diary of dates when it leaked and what the weather was like
- Every repair report and the landlord's replies
- Details of any contractor visits and what they did
You can send photos and documents to us through the secure evidence upload page.
What you can claim
A successful claim for leaking roofs usually has two parts. First, an agreement or court order that the landlord carries out the repairs by a fixed date. Second, compensation for the period you lived with the problem after the landlord knew about it, worked out as a share of your rent, plus the cost of damaged belongings and any extra expenses. If your health has suffered, that is assessed separately. Our compensation calculator gives an illustration.
What to do next
- Report it in writing to your landlord if you have not already, and keep a copy.
- Keep recording the problem with dated photos.
- Use the complaints process if you rent from Haringey Council or a housing association. You do not have to finish it before getting legal advice.
- Ask us for a free assessment. If you have a claim, it can be run on a no win no fee basis.
Not sure whether you have a claim? It takes two minutes to find out and costs nothing.
Questions tenants ask
The landlord has patched the roof three times and it still leaks. What can I do?
Repeated failed repairs are strong evidence for a claim. A surveyor can report on what is really needed, such as replacing the covering instead of patching it, and a court can order the landlord to carry out that work.
Water is getting into the electrics. Is that an emergency?
Yes. Switch off the affected circuit at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so and tell your landlord straight away, by phone and in writing. For social housing tenants, emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours under Awaab's Law.
I rent a flat and the leak is from the communal roof. Who is responsible?
Your landlord, if they own or control the roof. If your landlord is a leaseholder who rents the flat to you, they are still the person you claim against, and they must pursue the freeholder.
