Your legal duties as a Cambridge landlord — Section 11, the 2018 Fitness Act, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and where Awaab's Law actually stands.
A Cambridge landlord must keep the roof in repair under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and keep the property fit for habitation under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Since 1 May 2026 the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has strengthened tenant protections. Respond to a reported roof leak promptly and in writing. Call 0122 366 6465 for landlord repairs.
If you let a property in Cambridge, the roof is your responsibility — not the tenant's. Three pieces of law set the framework, and it is worth understanding each in plain English.
This is the cornerstone. Section 11 implies into virtually every residential tenancy a landlord's duty to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the property — which expressly includes the roof, gutters and external pipes. You cannot contract out of it, and it applies regardless of what the tenancy agreement says. A leaking roof is a Section 11 breach the moment you are on notice of it.
This Act requires the property to be fit for human habitation at the start of and throughout the tenancy. A roof letting in water that causes damp and mould can render a property unfit, giving the tenant a direct route to take the landlord to court for an order to carry out works and for compensation — without needing the council to get involved first.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in October 2025, and its first major provisions commenced on 1 May 2026 — abolishing Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and moving assured shorthold tenancies onto a periodic footing. For repairs, the practical effect is that a landlord can no longer respond to a tenant who chases a roof repair by simply serving notice; disrepair must be dealt with on its merits. The Act also provides the legal vehicle to extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector.
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 implies a non-excludable duty on landlords to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling, expressly including the roof, gutters and external pipes.
Source: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11
Awaab's Law — named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from prolonged exposure to mould in a social home — sets strict legal timescales for landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould hazards. It is important to be accurate about its current scope, because it is widely misreported.
As things stand, Awaab's Law is in force for social housing, where the first phase took effect from 27 October 2025. Its extension to the private rented sector is provided for by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 but has not yet commenced — it sits in a later phase of the Act's rollout, subject to further regulations and consultation, and is not expected before 2027 at the earliest. So a Cambridge private landlord is not yet bound by Awaab's fixed timescales specifically, but the direction of travel is unmistakable, and the existing Section 11 and 2018 Act duties already require a prompt, reasonable response to damp and mould from a roof defect.
The sensible position: treat a reported roof leak or roof-sourced damp as urgent now, document your response, and you will be ahead of the curve when the PRS timescales do commence.
Once you are on notice of a roof problem — a tenant's text, email or call — the clock starts. You should acknowledge it promptly, arrange an inspection within a reasonable time, and keep the tenant informed in writing. ‘Reasonable’ is judged against the severity: an active leak into a bedroom is days, not weeks. Keep a dated record of when you were told, when you responded, and what was done.
Access needs coordinating too: you are generally entitled to reasonable access for repairs with at least 24 hours' written notice, but in an emergency a tenant will usually welcome faster action. We work with Cambridge landlords and letting agents to schedule around tenants, carry out the repair, and provide the dated photographs and itemised VAT invoice that make up your compliance record.
Landlord roof repairs in Cambridge → Roof-sourced damp & mould →
The law is clearer in practice than it looks on paper. Here is how a compliant response to a tenant-reported roof leak actually runs, and where landlords most often slip up.
The moment a tenant reports a leak, reply in writing — a text or email is fine — confirming you have received it and are arranging an inspection. This does two things: it reassures the tenant, and it timestamps the start of your response. Landlords who deal with reports verbally and later face a dispute have no record of when they acted.
Arrange a roofer to inspect within days, not weeks. For an active leak into living space, same-day or next-day is the reasonable standard. The inspection should trace the leak to its source — on Cambridge's terraces that usually means checking the loft and the lead details, not just the ceiling stain the tenant can see.
Book the works, tell the tenant when they will happen, and coordinate access — generally 24 hours' written notice for a planned repair, though tenants usually welcome faster action on a leak. Keep them updated if materials or scaffolding cause any delay.
Keep the dated report, before-and-after photographs and the itemised invoice. This paperwork is your evidence that you met your Section 11 and 2018 Act duties promptly — and it is exactly what a court or council would want to see if a complaint ever escalated. We provide it as standard on every landlord job.
A quick practical point that often confuses landlords: for tax, a genuine roof repair — putting the roof back to its original condition, like replacing slipped tiles or renewing failed lead — is generally a revenue expense you can set against rental income. A roof improvement that upgrades beyond the original (for example, adding insulation or replacing a modest roof with a substantially better one) is more likely a capital cost treated differently. The line is not always obvious, so keep itemised invoices and confirm the treatment with your accountant — this is general guidance, not tax advice.
Landlord roof repairs in Cambridge → Between-tenancy maintenance →
The roof is the landlord's responsibility under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which cannot be contracted out of. The tenant is only responsible for reporting problems promptly.
There is no single fixed figure under Section 11 — it must be ‘reasonable’, judged by severity. An active leak into living space is a matter of days. Documenting your prompt response is essential.
Not yet. Awaab's Law is in force for social housing (from October 2025). Its extension to the private rented sector is enabled by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 but has not commenced and is not expected before 2027.
Its first phase commenced on 1 May 2026, abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions and moving tenancies to a periodic basis. It also provides the mechanism to extend Awaab's Law to private lets.
Keep dated evidence of when you were notified, your response, and the works — ideally dated photographs and itemised VAT invoices. We provide both as standard for Cambridge landlords.
You are generally entitled to reasonable access for repairs with at least 24 hours' written notice; in an emergency, faster access is usually agreed with the tenant.
Yes — under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 a tenant can apply directly to court for repairs and compensation if a roof defect makes the property unfit.
Fast, documented roof repairs for Cambridge landlords and agents — dated photos and itemised VAT invoices as standard.
📞 0122 366 6465Last updated: August 2026