Landlord & rental property roofing
In short
Keeping the structure and exterior of a let property in repair is a landlord's statutory duty, and roofs are where it bites. Scheduled maintenance between tenancies is both cheaper and easier than reacting to a tenant's report of water coming in.
Also called: Landlord roof repairs · Rental property roof · Buy to let roof maintenance · HMO roof
Signs you need this
- A tenant reporting damp, a stain or water coming in
- A property between tenancies with a roof of unknown condition
- Gutters that have not been cleared for several years
- A disrepair complaint or an environmental health approach
- A portfolio with no maintenance record for any of it
- An insurance claim needing evidence of prior condition
The legal position is the starting point. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 puts the duty to keep the structure and exterior of a let dwelling in repair on the landlord, and in a standard tenancy it cannot be contracted out of. The roof is unambiguously structure and exterior. On top of that, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 gives tenants a direct route to court where a property is unfit — and damp caused by a defective roof is one of the clearest examples there is.
The practical problem is that faults in a let property are found late. A homeowner notices a stain when it is the size of a coin; a tenant often reports it when it has come through the ceiling, because the small signs are easy to live with and awkward to raise. That lag is what turns cheap repairs into expensive ones.
So the work that actually helps is scheduled rather than reactive. Gutters cleared before winter — the single highest-value item on any rental. A roof and flashing check between tenancies, when the property is empty and access is easy. And anything involving scaffolding done during a void period rather than around a tenant's working week.
Documentation matters more here than on an owner-occupied house. Dated photographs of the roof's condition are what settle a dispute about whether damage was there at the start of a tenancy, what answer a claim of disrepair, and what support an insurance claim after a storm. A file of annual photographs costs almost nothing and is worth a great deal when something is contested.
Access and notice have to be handled properly. A tenant is entitled to quiet enjoyment, and the standard position is at least 24 hours' written notice for a non-emergency visit at a reasonable time. Roofing work often means scaffolding, a skip and several days of noise, which is a conversation to have early — and on a terrace fronting the pavement it may also mean a highway licence from Cheshire East, which takes time to obtain.
For portfolios, the useful thing is a single point of contact who already knows the buildings. A roofer who has the history of six properties can tell you which one needs money this year and which can wait, which is a considerably better position than getting three quotes each time a tenant rings.
What the job covers
- Scheduled inspections timed to void periods where possible
- Gutters, valleys and outlets cleared before winter
- Roof, flashings, chimney and rainwater goods checked and photographed
- Dated photographic record kept for each property
- Repairs prioritised into urgent, soon and budget
- Access and notice arrangements handled properly with tenants
What it costs
We don't publish a price for this yet, because a number pulled out of the air is worse than no number at all — your roofer has to honour it. On roofing it would also be close to meaningless: access is often the biggest single factor, and it varies enormously house to house. You'll get a firm price for your actual job when they ring you back, before any work starts. The quote itself is free and there's no obligation either way.
Common questions
Is the roof definitely my responsibility as landlord?
Yes. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places the duty to keep the structure and exterior in repair on the landlord, and it cannot be contracted out of in a normal tenancy. A roof is structure and exterior. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 also gives tenants a direct route to court where disrepair makes a property unfit.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Clear the gutters every autumn. It is cheap, it is quick, and overflowing gutters cause a large share of the damp complaints that come from rental properties — water down the wall all winter produces internal damp that gets reported as a roof leak and is much more expensive to argue about than to prevent.
How much notice do I need to give a tenant?
At least 24 hours in writing for a non-emergency visit at a reasonable time is the standard position, and tenants are entitled to quiet enjoyment. Roofing often means scaffolding and several days of noise, so it is worth going well beyond the minimum in practice — and doing it in a void period where you can.
Why do you keep photographs?
Because condition disputes are decided on evidence. A dated record of what the roof looked like each year settles arguments about whether damage predated a tenancy, answers a disrepair claim, and supports an insurance claim after a storm by showing the roof was sound beforehand. It costs nothing and it is worth a lot when something is contested.
Need this doing in Macclesfield?
Tell us the job and it goes straight to our local roofer — one call back, usually the same day. Free quote, no obligation.