Section 11 Repair Deadline Calculator

Enter the date a repair was reported and the repair type to calculate your Section 11 benchmark response deadline.

Section 11 Repair Response Time Guide

The table below shows the accepted response times by repair urgency tier under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. These are widely-accepted benchmarks under Section 11 — courts apply a 'reasonable time' standard rather than fixed deadlines.

Tier	Response time	Example repairs	Legal basis
Emergency	24 hours	Gas leak or suspected gas escape; No heating or hot water in winter (October–April); Major electrical fault or exposed wiring	Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (reasonable time standard) — immediate risk to health or safety
Urgent	48–72 hours	Boiler failure in summer; Partial loss of heating; Roof leak causing water ingress	Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (reasonable time standard) — significant impact on habitability
Routine	28 days	Broken kitchen fittings (non-urgent); Minor damp or rising damp; Damaged flooring	Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 — obligation to keep structure and services in repair
Planned	Up to 90 days	Cosmetic decoration; General wear and tear; Garden maintenance (if landlord's responsibility)	Section 11 general maintenance obligation — no immediate habitability impact

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985?

Section 11 requires landlords to keep the structure, exterior, and service installations of a residential property in repair. It applies to all leases under 7 years in England and Wales.

What is the legal repair deadline for an emergency?

Repairs that pose an immediate risk to health or safety — gas leaks, total heating failure in winter, major flooding — must be addressed within 24 hours under Section 11.

What is a reasonable repair response time for routine repairs?

For non-urgent repairs that do not immediately threaten habitability, 28 days is the widely accepted benchmark timeframe. Courts use this as a benchmark in housing disrepair claims — Section 11 applies a 'reasonable time' standard rather than a fixed statutory deadline.

What happens if I miss a Section 11 deadline?

The tenant may report to the local authority for an improvement notice (Housing Act 2004), pursue a housing disrepair claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, or seek damages in the county court. Note: Rent Repayment Orders are generally for specific licensing offences (unlicensed HMOs, etc.) — they do not follow directly from Section 11 disrepair alone, though they may follow if a landlord ignores a council improvement notice issued for disrepair. Document every repair report, assignment, and completion with timestamps.

Sources: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s.11; Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) Guidance, MHCLG 2006. This tool is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.