Repair standards as a private landlord
You’re legally responsible for the property meeting a set of standards so it’s safe to rent. It’s your responsibility even if you use a letting agent.
You must repair your property if it fails to meet the standards. If you do not, your tenant can take you to a housing tribunal.
The standards you must meet
You must make sure your property meets both:
- the repairing standard
- the tolerable standard
These include requirements for maintaining both:
- the property
- any communal areas, like stairwells and closes
Get detailed guidance on the repairing standard on gov.scot. This includes information on the tolerable standard.
What to check in your property
The following list is a summary of some of the main requirements in the standards.
The building and exterior
The property must:
- be structurally stable
- be wind and watertight
- be free from damp and mould
- have a proper entrance and enough access to outside doors
- have enough ventilation, light, heating and insulation
- have any walls and roof in reasonable condition
Your tenants must be able to get to and use any communal areas safely.
Electrical safety
You must make sure the electrical system:
- is safe, working and in reasonable condition, including sockets and light fittings
- has a safety inspection by a registered electrician at least once every 5 years
The electrical system must have a Residual Current Device (RCD). This is a safety feature that switches the electricity off automatically if there’s a fault.
You must also make sure appliances you supply are safe and regularly inspected. For example, cookers and kettles.
Find a registered electrician on the Electrical Safety First website.
Gas safety
Any gas supply or equipment must be:
- safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer
- working and in a reasonable condition
- checked annually by a registered engineer
Search the Gas Safe register for an engineer.
Fire safety
The property must have:
- interlinked smoke alarms in the living room and every hallway and landing
- a heat alarm in the kitchen
- a carbon monoxide detector in all spaces with a carbon fuelled appliance, such as a heater or boiler
If renting to tenants who are deaf or hard of hearing, you must install specialist smoke and fire alarms.
Get detailed guidance on fire and smoke alarm standards on gov.scot.
Tenements must have emergency exit doors fitted. These must have locks that tenants can open from the inside without a key.
Water and sewerage systems
The property must have a working:
- water supply that’s safe to use
- toilet
- drainage and sewerage system
It must also have a sink, a bath or shower, and a wash basin. These must have hot and cold water.
Food and cooking
The property must have:
- a suitable area to use for storing and preparing food
- cooking facilities or somewhere a tenant can install their own
Furniture and fittings
You must make sure any furniture and fittings you provide are in reasonable condition and safe to use. This includes things like carpets and equipment.
Legionella health risks
You must assess your property for health risks associated with legionella. This is a form of pneumonia that can be deadly.
Read Health and Safety Executive guidance on assessing legionella risks.
Repairing damp or mould
If there’s damp or mould in your property, you must inspect and repair it.
Damp and mould can affect your tenant’s health.
You must:
- inspect the problem within 10 working days
- send the tenant a written summary of the findings withing 3 working days of finishing the inspection
If the inspection finds substantial damp or mould in the property, you must:
- start repairs within 5 working days of finishing the inspection
- complete the repairs as soon as possible
- make sure the property stays free from serious damp and mould
If you cannot meet these timescales
If you cannot meet these timescales because of something outside of your control, you must contact the tenant. You must tell them:
- why you cannot inspect or repair the damp or mould
- when you expect to carry out the inspection or repair
You must also do what you can to reduce the damp and mould until you can inspect and repair it.
Examples of something that’s outside of your control include:
- a lack of available tradespeople to inspect or carry out repairs
- the tenant being away and unable to give access to the property
- a delay in getting agreement from neighbouring property owners – for example, for repairs to a shared roof
Get detailed guidance on repairing damp and mould on gov.scot.