Repair standards if you’re a private tenant

Your landlord is legally responsible for the property meeting a set of standards so it’s safe to rent. It’s their responsibility even if you rent from a letting agent.

Your landlord must repair the property if it fails to meet the standards. If they do not, you can take them to a housing tribunal.

The standards your landlord must meet

Your landlord must make sure the property meets both:

  • the repairing standard
  • the tolerable standard

These include requirements for your landlord to maintain 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 the 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
  • have no signs of rising damp
  • have no substantive penetrating damp
  • 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 landlord must make sure you can get to and use any communal areas safely.

Electrical safety

Your landlord 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.

Your landlord must make sure appliances they supply are safe and regularly inspected. For example, cookers and kettles.

Gas safety

Your landlord must make sure any gas supply or equipment is:

  • safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer
  • working and in a reasonable condition
  • checked annually by a registered engineer

Fire safety

Your landlord must make sure the property has:

  • 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 you’re deaf or hard of hearing, your landlord must also 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 you can open from the inside without a key.

Water and sewerage systems

Your landlord must make sure the property has 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

Your landlord must make sure the property has:

  •  a suitable area to use for storing and preparing food
  • cooking facilities or somewhere you can install your own 

Furniture and fittings

Your landlord must make sure any furniture and fittings they provide are in reasonable condition and safe to use. This includes things like carpets and equipment.

Legionella health risks

Your landlord must assess the property for health risks associated with legionella. This is a form of pneumonia that can be deadly.

If the property does not meet the standards

Your landlord must:

  • repair the property so it meets the standards
  • follow rules for getting access to do repairs
  • do the repairs in a reasonable amount of time
  • pay for the repairs, unless damage was specifically caused by you

You must report repair issues to your landlord, so that they can investigate and get repair work done.

If your landlord fails to do repairs

Check what to do if your landlord does not do repairs.

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