When issues arise in rented properties, who’s your tenant most likely to call?

Of course, you’d hope the answer would be you, the landlord.

Not only are you there to make sure your tenant is happy and safe, but you’re also the person who’s most keen to maintain the state of the property too. After all, it’s your asset and you want it to function as well as possible for as long as it can.

So it can feel like a bit of a kick in the teeth if you receive a call from your local Environmental Health office to tell you they need to make an assessment.

Whether tensions are already running high between you and your tenant and they didn’t feel they could come to you, or a neighbour has put in a complaint, you need to prepare for that looming Environmental Health visit straight away.

So what do you do?

Talk to your tenant

Pick up the phone to your tenant straight away. Let them know when the call-out is happening, and see whether the issues to be assessed can be addressed before Environmental Health arrive. Try to agree a plan of action with your tenant, so you can right any issues within the set time frame.

Find a contractor

Act quickly to find a contractor who can carry out the required works and get a quote ASAP. If they can do the job within a matter of days, go for it.

Go back to Environmental Health

If you’ve been able to make repairs before the planned assessment date, call your Environmental Health department and let them know what you’ve done. They might still want to visit to make sure that the repairs are up to scratch, or they might call off the assessment altogether.

Wait for your report

If you couldn’t agree a remedy with your tenant at the start of the process, or you haven’t been able to find a contractor before the assessment date, the Environmental Health visit will go ahead. You’ll receive a report detailing what changes you need to make to solve the problem.

Find a contractor (again!)

Put together a list of everything that’s been recommended in the Environmental Health assessment and get estimates from contractors. Once you’ve agreed for the works to go ahead, communicate the timeline with your tenant and the Environmental Health assessor.

Keep up the conversation

Continue to communicate with the assessor throughout the works and after, until a second check goes ahead and the works are approved. Keep talking to your tenants too, resolving issues, rebuilding relationships and reducing the likelihood that they’ll go to Environmental Health again in the future.

As with so many things, prevention is always better than cure when it comes to property maintenance. So if you need help managing the maintenance of your property, let’s talk! Call us on 020 3432 3888 or send a hello to

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