Tenant with a plumbing emergency at night: what to do

Renting changes who fixes a plumbing emergency, but it does not change what you should do in the first few minutes. Make the home safe, then get the right person involved. This guide is for private tenants and council or housing association tenants in London.

First, make it safe

Whoever is responsible for the repair, these steps limit the damage, and insurers and landlords expect them.

1. Turn off the stop tap. It is usually under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard or near the front door. In a flat, there may also be a communal valve. Turn it clockwise.
2. Switch off electrics at the consumer unit if water is near sockets or lights, and only if you can reach it safely.
3. Turn off the boiler if there is a leak from the heating, then open the cold taps to drain the pipes.
4. Contain the water with towels, buckets and bowls. Move your belongings.
5. Take photos and videos of the source and the damage, with the time.

If you smell gas, leave it all, go outside and call 0800 111 999.

Your landlord’s duty

In England, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 applies to most tenancies of less than seven years. It requires landlords to keep in repair and proper working order the installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, and for sanitation, including basins, sinks, baths and toilets, as well as the installations for space heating and heating water.

Shelter explains that this includes water pipes, boilers and water tanks, but not appliances such as washing machines unless the tenancy agreement says so.

Problem	Usually whose repair
Burst or leaking water pipe	Landlord
Blocked or broken toilet, basin or bath	Landlord, unless you caused it
No hot water from the boiler or cylinder	Landlord
Stop tap seized or leaking	Landlord
Leaking washing machine you own	You
Leaking washing machine supplied by the landlord	Check the tenancy agreement
Damage you caused, such as a blocked toilet from wipes	Often you

Thames Water also says that if you are a tenant, your landlord is responsible for fixing leaks, and advises telling your landlord or letting agent in writing and keeping a copy.

Calling out of hours

Most letting agents and housing providers in London have an out of hours emergency number. Look on your tenancy agreement, the agent’s website, a sticker on the boiler or a notice in the communal hall. Council and housing association tenants should use their landlord’s emergency repairs line.

When you call, say clearly:

• what is happening and where
• whether you have turned the water off
• whether water is near electrics or going into another home
• whether anyone vulnerable lives with you

Write down the time you called, who you spoke to and what they said.

Blocks and estates in Southwark

In Southwark, 64.4% of households live in purpose built flats or tenements, according to the 2021 Census (Nomis, TS044). Many tenants are in council or housing association estates in Peckham, Camberwell and Walworth, or in private blocks around Elephant and Castle and Bermondsey.

In these buildings, the leak may come from a communal pipe, a riser or the flat above. If so, your landlord may need to involve the council’s repairs service or the block’s managing agent. Report it to your landlord anyway. They are responsible for getting it sorted for you, even if someone else carries out the repair.

If nobody answers

If you cannot reach anyone and water is still causing damage, you may need to call a plumber yourself to make it safe. Before you do:

• read your tenancy agreement, which may say what to do in an emergency
• keep it to making safe, rather than full improvements
• get a written note of the cause and the work, with photos
• keep the receipt

Then tell your landlord in writing straight away, explain what happened and send copies. Do not simply deduct the cost from your rent without advice. Shelter, Citizens Advice or your council’s private housing team can tell you what is reasonable.

Our out of hours plumber page explains how night calls work.

When the landlord does not fix it

If the emergency is made safe but your landlord does not arrange the proper repair, put it in writing again with a date. If nothing happens, contact your council’s private housing or environmental health team, or get advice from Shelter. Keep all your records together: photos, emails, texts and receipts.

Your own belongings

Your landlord’s insurance covers the building. Your possessions are usually only covered by your own contents insurance. If a leak has damaged your things, tell your insurer and send them the photos. If the leak came from another flat, our guide to a leak from the flat above explains how responsibility works between flats.