Frozen Pipes and Winter Emergencies: A Landlord's Checklist

Every winter, the first cold snap brings the same calls: no heating, no hot water, water coming through a ceiling. Most of them can be prevented, and the rest can be handled calmly if you have a plan before you need one. This is the checklist I use, written for landlords who manage their own properties.

What the law expects of you

For most residential lettings of less than seven years, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 puts certain repairs on the landlord, whatever the tenancy agreement says. You must keep in repair:

• the structure and exterior of the home, including drains, gutters and external pipes;
• the installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, and for sanitation, such as basins, sinks, baths and toilets;
• the installations for space heating and heating water.

So a burst supply pipe, a failed boiler or a broken hot water cylinder is, in the ordinary case, yours to put right. The main exceptions are damage caused by the tenant not using the home in a tenant-like way, and things the tenant is entitled to remove.

You also have a right to inspect: on 24 hours' notice in writing, at reasonable times of day, you or someone you authorise in writing can enter to view the condition of the property. In a genuine emergency, such as water pouring through a ceiling, you act first to stop the damage and keep a record of why.

Where Awaab's Law has got to

You may have read that strict repair timescales are coming. Awaab's Law already applies to social housing. For private renting, the government published a consultation on 9 October 2026 on how to extend it to private rented tenancies and licences, open until 18 December 2026. Nothing is in force for private landlords yet, and the timescales have not been set.

My advice is not to wait. Tenants already expect a quick response to an emergency, and a fast, well-recorded repair is your best protection if there is ever a dispute. For damp and mould specifically, see our winter guide on damp and mould.

Before the cold: the autumn checklist

1. Boiler serviced and the gas safety record in date.
2. Pipes in lofts, garages, under floors and on outside walls lagged. Outside taps isolated and drained if there is an internal stop valve.
3. Stopcock found, labelled and tested. Make sure it actually turns. A seized stopcock turns a small leak into a ceiling.
4. Tenants told where the stopcock is, how to turn it off and how to use the heating controls, ideally in writing at the start of the tenancy and again each autumn.
5. Gutters and downpipes cleared after the leaves come down. Blocked gutters freeze, overflow and soak walls.
6. Roof checked for slipped tiles and flashing, especially on older houses.
7. Emergency contacts confirmed: a plumber and a heating engineer who will answer out of hours, and your own number or your agent's, written on something the tenant can find.
8. Insurance read. Check what your landlord policy says about escape of water, frozen pipes and empty properties. Many policies have conditions about heating and checks when a home is unoccupied.

Empty properties need extra care

An empty home between tenancies is the highest risk. Nobody notices a drip until it is a flood.

• Keep the heating on a low, frost-protection setting, or drain the system if it will be empty for a long time and your insurer allows it.
• Visit regularly and keep a dated record of each visit.
• Turn off the water at the stopcock when you leave if the heating does not rely on it, and check what your insurer requires.

When it happens: the first hour

1. Water off. The tenant turns off the stopcock. If water is near electrics, they should turn off the electricity at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so, and keep away.
2. Safety first. If anyone smells gas, they should leave, call the gas emergency number, and not use switches or flames.
3. Get the right trade out. Plumber for the leak, electrician if electrics are wet, heating engineer for the boiler.
4. Contain the damage. Move belongings, catch water, open the loft hatch to let warm air in for frozen pipes. Never thaw a pipe with a naked flame.
5. Record everything. Photos and video, times, who you called and when they arrived. Your insurer and, if needed, the council will want this.
6. Tell your insurer promptly, and the freeholder or managing agent if the water came from, or reached, another flat.

Heating and hot water failures

A boiler that fails in January is not a minor inconvenience, particularly for a tenant with young children, someone elderly or someone unwell. Respond the same day, even if the first step is booking an engineer. If the repair will take time, provide temporary heaters and keep the tenant informed. Ask who is in the home so you can prioritise properly.

Afterwards

• Dry the property out properly before redecorating. Paint over damp plaster and the problem comes back.
• Check for hidden damage: under floors, behind kitchen units, in ceiling voids.
• Write a short note of what failed, why and what you have changed so it does not happen again.
• If the tenant had to move out while repairs were done, keep the arrangement and costs in writing, and talk to your insurer before you commit to anything.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your obligations depend on your tenancy and your property.