Signs you may have a kitchen problems claim
- Sink or waste pipe leaking into the cupboard or floor
- Units, doors or drawers broken, swollen or falling off
- Worktops split, lifting or unhygienic
- Damp, mould or pests behind or under units
- No working extractor fan or ventilation
- Gas or electric cooker point unsafe or missing
What the landlord must repair in a kitchen
The sink, taps and waste pipes are sanitary and water installations under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The gas and electrical supply points for the cooker, the extractor fan, the walls, floor and windows are covered too. Fitted units that were provided with the tenancy must be kept in a safe, usable condition, and a kitchen so damaged, damp or infested that food cannot be prepared hygienically makes the home unfit under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
Common kitchen disrepair
- Leaks under the sink that have rotted the base unit and the floor.
- Units with doors hanging off, shelves collapsing or carcasses swollen with water.
- Worktops that have split or lifted so they cannot be kept clean.
- Mould and damp behind units on external walls.
- Mice, rats or cockroaches living behind the units.
- Broken or missing extractor fans, so steam feeds condensation and mould.
- Unsafe cooker connections, loose sockets or no worktop sockets at all.
- Floors that are soft, sagging or lifting because of leaks.
Why it matters
A family that cannot cook safely spends money on takeaways and risks food poisoning. Rotten units and floors can give way. Pests spread disease. The kitchen is often where disrepair hits household budgets hardest, and that is reflected in compensation.
What you can claim
- Repair or replacement of the defective units, worktops, sink, pipework, floor and fan, and treatment of damp and pests.
- Compensation as a percentage of rent for the period affected, higher where you could not use the kitchen properly.
- The extra cost of eating out or replacing spoiled food.
- Replacement of belongings damaged by leaks or pests.
Evidence that helps
Photograph the inside of base units, the floor and any pest droppings. Keep receipts for takeaways and food thrown away. Record every report.
Think you have a housing disrepair claim?
Tell us what is wrong with your home and we will check, free of charge, whether you can claim repairs and compensation on a no win, no fee basis.
Kitchen disrepair: your questions answered
Are kitchen units covered by Section 11?
Units are not named in the Act, but if they were provided with the tenancy they are usually covered by the tenancy agreement, and units destroyed by a leak the landlord failed to fix are part of the damage you can claim for.
My landlord says the kitchen is "due for replacement in 2028". Can I wait that long?
No. Planned improvement programmes do not suspend the duty to repair. Defects must be fixed within a reasonable time regardless.
There are mice behind the units. Is that disrepair?
If they are getting in through gaps and defects in the structure, or the landlord has failed to treat an infestation they know about, yes. See our pests page.
Can I claim for takeaways?
Reasonable extra costs caused by not being able to cook can be claimed as special damages. Keep receipts.