Appliance Repair Costs in Dorking Rental Properties and Who Pays

Published July 2026 | Appliance Repair

If you're renting in Dorking and your washing machine has stopped spinning, or you're a landlord whose tenant has just called to say the fridge is dead, the first question is always the same: who actually has to sort this out? It sounds simple, but in practice the answer depends on several factors - the tenancy agreement, how the fault happened, and which appliances were included in the let. This guide walks through both sides of the situation so you know exactly where you stand.

Landlord Obligations Under Current Regulations

Landlord responsibility for appliances is grounded in two pieces of legislation that work together: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Neither law automatically covers every appliance in a rented property, but they do establish a clear principle: if the landlord provided it, the landlord is generally responsible for keeping it in working order.

The critical distinction is between fixtures and fittings that are integral to the property - built-in ovens, integrated dishwashers, plumbed-in washing machines - and freestanding appliances that a landlord has chosen to include in the let. Both categories typically fall under the landlord's repair obligations if they were listed in the inventory and the tenancy agreement. If a built-in Bosch dishwasher was working at the start of the tenancy and stops working through fair wear and tear, that repair sits with the landlord.

What "keeping it in working order" means in practice is that landlords must arrange repairs within a reasonable timeframe. For essential appliances like a fridge or cooker, that timeframe is shorter than for a tumble dryer or freezer. There's no fixed legal deadline for appliance repair in the way there is for heating (which must be restored within 24 hours in winter), but unreasonable delays can expose landlords to rent reduction claims or deduction disputes.

Landlords who manage properties across Surrey should also be aware that failing to repair a supplied appliance promptly can contribute to a broader Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) claim if the property's condition deteriorates as a result. Courts have been increasingly willing to consider these cases where landlords drag their feet on repairs.

What Tenants Are Expected to Handle

Tenants are not completely off the hook. The law expects tenants to use appliances in a reasonable and proper manner, carry out minor maintenance, and report faults promptly. Failing on any of these points can shift the financial responsibility for a repair.

Minor maintenance that tenants should handle themselves includes cleaning filters on washing machines and tumble dryers, descaling kettles and dishwashers, clearing blocked dishwasher spray arms, and keeping fridge door seals clean. These are routine tasks that don't require a technician and are firmly in the tenant's court.

Where tenants become financially liable is when a fault is caused by misuse. Common examples our engineers encounter include:

• Overloading a washing machine drum beyond its rated capacity, which can damage the bearings and motor
• Putting items in a dishwasher that aren't dishwasher-safe and blocking the drain pump
• Forcing a fridge door open when it's been accidentally left to freeze shut, cracking the seal or the door itself
• Using the wrong cleaning products on oven linings, causing damage to the interior

If a tenant causes damage through misuse and then fails to report it, leaving a minor fault to become a major one, they can also be held responsible for the additional repair cost that results from the delay. Reporting things quickly protects tenants as much as it helps landlords.

Tenants are also responsible for appliances they own themselves. If you've brought a Samsung fridge freezer or an LG washing machine into the property yourself, those are entirely your responsibility to repair or replace. Your landlord has no obligation to fix equipment that wasn't part of the let.

Grey Areas - Where Disputes Happen

Most landlord-tenant appliance disputes don't involve clear-cut misuse or obvious fair wear and tear. They happen in the middle ground, and Dorking properties are no exception to this pattern.

The most common grey area is the missing or ambiguous inventory. If the tenancy agreement lists "white goods included" without specifying models or condition, and a Hotpoint washing machine breaks down two years into a three-year tenancy, both parties may have a reasonable argument about what was expected. A detailed inventory with photos at the start of the tenancy would resolve this, but many landlords and tenants skip it or complete it carelessly.

Age of the appliance is another frequent flashpoint. A Beko dishwasher that's nine years old and breaks down is probably doing so because it's old, not because of anything the tenant did. Most people would accept that as fair wear and tear. But if the landlord argues the tenant accelerated the failure, and there's no inspection record or service history, proving either position becomes difficult.

Partial faults are trickier still. An oven where the top ring doesn't work but everything else does - is that an emergency? Is the landlord obliged to repair it immediately? Tenants sometimes feel the landlord should act immediately on any fault; landlords sometimes argue a partial fault doesn't warrant urgent attention. The reasonable standard depends on how significantly the fault affects day-to-day use.

Cosmetic damage to appliances is almost always the tenant's liability - a scratched door, a broken handle, a cracked control knob. These don't affect function but they do affect condition, and landlords can legitimately charge for restoration at the end of a tenancy if the damage wasn't there at the start.

How to Report This Issue - A Tenant's Step-by-Step Guide

If you're renting in Dorking and an appliance has broken down, how you report it matters almost as much as the report itself. Doing it properly protects you legally and gets the problem fixed faster.

1. Report in writing, immediately. Don't rely on a phone call or a conversation in the hallway. Send an email or a message through your letting portal as soon as you notice the fault. This timestamps your report and gives you evidence that you acted promptly.
2. Describe the fault specifically. "The washing machine isn't working" is less useful than "the washing machine drum is not spinning and there's water remaining in the drum after the cycle ends." Specific descriptions help the landlord or agent arrange the right engineer rather than sending someone out who then has to reschedule.
3. Take a short video if possible. A 30-second video of a Bosch washing machine showing an error code, or a fridge that's visibly not cooling, is excellent documentation. Keep it saved somewhere you can access it later.
4. Check your tenancy agreement for repair timescales. Many tenancy agreements specify response times for different types of repair. Know what yours says before you chase.
5. Follow up in writing if there's no response within the agreed or reasonable timeframe. Something like "I reported this on [date] and haven't heard back - could you confirm when the repair will be arranged?" is polite, on record, and signals that you're tracking the situation.
6. Contact Mole Valley District Council's private sector housing team if your landlord is unresponsive to a fault that affects your ability to live in the property. They can issue improvement notices in cases of persistent failure to repair.

Getting It Fixed Quickly in Dorking Rental Properties

Speed matters when an appliance breaks down. For landlords managing properties in Dorking and the surrounding Surrey area, having a repair process that moves quickly reduces tenant dissatisfaction and prevents minor faults becoming expensive failures.

The typical cost to repair a common household appliance in the UK in 2026 breaks down roughly as follows:

• Washing machine repair: typically between 90 and 220 pounds depending on the fault. Drum bearing replacement sits at the upper end; pump or filter issues are cheaper.
• Dishwasher repair: commonly between 80 and 180 pounds. Control board issues tend to be the most expensive; door latch or spray arm problems are usually well under 100 pounds.
• Fridge or fridge freezer repair: typically 70 to 160 pounds. Thermostat replacement and fan motor issues are the most frequent calls.
• Electric oven or cooker repair: commonly between 90 and 200 pounds. Element replacements are at the cheaper end; control board failure can push repairs toward replacement territory.
• Tumble dryer repair: typically 65 to 150 pounds. Heating element failure is very common and generally well within the worth-repairing range for most models.

Call-out fees in the Surrey area typically run between 50 and 85 pounds, which may or may not be included in the overall repair quote depending on the engineer. Always confirm whether the call-out fee applies separately before booking.

Voltrade's GoFIX diagnostic tool can help landlords and tenants identify the likely fault before an engineer attends, which reduces wasted visits and speeds up the resolution. If you log the fault with a description and the appliance make and model, the system can flag common fault patterns for that appliance - particularly useful for high-frequency brands like Hotpoint and Beko where common failures are well documented.

For landlords with multiple properties in Dorking, establishing a relationship with a local appliance repair engineer makes a significant practical difference. Response times are shorter, and familiar engineers already know the typical appliance inventory across a portfolio.

Documentation You Should Keep

Whether you're a landlord or a tenant in Surrey, keeping the right paperwork can save you a significant amount of money and stress when an appliance repair dispute arises.

For landlords, keep:

• A signed and photographic inventory from the start of every tenancy, including the make, model, and condition of every appliance included in the let
• Copies of all repair invoices with dates, engineer details, and fault descriptions
• Any warranty documentation for appliances purchased for the property
• Written records of all repair requests received from tenants and your responses to them
• A condition report at the end of each tenancy, again with photos, so you have a clear before-and-after record

For tenants, keep:

• Copies of all written repair requests you've submitted and any responses received
• Photos or videos taken at the time you noticed the fault
• A copy of the inventory you signed at the start of the tenancy
• Records of any repair work carried out by engineers, particularly if you arranged and paid for a repair yourself after landlord inaction

If a dispute ends up at the deposit protection scheme adjudication stage, documentary evidence is almost everything. Adjudicators make decisions based on what can be proven, not on what either party says happened. The side with better paperwork wins more often than not.

Landlord and Tenant Questions

Can a landlord deduct the cost of an appliance repair from a tenant's deposit?

Yes, but only if the tenant caused the damage through misuse or neglect, and the landlord can demonstrate this. Deductions for fair wear and tear are not permitted. The landlord needs documentary evidence - ideally a condition report from the start of the tenancy, a report from the engineer explaining the cause of the fault, and the repair invoice. Deposit scheme adjudicators are experienced at spotting claims that are essentially asking tenants to fund normal appliance ageing.

What happens if a landlord refuses to repair a broken appliance they supplied?

Tenants have several options. The first is to escalate in writing, making clear you intend to seek formal resolution. If that fails, the local council's private sector housing team can investigate and issue enforcement notices. In persistent cases, tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a rent repayment order. Tenants should not withhold rent unilaterally without legal advice, as this can create its own legal problems regardless of the landlord's conduct.

Is it worth repairing an appliance or better to replace it?

A commonly used rule of thumb is that if the repair cost exceeds 50 percent of the replacement value of the appliance, replacement is often the better investment. For a three-year-old Samsung washing machine worth around 400 pounds, a 150-pound repair is typically worth it. For a ten-year-old Hotpoint dishwasher with a failed control board costing 200 pounds to fix, buying a new machine makes more financial sense. Our engineers can advise on this during a diagnosis visit, and the GoFIX tool can sometimes flag this before an engineer is even booked.

Do landlords have to provide appliances in rental properties?

There is no legal requirement for a landlord to include appliances in a rental property. However, if they do include them - whether a washing machine, dishwasher, or fridge - they take on the responsibility of keeping those appliances in working order. Landlords who want to avoid that obligation sometimes offer an unfurnished let and explicitly exclude appliances from the tenancy agreement. In Dorking and across Surrey, many landlords include appliances as standard because it makes the property more attractive to tenants, but they should understand the ongoing obligation that comes with that choice.

Can a tenant arrange their own repair and deduct the cost from rent?

This is possible in principle but risky without following the correct legal process. You cannot simply book an engineer and subtract the bill from next month's rent without proper notice and documentation. The correct route involves giving the landlord clear written notice of the fault, a reasonable timeframe to respond, and a statement that you intend to arrange the repair yourself if they do not act. Even then, the amount you can recover is not unlimited. Taking legal advice before going down this route is strongly recommended to avoid creating a rent arrears situation.