Leaking Tap Repair in Godalming Rental Properties - Who Is Responsible and What Happens Next

Published July 2026 | Leaking Tap Repair Guide

Landlord Obligations Under Current Regulations

The legal position on leaking taps is clearer than many landlords and tenants realise. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places a direct legal duty on landlords to keep "installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity and for sanitation" in repair and proper working order throughout the tenancy. A dripping or leaking tap falls within that duty. It is not a grey area, and it is not discretionary.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 added further weight to tenant protections. Under that legislation, a landlord must ensure the property remains fit for human habitation for the duration of the tenancy. A persistently leaking tap that causes water pooling, damp penetration, or mould growth can tip a property toward unfitness - a position no landlord wants to defend.

In practice, this means the following repairs are the landlord's responsibility:

• A worn rubber washer causing a dripping tap - this is standard wear and tear
• A failed ceramic disc cartridge inside a mixer tap - again, wear and tear
• A corroded or damaged tap body that is leaking around the base
• Faulty pipework supplying water to the tap, including compression joints behind the basin
• A leaking isolation valve beneath a basin or sink

Our engineers attending properties across Godalming find that the most common cause of a leaking tap is either a worn rubber washer (in older-style pillar taps) or a failed ceramic disc cartridge (in more modern quarter-turn and mixer designs). Both are internal components that degrade over time through normal use. No tenant should be held responsible for either failing.

Landlords also need to be aware of response timeframes. There is no fixed statutory deadline for non-emergency repairs, but the widely accepted benchmark is 28 days from receiving written notification. Where a dripping tap is causing measurable water damage to joinery, flooring, or cabinetwork - or where the property has a water meter and the leak is materially increasing the tenant's bill - many tenants' advisers and housing solicitors would argue that a faster response is warranted. Ignoring the report entirely is not a defensible position.

What Tenants Are Expected to Handle

Tenants carry their own set of responsibilities, and understanding them helps avoid disputes. The key legal concept here is "tenant-like manner", a phrase that comes from case law rather than statute. In Warren v Keen (1954), Lord Denning described this as doing "the little jobs about the place which a reasonable tenant would do." That standard still applies today.

For leaking taps specifically, tenants are generally expected to:

• Report the fault promptly and in writing, rather than allowing it to worsen over weeks or months
• Clean limescale from tap surfaces using appropriate products - this is routine maintenance
• Replace a simple tap aerator if it has become blocked or damaged - these unscrew easily and cost a few pounds
• Turn off the water supply using the isolation valve or the main stopcock in an emergency to prevent water damage spreading

What tenants should not be expected to do is dismantle a tap to replace internal components. Replacing a tap washer or ceramic cartridge requires isolating the water supply, removing the tap head, and working within the tap body. That is plumbing work, not the "little jobs" of daily tenancy life. If a letting agent or landlord tells a tenant to replace their own washers, that advice is not legally supported.

The one exception that catches tenants out is damage through misuse. If a tenant repeatedly forces a stiff tap rather than reporting it, and the tap body cracks or the spindle shears, the landlord has grounds to attribute repair costs to the tenant. Similarly, if a tenant fits their own non-standard tap or adaptor and it subsequently leaks, they may be liable for the resulting repair. Misuse and neglect do shift responsibility - but the landlord needs to evidence it, not simply assert it.

Grey Areas - Where Disputes Happen

The division of responsibility sounds clear on paper. In practice, several scenarios regularly produce genuine disputes between landlords and tenants in Surrey rental properties, and understanding them in advance reduces the risk of a disagreement escalating.

Tenant-installed fittings: Long-term tenants sometimes upgrade kitchen or bathroom taps themselves, fitting a mixer tap or adding a filtered water spout. When that fitting later leaks, the responsibility question becomes complicated. If the tenant installed it without the landlord's knowledge or consent, the tenant is typically responsible for its upkeep. If the landlord subsequently acknowledged or accepted the fitting - by, for example, including it on a later inventory - the position shifts.

End-of-tenancy deposit disputes: A dripping tap reported during the tenancy that was never repaired by the landlord cannot fairly be charged to the tenant at checkout. A leaking tap that was never reported, with no written record of notification, is harder to defend. Deposit adjudicators look for documentation. Without it, both sides can struggle to prove their case.

Water meter cost recovery: Tenants in metered properties occasionally try to claim reimbursement from landlords for excess water charges caused by a leak the landlord was slow to fix. These claims are difficult to succeed on without clear evidence of both the notification date and the landlord's delay. A simple drip can waste considerable water over months, but quantifying this and attributing cost requires documentation that most tenants do not routinely keep.

Emergency repairs without prior authorisation: If a tap is leaking severely, particularly from pipework behind the fitting, and the landlord cannot be reached, a tenant can arrange emergency plumbing and seek reimbursement. However, this right is not unlimited. The leak must genuinely require urgent attention, the landlord must have been given the opportunity to respond, and the tenant should keep all invoices and correspondence.

Running a quick diagnosis using the Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool before calling anyone out is worth doing in borderline cases. Establishing the nature and likely cause of the fault creates a clearer record of what the problem was, which helps enormously if a dispute later develops over responsibility.

How to Report This Issue - A Tenant's Practical Steps

Reporting a leaking tap correctly protects your rights as a tenant. The process you follow matters as much as the repair itself, because it determines what recourse you have if the landlord is slow to respond.

1. Put it in writing immediately. Even if you have already mentioned it verbally, follow up with an email or a message through your letting agent's portal. Written communication creates a timestamped record that verbal conversations cannot.
2. Be specific about the fault. Do not write "the tap is leaking." Write "the hot tap on the kitchen sink has been dripping continuously since [date]. Water is pooling in the cabinet below and there is water staining on the shelf." Specificity matters when responsibility is later questioned.
3. Photograph and video the leak. A short video showing the drip, or photographs of any pooling water or water staining, strengthens your position considerably. Store these somewhere you can retrieve them months later if needed.
4. Check your tenancy agreement. Many agreements set out how repairs should be reported. Following your agreement's own process removes any grounds for the landlord to argue the report was invalid.
5. Ask for a confirmed repair date. In your written report, ask the landlord or agent to confirm when the repair will be carried out. This creates accountability and starts the clock on a reasonable response window.
6. Escalate if there is no response. If the landlord does not respond within a reasonable period, Godalming falls within the jurisdiction of Waverley Borough Council. Waverley's private sector housing team can investigate and, where appropriate, issue improvement notices or take enforcement action. Shelter and Citizens Advice can also provide guidance on further options.

Getting It Fixed Quickly in Godalming Rental Properties

Once a landlord has confirmed they are arranging the repair, what should both parties realistically expect from the process?

Most tap repairs in the Godalming area are single-visit jobs. Replacing a rubber washer or ceramic disc cartridge typically takes an experienced plumber under an hour once they have confirmed the fault. The time is usually spent isolating the water supply, removing the tap head, sourcing the correct washer or cartridge size, fitting the replacement, and testing the repair. Older taps with non-standard cartridge sizes can add time if the plumber needs to source parts.

Typical costs for tap repairs in Surrey in 2026:

• Replacing a rubber tap washer: typically between 60 and 120 pounds, including call-out and labour
• Replacing a ceramic disc cartridge: typically between 80 and 160 pounds
• Reseating a tap seat (resurfacing the seating the washer presses against): typically between 80 and 140 pounds
• Full tap replacement with a mid-range mixer tap, including parts and labour: typically between 150 and 350 pounds
• Full tap replacement with a premium fitting (brands such as Grohe, Hansgrohe, or Bristan): typically between 250 and 500 pounds or more depending on the tap selected

Our engineers often advise landlords that when a tap is more than 15 years old, or when cartridges for the existing fitting are difficult to source, a full replacement is the more cost-effective long-term decision. Trying to repair a very old tap with hard-to-find parts can cost more than simply fitting a reliable mid-range replacement that will last another decade.

For Godalming properties specifically, it is worth noting that the area draws water from the Surrey chalk aquifer, making it a hard water zone. Ceramic disc taps tend to perform better in hard water areas than rubber washer designs because they are less susceptible to damage from limescale. If a landlord is choosing replacement taps for a rental property in this area, quarter-turn ceramic taps are a sensible choice. Fitting an inline filter or water softener on the supply to vulnerable fittings can also extend component life significantly.

Landlords should also remember their legal obligation to give tenants reasonable notice before entering the property for repairs - typically 24 hours except in genuine emergencies. Arranging access with the tenant rather than simply showing up avoids an entirely separate dispute.

Documentation You Should Keep

Good record-keeping is the single most effective way for both landlords and tenants to protect their positions if a leaking tap dispute escalates to a deposit claim, a housing tribunal, or a small claims court action.

For tenants, keep:

• Every written communication in which you reported the fault, including emails, text messages, and any letting agent portal messages
• Photographs and video footage showing the leak and any resulting damage, with dates recorded in the metadata
• A simple written log noting when you first noticed the fault, when you reported it, when the landlord responded, and when the plumber attended
• Water bills covering the period of the leak, in case you want to argue for cost recovery later
• Any correspondence with Waverley Borough Council if you escalated the matter

For landlords, keep:

• The written notification from the tenant, clearly dated
• Your response confirming when the repair would be arranged
• The attending plumber's report, describing what was found and what was repaired
• All invoices, clearly dated and itemised
• Before and after photographs taken by the attending engineer, particularly if tenant-caused damage was found during the visit

If you manage multiple properties in the Godalming area, keeping a repair log per property is practical discipline. It helps identify recurring faults - if the same tap is being repaired repeatedly, that suggests a more permanent solution is needed - and it demonstrates responsiveness to any adjudicator or council officer who reviews your records.

The major deposit protection schemes - the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, MyDeposits, and the Deposit Protection Service - all base their adjudications heavily on documentary evidence. Cases with clear, timestamped evidence typically resolve more quickly and more fairly than those relying on one party's word against another.

Landlord and Tenant Questions

Who is responsible for repairing a leaking tap in a rented property?

The landlord is responsible in most cases. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to keep water supply installations in proper working order. A dripping tap caused by a worn washer or failed ceramic cartridge is wear and tear, and the repair cost falls to the landlord. The exception is where the tenant has caused damage through misuse or installed non-standard fittings that subsequently leak.

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

Only where the tenant caused the damage. A landlord cannot deduct costs for normal wear and tear, including failed internal components like washers or cartridges. To make a successful deduction, the landlord would need to evidence that the tenant misused the tap, caused physical damage, or failed to report a fault that then worsened significantly. Adjudicators at deposit protection schemes will expect photographic evidence and a clear explanation of how the damage occurred.

How long does a landlord have to fix a leaking tap after being told about it?

There is no statutory fixed deadline, but the commonly accepted timeframe for non-urgent repairs is 28 days from written notification. A heavily dripping tap causing water damage or increasing a metered tenant's bills should be treated with more urgency than that. If your landlord in Godalming has not responded within a reasonable period, contact Waverley Borough Council's private sector housing team or seek advice from Citizens Advice.

What should a tenant do if a tap starts leaking badly and they cannot reach the landlord?

Turn off the water supply to the affected tap using the isolation valve beneath the basin or sink, or use the property's main stopcock if needed. Attempt to contact the landlord or letting agent in writing straight away, and document the time and date. If the leak is causing serious damage and you cannot get a response, you may arrange emergency plumbing and seek reimbursement from the landlord. Keep all invoices and a full record of your attempts to make contact.

Does hard water in Surrey make tap leaks more likely in rental properties?

It can contribute to component wear over time. Hard water carries dissolved calcium and magnesium, and limescale deposits can build up inside tap cartridges and around washer seats, accelerating wear. Properties in the Godalming area, sitting within a hard water zone, are more prone to this than properties in soft water regions. Ceramic disc taps tend to cope better in these conditions than traditional rubber washer designs, and landlords choosing replacement fittings would do well to factor this in.