Leaking Tap Repair Guide for Landlords and Tenants in Storrington

Published September 2026 | Leaking Tap Repair

Landlord Obligations Under Current Regulations

The legal position on leaking taps in rented homes is fairly clear. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords are required to keep installations for the supply of water in proper working order. Taps are part of that supply infrastructure, and when they fail through normal wear and tear, the responsibility sits with the landlord.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 strengthened this duty. Properties must remain fit for human habitation throughout a tenancy, and persistent water leaks can quickly become a habitability concern - particularly when they lead to damp or mould growth behind cabinets or beneath flooring.

In practical terms, here is what landlords in Storrington rental properties are required to do:

1. Repair leaking taps caused by general wear and tear. Worn washers, degraded cartridges, corroded valve seats, and failing O-rings all fall into this category.
2. Act within a reasonable timeframe once notified by the tenant. For a minor drip, "reasonable" typically means within 7 to 14 days. For an active gush or a leak that is causing water damage, it is an emergency and should be addressed within 24 hours.
3. Cover the full cost of repair - including parts and labour - when the fault stems from the property's age or normal use.
4. Ensure repairs meet a proper standard. Wrapping the joint in PTFE tape and walking away is not a compliant repair if the root cause has not been resolved.

It is also worth noting that landlords cannot use the deposit to recover costs for repairs that are their own legal obligation. If a landlord attempts to deduct the cost of a worn tap washer from a tenant's deposit, that deduction is very likely to fail at Tenancy Deposit Scheme adjudication.

Our engineers working across West Sussex regularly see cases where a simple £80 to £100 washer replacement was delayed and turned into something far more expensive. Water and wood do not get along, and a dripping tap left unchecked under a kitchen cabinet can rot the base unit within months.

What Tenants Are Expected to Handle

Tenants are not completely off the hook when it comes to tap issues. There are genuine responsibilities that fall on the occupant's side of the line, and understanding them helps avoid unnecessary friction.

General tenant obligations around taps typically include:

• Reporting leaks promptly. If a tenant notices a tap dripping and does not tell the landlord for three months, and in that time the unit below suffers water damage, the tenant may be partly liable for the resulting costs.
• Using taps with reasonable care. Overtightening taps to stop a drip is a common habit that actually accelerates wear on washers and valve seats. It is not classed as negligence in most cases, but if a tenant has clearly damaged a tap through force, that is a different conversation.
• Keeping the tap area clean and managing limescale on external surfaces. Build-up around the base of a tap is cosmetic and is the tenant's responsibility to deal with. It becomes the landlord's concern when limescale penetrates the mechanism and affects the tap's function - and that threshold is harder to define than landlords sometimes claim.

Where tenants have actually caused the damage - snapping off a tap handle, forcing a tap so hard the seat cracks, or connecting a hose or appliance incorrectly - they can reasonably be held responsible for the repair cost. Our engineers can typically identify the cause of a tap failure quickly. It is usually obvious when a seat has been damaged by overtightening versus one that has simply worn out over years of normal use.

One thing tenants should be clear on: you cannot simply hire your own plumber and deduct the cost from your rent, except under very specific circumstances and only after following the correct legal process. The right route is to report the issue in writing and give the landlord a reasonable opportunity to respond first.

Grey Areas - Where Disputes Happen

The clear-cut cases are easy to resolve. It is the grey areas that tend to become disputes, and they come up more often than you might expect in West Sussex rental properties.

Limescale damage is one of the most contested issues. Parts of West Sussex have moderately hard water, and limescale can gradually work its way inside tap bodies, causing cartridges to seize or fail. Is that wear and tear? In most cases, yes. But if a tenant has never descaled the tap head in three years and the internals are severely furred up, some landlords argue the tenant has failed in their basic upkeep duties. These arguments rarely succeed, because standard cleaning obligations do not extend to the internal components of taps.

Tap washers are another flashpoint. Some older tenancy agreements list "replacing tap washers" as a tenant responsibility. These clauses appear in agreements written 20 or more years ago and still circulate. However, the repairing obligation under Section 11 generally overrides such clauses when they conflict with a landlord's statutory duty - though proving this can require a formal dispute process.

Damage timing causes friction too. Landlords occasionally attribute a leaking tap to tenant damage when it is simply an old fitting that has worn out. If there is no pre-tenancy inventory confirming the tap was in good working order at the start of the tenancy, and no evidence of misuse, the default position typically favours the tenant.

Full replacement versus repair is a recurring disagreement. Our engineers sometimes find that a tap is beyond economic repair - the valve seat is too worn for a new washer to seal properly, and no amount of tinkering will fix it. The landlord needs to replace the tap entirely. That costs more, and some landlords push back on the recommendation. But if a tap cannot be properly repaired, replacement is the only compliant path forward.

How to Report This Issue - A Guide for Tenants

Reporting a leaking tap correctly protects you if a dispute develops later. A verbal mention to your landlord at the door is not enough. Here is how to do it properly:

1. Put it in writing first. Send an email, a message through your letting portal, or a text - anything that creates a record with a timestamp. Do not rely solely on a phone call.
2. Be specific about what is happening. "The tap is leaking" is less useful than "The hot tap in the kitchen has been dripping from the spout since Tuesday at a rate of roughly once per second, and it is leaving a stain in the sink basin."
3. Photograph or video it. Show the drip, show the date on your phone screen, and save the file somewhere safe. This becomes evidence if you need it later.
4. Reference your tenancy agreement. Noting that you are reporting the issue in accordance with the repair clause signals that you know your rights and are following the proper process.
5. Include a reasonable deadline. Something like "Could you arrange a repair within the next 7 days?" is entirely fair for a dripping tap. If the situation is more urgent - water pooling, damage actively occurring - say so clearly and ask for a faster response.
6. Follow up in writing if you hear nothing. If a week passes without a response or a booking confirmation, send a written chase. Keep the whole thread.

If your landlord remains unresponsive, you can escalate to the letting agent (if there is one), then to Horsham District Council's housing team, and ultimately pursue a formal repair order through the courts. In practice, most landlords in Storrington respond promptly once they receive a clear written report - fixing a dripping tap costs far less than dealing with a council enforcement notice.

Getting It Fixed Quickly in Storrington Rental Properties

Once responsibility is established and the landlord has agreed to arrange a repair, the practical question is how to get it done without a two-week wait.

The most common causes of leaking taps our engineers see in Storrington homes are:

• Worn tap washers - the classic cause of a dripping tap, particularly on older pillar taps. A rubber or neoprene washer deteriorates over time and no longer seals the valve seat. Replacement typically costs between £60 and £100 for a plumber's visit including the part.
• Failed cartridges - common in modern mixer taps, ceramic disc taps, and quarter-turn designs. When a cartridge fails, replacing the whole unit is usually the better option rather than attempting internal repairs. Budget £80 to £150 including labour.
• Worn O-rings - often the cause when a tap leaks from the base or around its body rather than from the spout. O-rings are inexpensive, but accessing them requires dismantling the tap. This typically falls in the £60 to £100 range.
• Damaged valve seat - if the brass seat inside the tap body has corroded or pitted, a new washer alone will not solve the problem. A plumber can sometimes re-cut the seat with a seat dresser tool; in other cases, tap replacement is the more cost-effective option.
• Full tap replacement - for taps that are beyond economic repair. A new pair of pillar taps costs roughly £30 to £80 for the fittings, with £100 to £180 in labour, bringing typical totals to £130 to £260. Replacing a mixer tap can range from £150 to £350 depending on the style and access involved.

If you are a landlord managing a property in Storrington and want to understand what is likely going on before booking an engineer, the Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool can help narrow down the fault based on where the water is escaping from and what type of tap you have. It will not replace a physical inspection, but it gives you a clearer starting point and helps avoid guesswork on the likely scope of repair.

Across West Sussex, an experienced plumber will typically complete most domestic tap repairs within an hour. If the isolation valve is awkward to access or the pipework is old and brittle, that can add time - but the majority of jobs do not present major complications.

Documentation You Should Keep

Both landlords and tenants benefit from keeping clear records around maintenance issues. Good paperwork resolves disputes quickly; the absence of it drags them out.

For tenants:

• All written communications reporting the leak, including emails, portal messages, and texts with timestamps
• Photos and videos showing the fault, ideally with the date visible
• Any responses from the landlord or letting agent
• Records of follow-up chases if the repair was not arranged promptly
• If water damaged your belongings, photographs and evidence of value such as receipts or purchase records

For landlords:

• The original move-in inventory noting the condition of taps and plumbing at the start of the tenancy
• A clear record of the repair - who attended, when, what they found, and what was replaced or fitted
• Invoices from the plumber for both the diagnostic visit and any follow-up work
• All communications with the tenant regarding the fault
• Photographs taken during the repair, which a thorough engineer should provide as a matter of course

Good documentation protects both parties. If a dispute reaches the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, a clear paper trail usually resolves things within a few weeks. Without it, adjudicators tend to favour the tenant on repair cost disputes, since the burden of proof lies with the landlord.

Landlord and Tenant Questions

Who pays for a leaking tap repair in a rented property in Storrington?

In the majority of cases, the landlord pays. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords must maintain water supply installations, and taps fall under this duty. The only situation where a tenant might be liable is if they caused the damage themselves through clear misuse or negligence - and the landlord would need to demonstrate that with evidence, not just an assertion.

Can a landlord charge a tenant for a leaking tap if they did not report it quickly enough?

Possibly, but only for the additional damage caused by the delay - not for the tap repair itself. If a tenant knew about a leak for two months and did not report it, and in that time the kitchen cabinet base rotted through, a landlord might have a reasonable claim for the cabinet damage. The tap repair remains the landlord's cost regardless. Reporting promptly and in writing removes this risk entirely.

How long does a landlord have to fix a leaking tap in a rental property?

There is no fixed statutory deadline, but the standard is "within a reasonable time" given the severity of the issue. A dripping tap is a non-urgent repair, and 7 to 14 days is typically considered reasonable. A tap that is actively flooding the property is an emergency and should be attended to within 24 hours. If your landlord is not responding, escalate in writing and keep a record of every attempt you make.

What if my landlord ignores my report of a leaking tap in Storrington?

Send a formal written reminder that references your original report and requests a response within a clear timeframe. If that is also ignored, you can contact your letting agent if one is involved, raise the matter with Horsham District Council's housing team, or ultimately apply to the courts for a repair order under Section 11. In practice, a firm written notice resolves most cases before formal escalation becomes necessary.

Can I deduct the cost of fixing a leaking tap from my rent?

Not without following the correct process first. In England, informal rent deductions for self-arranged repairs carry significant legal risk and could jeopardise your tenancy. You must report the issue in writing, give the landlord a fair opportunity to respond, and only in specific circumstances - after following the full legal procedure - could you arrange a repair and seek to offset the cost. Get advice from Citizens Advice or a housing solicitor before going down this route.