Landlords & agents · Exeter
Roof repairs for Exeter landlords
A tenant-reported leak is a legal clock as well as a building problem. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, damp and disrepair are your liability from the moment you are on notice.
Exeter has an unusually large rental sector for a city its size, driven by the university and the hospital. Much of that stock is Victorian and Edwardian terraced housing across St James, Pennsylvania, Mount Pleasant and Heavitree — exactly the property type where roof and chimney defects are most common, and where a slow leak becomes a damp complaint before it becomes an obvious roof problem.
Why roof defects become disrepair claims
Water entering through a roof shows up inside as damp and mould long before anyone looks at the roof. Tenants report the mould, not the cause. If that report is handled as a ventilation issue rather than investigated, the underlying defect keeps running — and the record shows a landlord who was on notice and did not act. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 gives tenants a direct route to enforce that.
Chimney flashing failure
The most common hidden cause in period rental stock. Produces damp on a bedroom chimney breast that is routinely misdiagnosed as condensation for years.
Blocked gutters and saturated walls
Overflowing gutters soak the external wall through a whole winter. The internal damp patch appears at first-floor level and gets blamed on the tenant's drying habits.
Slipped slates on rear slopes
Nobody looks at the back of a terrace. A slipped slate over a rear bedroom can run for two winters before the ceiling shows it.
How we work with landlords and agents
- Same-day callback on tenant-reported leaks, with access arranged directly with the tenant
- Pre-authorised spend limits honoured — we quote above them rather than proceeding
- Photographic report on every visit: cause, work done, and anything still outstanding
- Itemised invoices per property, suitable for portfolio accounting
- Portfolio inspections grouped into single visit days with a prioritised schedule
- Reports written to stand up in a disrepair claim or an insurance file
- HMO and student property work scheduled around changeover where possible
What you get
- A documented response, dated, from the point you instructed us
- The actual cause identified rather than the symptom treated
- A clear split between what is urgent, what is next, and what can wait
- Written workmanship guarantee with the terms set out in the quote
Roof repairs · Guttering · Chimney repairs · Emergency repairs
Frequently asked
Can you deal with the tenant directly?
Yes, with your authority. We arrange access with the tenant, keep you informed, and send the report and invoice to you rather than to them. For agents we work to whatever instruction and authorisation limit you set.
How quickly can you attend a reported leak?
Same-day callback, and same-day attendance in central Exeter for anything actively coming in. Speed matters here for a reason beyond the building — being seen to respond promptly is a large part of defending a disrepair claim.
Do you provide reports suitable for a disrepair claim?
Yes. Photographic condition reports setting out what was found, the cause, what was done and what remains outstanding. Written so a surveyor or a court can follow them without needing us to explain.
Do you work to a pre-authorised spend limit?
Yes. Most agents set a figure — commonly £250 or £500 — below which we proceed and invoice, and above which we quote and wait. We work to whatever you set and we do not exceed it without written authority.
Can you inspect a portfolio rather than one property at a time?
Yes. Grouping inspections across several properties into one visit day is cheaper than attending individually, and produces a prioritised schedule of what needs doing now, this year, and within five years.
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