Pre-start checks for a landlord's repair contractor

A repair appointment can fail before the contractor touches a tool: the wrong flat is listed, the resident was not told when access is needed, an old hazard record is missing or the tradesperson does not have the information needed to work safely. A pre-start check should bring the property, resident, contractor and work decision into one clear handover. It should be proportionate to the risk, not a universal stack of forms.

This guide is for occupied residential rental property in England. It addresses the landlord or managing agent's preparation for repair work, not the technical method for every trade. GOV.UK's making-repairs guidance describes landlord repair responsibilities and access arrangements. The HSE's contractor guide advises matching competence enquiries and risk controls to the work. Neither source makes a generic software checklist a legal permit to start.

Confirm the actual repair and property

Identify the address, dwelling, location, reported defect and the outcome needed. Separate the resident's observation from an unconfirmed diagnosis. “Water appears under the kitchen sink when the tap runs” is a usable brief; “replace all pipework” may be premature. Record photographs, previous visits, related defects and any immediate restriction already in place. If a problem affects several dwellings or common parts, show that broader scope to the contractor.

Check whether the job changed since it was first reported. An urgent leak may now have caused electrical damage or affected a neighbour. A booked plumber may not be the right person to assess every consequential risk. Give the contractor a route to stop, report a new hazard and request an authorised scope change rather than improvising a repair beyond the agreed work.

Select a contractor for the specific task

Ask for relevant skills, experience and any registration or qualification required for the work. Check the person or firm actually attending, not only the supplier's marketing material. A gas task, electrical inspection, structural repair and general decoration do not use the same competence test. Where specialist approval is needed, verify it through the appropriate current register or regulator. Ask whether the contractor will use subcontractors and who coordinates them.

Confirm how the contractor plans to work in an occupied home. Can they explain how they will isolate services, control dust or noise, protect the resident's possessions and leave the area safe? For a small low-risk task, a concise conversation may suffice; for intrusive or high-risk work, more detailed assessment and method evidence may be needed. HSE guidance says the level of enquiry should reflect the risk and complexity.

Share property-specific hazards

Provide relevant information already held about the premises: known asbestos or suspect materials, fragile surfaces, hidden services, electrical or gas issues, access restrictions, previous failures and any resident vulnerability that changes the safe arrangement. Handle resident personal information only as needed. A contractor should not discover a significant known hazard only after opening a wall. Where intrusive work could disturb asbestos-containing material, seek competent assessment under current HSE asbestos-survey guidance before allowing the work to proceed.

Do not present an old “no asbestos” statement as covering every area or type of work. Check the survey's scope, age and limitations against the actual repair. Equally, do not assume every ordinary repair requires a new survey; the decision depends on the building, known information and planned disturbance. A competent person should resolve uncertainty that affects worker or resident safety.

Arrange resident access and communication

Tell the resident who is coming, when, why access is needed, how long the work may take and what disruption to expect. GOV.UK guidance describes the normal notice expectation and the potential for immediate access in emergencies; the exact tenancy and circumstances matter. Record agreed access, any appointment changes and a contact route for the resident to raise concerns. Avoid asking the contractor to negotiate sensitive access disputes without a clear mandate.

If the home remains occupied, plan for children, pets, mobility needs and essential services without collecting unnecessary details. Establish where tools and materials will be stored, how the work area will be separated, and what happens if the resident needs the room during work. A repair that leaves heating, water or sanitation unavailable needs a defined contingency and a communication plan.

Make the start and change decision visible

Before work begins, confirm that the contractor has the current job brief, relevant property information, access arrangement and authority to proceed. Name the landlord or agent contact who can approve a change. The contractor should know when to stop and ask for instructions: unexpected hazardous material, hidden damage, a different property condition or work requiring another specialist. Record the decision and the person who made it. A “job accepted” status is not proof that every safety question has been answered.

If the work is part of a larger construction project, consider whether CDM 2015 duties and coordination arrangements apply. Do not treat a domestic maintenance booking as exempt from all health and safety duties. Equally, avoid imposing a large-project paperwork routine on a minor repair when a proportionate risk conversation is adequate.

Worked example: a bathroom leak behind a panel

A resident reports recurring damp behind a bath panel. The agent identifies the flat and previous repair, books a competent plumber and shares the earlier photographs. Before the visit, the agent checks whether opening the panel may disturb materials for which there is limited asbestos information. The resident receives the appointment and disruption details. On site, the plumber finds damage that extends behind a different wall and pauses the intrusive work. The agent arranges competent assessment and revises the scope. The record shows the original brief, new finding, stop decision and later authorised work.

The key pre-start success is not that the first appointment solved everything. It is that the contractor had a safe route to recognise a change, protect the resident and avoid unapproved work. The later handback should identify what was repaired, what remains open and whether another visit is needed.

Complete the handback

Ask for a clear record of work done, tests or certificates where relevant, remaining defects, photographs if useful and the condition in which the home was left. Confirm that the resident knows whether services are restored and whether further access is required. A paid invoice is not a safety verification. If the repair affects another compliance record or future inspection, link them so the next worker sees the updated position.

For a product discussion, see Complys property compliance software and ask how the current product would connect a property, contractor, hazard information and human-approved handback. This guide does not claim Complys verifies trade registration, grants statutory access or certifies a repair.