Landlords carrying out repairs in the second half of 2026 should prioritise diagnosis, damp prevention, weather damage, contractor selection and record-keeping, as tougher property standards place greater pressure on rented homes.
George Edwards, Managing Director of property care specialist Timberwise, warned landlords who want to avoid repeat defects, tenant disruption and avoidable repair costs should treat the second half of the year as a maintenance checkpoint rather than a quiet period.
It follows recent reports that landlords in England face civil penalties of up to £7,000 where serious hazards go unaddressed, with damp, mould and unsafe electrics firmly in the spotlight.
Mr Edwards, Managing Director of Timberwise, sets out five priorities for landlords carrying out repairs over the coming months.
“Stop treating visible damp or mould as the whole problem,” said Edwards. “A stain on a wall or a musty smell is usually a symptom. The real issue may be a concealed leak, poor ventilation, failed pointing or decay within the building fabric. Clean it or paint over it without understanding the cause, and there’s every chance it comes back within months.”
“Landlords should be checking roofs, gutters, walls, window frames, sub-floor areas and internal finishes on a regular schedule, not waiting for a tenant to raise a complaint,” Edwards said. “A defect caught early is usually straightforward. Leave it six months and it can affect timber, plaster, masonry and indoor air quality, and the job gets a lot bigger.”
“The most expensive part of a job often isn’t the original defect, it’s undoing work that shouldn’t have gone ahead,” Edwards said. A Victorian terrace, a modern cavity wall home and a listed building don’t behave the same way, so diagnosis has to account for that. He advises landlords to choose contractors with recognised technical competence and a clear link between survey, recommendation and remedial work, which reduces misunderstandings and cuts delays for tenants.
“Landlords often think about damp in winter, but summer matters just as much,” Edwards said. Prolonged dry weather affects clay-rich ground and can contribute to movement around foundations, while heat dries out sealants, stresses roofs and opens up cracks. He advises landlords to look for cracks around doors and windows, sticking frames, failed sealants, damaged render, blocked ventilation and moisture gathering around sills or external walls. “A blocked gutter looks minor on its own, but it’s often exactly where a bigger internal problem starts.”
With enforcement tightening, Edwards says the record of what’s been checked and repaired is becoming as important as the maintenance itself. “It’s not just about doing the work, it’s being able to show what was checked, what was found and why a particular repair was chosen. If a local authority asks what steps you’ve taken, that record shows the property’s been managed properly rather than ignored.”
