Repairs and alterations

Repairing covenants

The scope of a repairing obligation in a lease can vary widely according to the specific wording of the particular clause and the circumstances of the letting. The tenant's repairing covenant interacts with other provisions in the lease (including those dealing with insurance, rent review and service charge), and any deficiencies within it can have a significant impact on the parties' liabilities and/or remedies in the event of a dispute.

A covenant to 'keep in repair' includes an obligation to put the property into the appropriate standard of repair, even if it is in disrepair at the date of grant.

The meaning of 'repair' is found in case law. Key principles include that:

•
repair is not improvement - liability ‘to repair’ cannot arise in the absence of disrepair
•
repair is distinct from renewal or replacement - replacement will only be justifiable in place of continuing repair if it is reasonable in the circumstances. The costs of repair and replacement will feature heavily in any decision.
•
liability for inherent or latent defects depends on the express terms of the lease and the particular circumstances

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