In short: A tripped RCD/fuse (usually mistaken for “the electrics are broken”) and heating/thermostat confusion are the two most common low-stakes call-outs landlords report, closely followed by not knowing how an appliance works. A clear welcome pack with simple troubleshooting steps prevents most of these before they become a phone call. The flip side matters just as much: total loss of heating or hot water, any smell of gas, and a smoke or CO alarm not working are never time-wasting and must always be actioned immediately, whatever else is going on.
The usual suspects
Ask landlords what eats their evenings and weekends, and the same handful of issues come up again and again:
- A tripped RCD (residual current device) or blown fuse. A tenant plugs in a hairdryer or overloads an extension lead, the power goes off in part of the flat, and it’s reported as “the electrics have completely broken.” In the large majority of cases, it’s a simple flip of a switch at the consumer unit, no electrician, no cost, no real emergency.
- Heating and thermostat confusion. Especially with combi boilers, smart thermostats, or unfamiliar timer programming, tenants often can’t get the heating or hot water to come on, not because anything’s broken, but because they don’t know how to operate the system. This is particularly common at the start of a tenancy or when the seasons change and heating gets used for the first time in months.
- “How do I use this?” appliance calls. Washing machines with unfamiliar cycle symbols, extractor fans, storage heaters, water softeners, or unusual boiler interfaces generate a steady stream of calls that are really about a lack of instructions, not a fault.
- Non-emergency issues reported with emergency urgency. A slow dripping tap, a slightly loose door handle, or a flickering lightbulb described as “urgent”, usually because the tenant isn’t sure what counts as urgent and would rather over-report than under-report.
- Mistaking normal building noises or behaviour for faults, pipes ticking as they heat up, a boiler’s normal ignition sound, condensation on a cold morning being mistaken for a leak.
None of these are the tenant being unreasonable, most people simply haven’t been told how their specific heating system, fuse board or appliances work, and a reasonable person calls the landlord rather than guessing with a boiler they don’t own.
Why a welcome pack solves most of this
A short, clear handover document, physical or digital, given at the start of the tenancy dramatically cuts down on these calls. A good one covers:
- Where the fuse box/consumer unit is, and simple step-by-step instructions for resetting a tripped RCD
- How to operate the heating system and thermostat, including any programmer or smart control, with a photo or diagram if it’s non-obvious
- Basic instructions for each major appliance (boiler, washing machine, extractor fans, any storage heaters)
- Where the stopcock is, in case of a leak
- A simple list: “call us immediately for X, Y, Z, for everything else, try this first, then contact us if it’s still not working”
- Emergency contact details and, separately, out-of-hours arrangements if you have them
Setting this expectation upfront, including a shortlist of “check this yourself first” steps for the most common issues, reduces both the volume of calls and the tenant’s frustration at not being able to reach you instantly for something that turns out to be a light switch.
What must always be treated as genuinely urgent
However much a welcome pack reduces noise, a small set of issues should always get an immediate response, no exceptions, regardless of time of day or how many false alarms you’ve had before:
- Total loss of heating or hot water, especially in winter or where there are vulnerable occupants (young children, elderly tenants, anyone with health conditions), this can constitute an emergency repair obligation under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and is exactly the kind of hazard the Awaab’s Law framework (already in force for social housing, and due to extend to the private rented sector) is designed to catch
- Any smell of gas, or any suspicion of a gas leak, the tenant should be told to call the National Gas Emergency Service (0800 111 999) immediately and evacuate if necessary, and you should treat this as a same-day priority regardless
- A smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm not working, these are safety-critical and a legal requirement to have in working order at the start of every tenancy
- Flooding or significant water ingress
- Any structural or security issue, a door that won’t lock, a broken window, anything compromising the tenant’s safety in the property
The practical distinction
The dividing line that matters isn’t “does this annoy me”, it’s “does this affect health, safety, or the basic habitability of the home.” A tripped RCD is inconvenient for the tenant but not dangerous once reset. A boiler that’s completely dead in January is both a legal obligation and a genuine welfare issue. Training yourself (and your tenants, through a good welcome pack) to sort call-outs into these two buckets protects your time on the trivial stuff and protects you legally and reputationally on the stuff that actually matters.
Related reading
Sources
This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules referenced are accurate to the best of available information as of July 2026 for England unless stated otherwise. Always check current government guidance (gov.uk) or consult a solicitor for your specific situation.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026