Does a landlord have to provide a 24-hour number?

It is not a specific legal requirement, but there must be a way to deal with genuine emergencies promptly, and a 24-hour route is the practical answer.

What should a tenant do first in a leak?

Turn off the stopcock and, where relevant, the electricity to affected circuits, then call the emergency number.

Landlord property care

Out-of-hours emergency repairs

Cover, contacts and containing the damage

The short answer

Emergency cover means a tenant can reach someone at any hour for a leak, heating failure in cold weather, electrical danger or loss of security. Landlords either use a managing agent's line, a contractor with an out-of-hours number, or an insurance-backed emergency service. Tenants also need to know where the stopcock and consumer unit are.

What the work involves

Naming the out-of-hours contact in the tenancy paperwork, agreeing an authorisation limit with the contractor, and briefing the tenant on isolation points.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

There is no statutory out-of-hours scheme, but the duty to keep the property in repair does not pause overnight, and unreasonable delay is what tribunals examine.

What commonly goes wrong

A single mobile number that goes to voicemail at weekends, and no agreed spend limit so the contractor waits for authorisation while water runs.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

Out-of-hours call-outs carry a premium rate, typically well above a daytime visit.
An agreed authorisation limit avoids delay and usually reduces total cost.
Landlord emergency insurance can be cheaper than ad hoc call-outs across a portfolio.

What to do, in order

1Choose the cover route: agent, contractor or insurance-backed service.
2Put the number in the tenancy pack and on a card at the property.
3Show the tenant the stopcock, consumer unit and gas isolation valve at check-in.
4Agree an authorisation limit in advance with the contractor.
5Review after each incident and record what was spent.

Local detail for the Lothians

A leak in an upper tenement flat affects the flats below quickly, so containment matters more in Edinburgh's stock than in detached property.
Cold snaps in the Lothians produce clusters of frozen condensate and burst pipe calls in the same week.
City centre access at night can be constrained by controlled parking and pedestrian zones.

When you need a professional

Use insured, registered trades for out-of-hours work — Gas Safe for gas, a registered electrician for electrical faults.

Common questions

Does a landlord have to provide a 24-hour number?: It is not a specific legal requirement, but there must be a way to deal with genuine emergencies promptly, and a 24-hour route is the practical answer.
What should a tenant do first in a leak?: Turn off the stopcock and, where relevant, the electricity to affected circuits, then call the emergency number.

Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.

Handling tenant repair reports
A repair reporting process that keeps tenancies calm and evidences the landlord's response.
Water, drainage and leaks
Stopcocks, frozen pipes, blocked drains and who is responsible for what in a rented property.
Meeting the Repairing Standard
The legal condition test every private let in Scotland has to meet, and how landlords evidence it.

Last reviewed 4 September 2026.