The landlord wants to do works and you live there

A message warning that next week they are coming to replace the windows. It is neither an unlimited imposition nor something you can simply refuse.

Works you have to allow

Those necessary to keep the property habitable. If the boiler has to be replaced or there is structural damp, you cannot refuse to have them done, however disruptive.

What you can require in return

• Prior written notice, with the start date, estimated duration and the scope of what will be touched.
• A **rent reduction** proportionate to the part of the property you are deprived of and to how long it lasts.
• Compensation for costs the works force you to incur, if any.

If the works last more than twenty days and leave you unable to use part of the home, the rent reduction is not a favour: it is provided for precisely that. Put it in writing with figures, not as a complaint.

And if the works are unbearable

When what is planned makes the home uninhabitable for a long period, you can withdraw from the contract without penalty. It is an exceptional way out, not a reaction to two days of noise.

Improvement works that are not necessary

These are a different category: the ones the landlord carries out to add value, not to preserve. Here your position is stronger, because you are not obliged to put up at any moment with a refurbishment that was not needed.

In every case the practical rule is the same: **everything in writing**. An agreement on dates and a reduction settled by message avoids 90% of the disputes that arrive later.