What I Do When a Contractor Damages My Property and Still Demands Payment

I remember the exact moment. It was a Tuesday in 2019, and my tenant called to say the kitchen ceiling looked wet. A week earlier, a tiler I'd used on three other jobs had replaced the bathroom splashback and, while removing the old tiles, cracked the cast-iron bath panel. He finished the work, sent his final invoice for £950, and never said a word about the damage. I'd already paid him a £300 deposit.

That tiler was an independent contractor—someone I'd hired for that specific job, not an employee. The crack wasn't just cosmetic. It let water seep through to the ceiling below. And he still wanted his money in full. If you're a new landlord, this will happen to you eventually. Here's the order I followed, and I'd do the same again.

Stop the money

My first move was simple: I refused to pay the remaining £650 until we sorted out the damage. I emailed him the same day, explaining that I'd hold back final payment while I assessed the issue. I didn't ask his permission. I just told him. If you've already paid in full, you lose most of your leverage. I normally hold a retention—a percentage of the total price kept back until the work is checked—but I'd skipped it because I'd used him before. That was a mistake. Never skip the retention, no matter how well you know someone.

Ask for their insurance details

The second thing I did was ask for his public liability insurance details. That's the insurance that covers damage a contractor causes to your property while working. Most tradespeople in the UK are expected to carry it, though not all do. I asked for the certificate and the policy number. I told him I wouldn't release another penny until I had them. He stalled for two days, then sent over a PDF. That told me he knew the damage was his.

If a contractor refuses to provide insurance details, treat that as a serious warning. You still have options—you can pursue them through the small claims track if needed—but it's much harder to recover money without an insurer involved.

Get an independent assessment in writing

While I waited, I called another tiler I trusted. I paid him £50 to come out the next morning and write a short report. I wanted a second pair of eyes on the crack. The report said the panel had been struck with a chisel, likely during tile removal, and that the only safe fix was to replace the whole panel. It also estimated the repair cost at about £430, not including the ceiling. That written assessment mattered. My word against his would have been a stalemate. A professional opinion from someone with no stake in the job shifted the balance. If the dispute went to court, I had something to show a judge. I'm not a lawyer, but I've learned that written evidence wins arguments.

Consider a fair settlement

Once I had the report, I did the maths. The repair bill plus the ceiling patching came to around £600. I deducted that from the £650 I still owed and offered to pay the remaining £50 as full and final settlement. He refused, called me unreasonable, and threatened to take me to court. I said fine. The small claims track in the county court exists for exactly this kind of dispute—lower-value money arguments that don't need a solicitor. I told him I'd rather let a judge look at the evidence than pay for damage I didn't cause. That was the last I heard from him for three weeks. Then his insurer called to settle. They paid the repair costs, and I released the £50.

I got lucky. The evidence was clear, and his insurer didn't want the hassle. But the process works even without insurance: hold the money, get the independent report, offer a fair deduction, and let the court sort it out if they won't agree. Just check your local rules if it gets that far—court procedures vary across the UK, and I'm not giving legal advice here.

That experience changed how I hire contractors. Now I always hold a 5% retention on any job over £500, and I take photos before the work starts. I never pay a final invoice until I've walked the room myself. The £50 I spent on that independent report bought me more than £600 in repairs. It bought me the ability to say no without flinching.