Leasehold
A letter from the managing agent disputes a leak the survey described. Has that letter changed the condition rating?
Not quite, and not at all in the way a letter might suggest. The managing agent's disagreement about a leak is a later document. It leaves the condition rating standing as the surveyor wrote it from the visit. You can pass the letter to the surveyor as new information. You cannot treat it as an edited page already inside the PDF.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Agents write letters because a stain, a drip or a comment about a flat roof feels unfair, or because a contractor has since attended. That letter can be useful. It can enclose an invoice, a photograph taken after the visit, or a denial. None of those enclosures automatically amend the report. The rating is the opinion formed on the inspection. Changing it, if the firm agrees there is something to change, takes a revised report or a written clarification from the surveyor, not a third party's headed paper.
Keep the letter with the solicitor and show the surveyor the factual bits: dates, invoices, and where the agent says the water came from. Ask whether any of that would alter the comment. If the firm stands by the original wording, the rating remains. Do not tell the lender the leak has been deleted because an agent disagrees. Disagreement is not a repair, and a promised visit next month is not a completed one.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Will you amend the leak comment only if you see the letter?
- What in the letter would actually change your opinion, if anything?
- Should the original rating stay visible even if you add a note?
What are the typical next steps?
- Send the agent's letter to the surveyor and ask for a written reply.
- Do not delete the rating in your own copy of the PDF.
- Tell the solicitor the rating stands until the firm says otherwise.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the agent has already repaired the leak, is the rating cancelled?
Not by itself. A later repair may matter to you and to the solicitor. The rating changes only if the surveyor revises it.
Can you rely on the agent instead of the surveyor?
No. The agent manages the block. The surveyor reported condition for you. They are not the same author.