High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Defective Premises Act 1972 (c. 35) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that covers landlords` and builders` liability for poorly constructed and poorly maintained buildings, along with any injuries that may result. During the 19th century, the common law principle that a landlord could not be liable for letting a poorly maintained house was established, while a long-running principle was that, in practice, builders could not be sued for constructing defective buildings. The courts began to turn against the first principle during the 20th century, imposing several restrictions on the landlord`s immunity, but the landlord was still largely free from being sued.