Get help
Get help with a rented home in England
Pick the problem. Each page gives the short answer, the steps in order, a free check where there is one, and where to get help from a person.
For tenants
- Problems with your landlordWrite to your landlord first and keep a copy, with dates and photos. If that does not work, the council can inspect the home and order serious problems fixed, and Shelter and Citizens Advice give housing advice. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord in England needs a legal ground and a court order to end your tenancy.Read the steps
- My landlord won't fix repairsReport the repair to your landlord in writing, with photos and dates, and keep paying the rent. If nothing happens in a reasonable time, contact your council's housing or environmental health team: they can inspect the home and must act on serious hazards.Read the steps
For landlords
- Problems with a tenantKeep everything in writing and keep a record of every message, payment and visit. Arrears, damage and access each have their own steps, and ending a tenancy needs a ground, the right notice on Form 3A and a court order. Never change the locks or cut off services: that is illegal eviction, a crime.Read the steps
- Letting your home from abroadThe law of England applies wherever you live, and the duties stay with you as the landlord, even with an agent. You need someone near the home for keys, viewings and emergencies, an address in England or Wales for notices, and HMRC's Non-Resident Landlord Scheme for the tax on the rent.Read the steps
- Find a letting agent or property managerSearch by postcode for letting agents, property managers and Property PAs approved on this site, or hire help for one job only. Before you sign, check the agent belongs to a redress scheme and, if they hold your money, a client money protection scheme, and get every fee, with VAT, in writing.Read the steps
Looking for one answer?
Every question our guides answer is on one page, by topic, with the sources.
All questions answeredEngland only. General guidance, not legal advice. Checked 10 November 2026.