For tenants
Problems with your landlord: where to get help
In short: Write 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.
What to do, step by step
1
Put it in writing
Say what is wrong, since when, and what you are asking for. Keep a copy, with photos and dates. A record in writing helps at every later step.
2
Check your rights
The free tenant check asks about your deposit, certificates, rent and any notice you were given, and says what looks wrong and what you can do.
3
Ask the council
For repairs and hazards, the council's housing or environmental health team can inspect the home and must act on serious hazards.
4
Get advice from a person
Shelter and Citizens Advice give housing advice. For a court case or a notice you have been given, talk to a housing adviser or a solicitor.
For a court case, a notice you have been given or a dispute, talk to a housing adviser or a solicitor.
The detail, in our guides
- Repairs, damp and mould: what the landlord must fix, and how fastYour landlord must keep the structure, heating, water, gas and electrics in repair, and deal with damp, mould and other serious hazards. Awaab's Law time limits apply to social housing now and are due to reach private lets later. How to report a problem so it counts, and who to go to when nothing happens.
- Your deposit: protected within 30 days, capped at five weeks, and the 1 to 3 times ruleA private landlord in England must protect your deposit in a government scheme within 30 days and tell you where it is. If they did not, you can claim up to three times the deposit, and some possession grounds are blocked. How to check for free.
- Rent increases: once a year, two months' notice, and how to challenge oneIn England since 1 May 2026 a private landlord can only raise the rent by a section 13 notice on the prescribed form, once a year, with at least two months' notice. Anything else is not valid. You can ask the tribunal to set a market rent, free.
- Notices, eviction and your rights since section 21 endedSince 1 May 2026 there is no "no-fault" section 21 eviction in England. Your tenancy is periodic, you give two months' notice, and the landlord needs a legal ground, a proper notice and a court order. What a section 8 notice means, the notice periods, and what to do.
- Harassment and illegal eviction: the rules, the fines and compensationOnly a court can end a tenancy against the tenant's wishes. Changing the locks, cutting off the power or pressuring a tenant to leave is a crime. What counts, the penalties, and the compensation a tenant can claim.
- Fees a landlord or agent cannot charge you, and rent in advanceThe Tenant Fees Act bans most charges to tenants: no admin, referencing, inventory or check-out fees, no rent before you sign and no more than one month's rent (28 days' if weekly) in advance, and no bidding above the advertised rent. What is allowed, what is not, and how to get a banned fee back.
- Rent repayment orders: what landlords in England need to knowA tribunal can order a landlord to pay back up to two years' rent for some offences, such as an unlicensed HMO or an illegal eviction. Who can apply, the offences, and how to stay clear.
Questions people ask
Can my landlord evict me for complaining?
Since 1 May 2026 there is no section 21 "no fault" eviction in England. A landlord needs one of the grounds in law, the right notice on Form 3A and a court order. Only court bailiffs can remove you.
Can I stop paying rent until my landlord fixes things?
GOV.UK says to carry on paying rent while you wait for repairs. Rent you hold back counts as arrears, and arrears can be a ground for possession.
Who can help me for free?
The council's housing team for repairs and hazards, Shelter and Citizens Advice for advice, and your deposit scheme's free dispute service at the end of a tenancy.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Private renting, repairs
- GOV.UK: Harassment and illegal evictions
- GOV.UK: Find your local council
- Shelter England: housing advice
- Citizens Advice: housing
- GOV.UK: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act
England only. General guidance, not legal advice. Checked 10 November 2026.