For tenants
My landlord won't fix repairs: what to do
In short: Report 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.
What to do, step by step
1
Report it in writing
What is wrong, where, since when, with photos. Report anything that could harm health, such as a gas smell, faulty wiring or no heating, straight away.
2
Keep paying the rent
GOV.UK says to carry on paying rent while you wait. Rent held back counts as arrears, which can be a ground for possession.
3
Ask the council to inspect
The council's housing team assesses hazards with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and must act if it finds serious ones. It is free.
4
Get advice on the next step
Shelter, Citizens Advice or a housing solicitor can tell you whether a claim for disrepair or compensation makes sense for you.
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.
- The safety certificates your landlord must give youGas safety record every year, an electrical report every five years, an EPC rated E or better, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. What you should have been given, when, and what to do if you were not.
- The Decent Homes Standard for private landlords (from 2035)The Renters' Rights Act brings the Decent Homes Standard to private lets. The government has set 2035 as the date it applies. What it asks, and what applies today.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions people ask
What repairs is my landlord responsible for?
Always: the structure and outside of the home, heating and hot water, gas appliances, electrical wiring, sinks, baths and toilets with their pipes and drains, and fire safety. Common areas in a block are usually the landlord's too.
How long does a landlord have to do repairs?
For a private let the law gives no fixed number of days: the repair must be done in a reasonable time, which is much shorter for a danger such as a gas leak or no heating in winter.
Can I do the repair myself and take it off the rent?
Not without your landlord's agreement in writing. Money taken off the rent can count as arrears. Get advice first.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Private renting, repairs
- GOV.UK: Find your local council
- Shelter England: housing advice
- Citizens Advice: housing
England only. General guidance, not legal advice. Checked 10 November 2026.