The Right to Repair scheme sets deadlines for some repair issues to be fixed.

Even if there is no deadline, repairs must be done in a reasonable time. What is considered reasonable depends on the circumstances.

Deadlines under the Right to Repair

Some small urgent repairs that cost less than £350 to do are covered by the Right to Repair scheme.

It sets a time limit of 1, 3 or 7 working days for the council or housing association to complete the repair, starting when they confirm they'll do it.

If the repair is not done by the deadline, you get compensation.

You get £15 if they miss the deadline, then £3 for every working day until they do the repair. The maximum compensation you can get is £100.

1 day

• no gas, water, heating or electricity

• unsafe sockets or electrical fittings

• blocked sink, bath, drain or flue

• blocks, leaks or flooding from drains, pipes, tanks or toilets

• toilet not flushing, if it's the only toilet in your home

• insecure external windows, doors or locks

• unsafe access path or step

3 days

• limited electricity or water supply

• unsafe flooring or stairs

• loose or detached banister or hand rail

7 days

• kitchen or bathroom extractor fan not working

How long other repairs should take

Even if there's no set deadline, repairs must be done in a reasonable amount of time. What counts as reasonable depends on the circumstances.

For example, it's more urgent to fix a broken radiator in the winter than in the summer.

You can tell the council or housing association what you think would be reasonable and ask them to agree to it.

To decide how long you think it should take, consider:

• whether it’s an emergency

• what effect it’s having on you and the people you live with

• how long is fair and realistic for them to fix it

Getting a rent reduction because of repairs

If repair problems will cause serious disruption, you could get a rent reduction. This is sometimes called a rent abatement. The reduction you can ask for depends on how serious the disruption is.

For example, if half of your home cannot be used due to a repair issue, you could get a 50 percent rent reduction.

You can use our letter template to ask for a rent reduction. Keep written evidence of any agreement, so there are no misunderstandings.

If the council or housing association refuse a rent reduction, you can make a complaint.