Repairs if you rent from the council or housing association

How to report repairs

You’re responsible for reporting repair issues as soon as you notice them.

Your tenant handbook will tell you how to report repairs and what to do if there’s an emergency outside of office hours.

You can call, email or write. Your council or housing association might have an app or an online reporting system.

If you report a repair by phone, report it in writing too so there's a record of it.

What to say when you report repairs

Tell the council or housing association about:

the repair problem
any damage it's caused
how it's affecting you

Ask them to confirm:

who will do the repair work
when the work will be done

Use our letter template to report repairs. Copy and paste the sample text and personalise it with your details. Delete any parts that do not apply to you.

Letter template: report repairs to your landlord

Subject: Repairs needed at <your address>

To <your landlord’s name>

I'm writing to let you know that repairs are needed at <your address>.

<Describe the repair problems in your home>

I'm concerned because <example: it's causing damage to my home / affecting my or my family’s health / making my home unsafe>.

I think it would be reasonable for these repairs to be done within <number of days>.

Please contact me to confirm how long you expect repairs to take and who will do the repair work.

Thank you,

You can also send the letter as an email attachment or through the post:

Word template: report repairs to your landlord (docx, 15 kb)
OpenDocument template: report repairs to your landlord (odt, 8 kb)

Keep evidence of repair problems

Take photos or videos of the repair when you report it, so you can check if it's getting worse.

Keep receipts for anything you have to replace.

Get a note from the doctor if the repair is affecting your health.

If you cause damage in your home

You must report repairs if you caused the damage.

The council or housing association is not required to fix this, but they could arrange the repairs and then charge you the cost.

After you report a repair

The council or housing association will say if there’s a deadline to do repairs. This is called the Right to Repair scheme.

Use our repair checker to see if it’s covered by Right to Repair

If it’s not covered by the Right to Repair scheme, tell them how long you think repairs should take. Ask them to agree to it. Explain how the problem is affecting you.

To decide how long you think the repair should take, ask yourself:

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

Contact the council or housing association if you have any other questions about your repair. Your tenant handbook should explain their repair processes.

Allowing access for repairs

The council or housing association will arrange any workpeople. This should be at a reasonable time that suits you.

You must give them access to your home so they can carry out the repair. You should get at least 24 hours' notice in writing before anyone comes over.

Getting a rent reduction because of repairs

If repair problems cause serious disruption, you could get a rent reduction. For example, if you cannot use all the rooms in your home. This is called a rent abatement.

The reduction you can ask for depends on how much of your home you can use. If half your home cannot be used, you could get a 50 percent rent reduction.

Use our letter template to ask for a rent reduction. Get any agreement in writing so there are no misunderstandings.

If they refuse a rent reduction, you can make a complaint. Follow our guidance to:

Last updated: 20 July 2023