Paying rent to a landlord who is willfully neglecting to carry out repairs isn’t an enviable position to be in. Tenants have rights that enable them to live in a property that’s habitable; however, not all landlords pay attention to this and carry out repairs and maintenance when they need to or when they’re requested.
But what can you do if your landlord isn’t helping you out with repairs? Do you have legal rights? The answer is yes, and if you aren’t getting any satisfaction from your landlord, here are some steps you can take to find the right resolution.
Report the Issue in Writing
Always report any repair issues in writing, even if you’ve already mentioned it in person or over the phone. This is due to a written record being far harder for a landlord to dispute later. An email or text works, and it’s worth including the date the issue started, how it’s affecting you and a request for a timeframe for repairs to be carried out.
Keep copies of everything you send and receive, along with photos or videos of the problem itself, if applicable, as this can become essential evidence if the issue escalates further. Follow up in writing again if you don’t hear back within a week or two, as this can strengthen your case as it shows a clear pattern of the landlord being notified and failing to respond.
Learn Your Legal Repair Timescales
Landlords are legally required to carry out certain repairs within a reasonable timeframe, and what counts as reasonable depends heavily on how serious the problem is. Emergency issues like no heating in winter or a serious leak should be addressed within 24 hours. Less urgent repairs are typically expected within a matter of weeks rather than months. Knowing these expectations gives you a clear benchmark to point to when a landlord claims they’re “getting around to it” without actually doing so.
Make a Housing Disrepair Claim
If your landlord continues to ignore repairs despite being notified in writing and given a reasonable amount of time, housing disrepair claims may be the next step. This can result in the landlord being legally required to carry out the repairs as well as compensation for the impact the disrepair has had on your health, belongings, or daily life.
Solicitors handling these claims can also advise on whether the delay itself breaches your tenancy agreement or wider housing regulations and whether you’re entitled to compensation backdated to when the problem first started.
Contact Your Local Council’s Environmental Health Team
If a repair issue affects your health or safety, your local council’s environmental health team can inspect the property and issue a formal notice requiring the landlord to act. This route works well alongside a written complaint since council involvement adds an independent official record of the problem that a landlord can’t easily dismiss.
In serious cases, councils have the power to carry out repairs themselves and recover the cost directly from the landlord, which can be a useful option when a landlord has been unresponsive for an extended period despite repeated contact.
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