Landlord refusing to do repairs
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
A landlord refusing to do repairs, taking too long, or even doing repairs badly, can cause serious issues. But there are things you can do.
Consider the risk of eviction
Unfortunately, some landlords will prefer to evict a tenant rather than do the repairs they’re responsible for. So before you take any further action, you need to check how easily your landlord would be able to evict you. Our tenancy checker can help you to work this out, or you can use our directory to find an adviser in your local area.
If you have very little protection from eviction, you may want to seriously consider whether it is better to put up with the problem, at least until you can find somewhere else. If you do this, you may still be able to claim compensation by taking your landlord to court after you've left.
Getting evidence
Collect all the evidence you can of the repairs that are needed and what you have done to get your landlord to carry them out. For example, you could:
- take photographs showing where the repairs need to be done
- keep damaged belongings (eg clothes damaged by dampness)
- date and keep copies of any letters you send to your landlord reporting the problem
- keep copies of any doctor's notes or hospital reports that show that your health has been affected by the problem
- keep receipts for any money you need to spend because of the repair problem (eg if to replace belongings damaged by mould).
It may also be helpful to get an expert to do an inspection. You can ask your council's environmental health department to do this or pay for an independent surveyor. Find details of surveyors in your area on the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors website.
Doing the repairs yourself and withholding rent
You do not have the right to withhold the rent, regardless of whether the landlord carries out repairs or not. If you do so, the landlord might try to evict you.
However, if you have strong tenancy rights (for example if you are an assured or regulated tenant) it may be possible for you to arrange for the repairs to be done yourself and deduct the cost from your rent - but this is not recommended.
If you want to take this course of action, it is absolutely essential that you follow the correct procedure; otherwise you could put yourself at serious risk eviction and you will still be liable for the rent - you will also be responsible for putting right any repairs that are badly carried out.
Always talk to an adviser before taking any action - use our directory to find one. Whatever you do, don't just stop paying the rent!
Getting help from environmental health
This may be an option if conditions in your home are harmful to your household's health or cause a 'statutory nuisance' to your neighbours or the public. The environmental health department can inspect your home and if they decide that there is a serious hazard they may be able to take action against your landlord.
Taking legal action
It may be possible to take your landlord to court. The court may be able to order your landlord to:
- carry out the necessary repair work
- pay you compensation (this could be for the inconvenience and any damage to your personal property or your health that is a direct result of your landlord not carrying out the repairs).
However, taking your landlord to court over disrepair issues can be complicated, slow and expensive. It should be a last resort, and you should only consider it if you have already tried all the other options, and you can afford it.
Speak to an adviser at Citizens Advice or a solicitor at a law centre or independent firm before making any decisions. You can also get free initial legal advice by calling the Community Legal Advice helpline on 0845 345 4 345. If you're eligible for legal aid, they may be able to find you a solicitor who can take on your case.
