Repairs in your council or housing association home
How to ask for repairs
Tell your landlord about things that need fixing as soon as you can.
You can usually report repairs to your landlord online.
You can also phone, email or write to them.
A letter or email helps prove you told your landlord about the problem.
Copy our template into an email to the repairs team.
[Use the subject: Request for repairs work]
I am a tenant at [your address]. I’m writing to ask for repairs at the property.
The problems are [give details].
I am worried the problems will cause more damage to the property if they are not fixed immediately. I am also worried that my belongings are at risk.
The problems are affecting my health [and my family’s health]. [Add details].
Please contact me as soon as possible to arrange for the repairs to be done.
[Add this if you are a council tenant] Please let me know if the repairs are covered by the right to repair scheme.
You can also send the letter as an email attachment or by post:
Word template: Request for repairs (docx 16kb)
Reporting emergency or urgent repairs
Some repairs are so urgent that your landlord must investigate and make your home safe within 24 hours. These are called emergency hazards.
Examples include:
gas leaks
burst water pipes
no hot water or heating in winter
electric shocks and dangerous wiring
serious damp or mould that causes breathing problems
If you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide poisoning:
go outside your home immediately
call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 once you are outside
Serious damp and mould
Serious damp and mould might not be an emergency hazard.
But it could still cause serious harm to the health of someone who lives in your home.
Your council or housing association must fix the problem quickly. They have:
5 working days to make your home safe after they investigate
Your landlord must offer free temporary housing if they cannot make your home safe in time.
Ask how long other repairs will take
If a repair problem does not put your health at risk, it must still be done in a 'reasonable time'.
Reasonable time limits for other repairs might be:
7 days for something like a leaking roof
28 days for something like a broken internal door
Check the repairs policy on your landlord's website or in your tenant handbook.
Council tenants could get compensation for repairs not done in time under the right to repair scheme.
Give access to your home for repairs
You need to give your landlord and their contractors access to your home.
Agree times and dates with your landlord. They should tell you how long the work is likely to take.
Let your landlord know if you need to change the agreed time.
Your landlord may need access quickly for urgent or emergency repairs.
Keep records and evidence from the start
Keep a good record of everything that happens with your repair problems.
Make sure you:
keep copies of letters, messages and emails to and from your landlord
write down dates, times and details of phone calls between you and your landlord
take pictures and videos of problems as soon as you see them
write down the dates your landlord or their contractor visited your home
keep details of any missed appointments
Last updated: 27 October 2025
