Right to repair scheme for council tenants
There is a right to repair scheme for council tenants to get small repairs done quickly.
Repairs that cost less than £250 are covered.
The right to repair scheme can be used for:
blocked flues to fires or boilers
blocked sinks or toilets
leaking roofs, pipes, tanks or cisterns
Ask your landlord for a full list of the repairs that are covered.
Report a repair
Always report a repair to your landlord as soon as you can. Most councils have an online system for reporting repairs.
Use the GOV.UK council finder to find your council
After you report a repair, your landlord should:
say if the repair is covered by the scheme
explain your rights
let you know a time and date to let the contractor in
Tell your landlord if you will not be home when the contractor arrives. Try to agree another time.
How long repairs should take
Repairs must be done within 1, 3 or 7 working days, depending on how urgent the problem is.
Example of urgent repairs are:
no running water
a leaking water pipe
no heating or hot water in the winter
Less urgent repairs could be things like a broken extractor fan or taps.
Your landlord should say how long your repair will take to fix.
Tell your landlord if the contractor has not come by the last day of the time limit. The council should get another contractor.
A new time limit starts the first working day after you tell the council to find a replacement contractor.
Claim compensation
You can claim compensation if the next contractor does not do the repair in the new time limit.
You can get £10 compensation with another £2 a day for every extra day the repair is not fixed, up to a maximum of £50.
If you have rent arrears, your compensation money goes into paying off your arrears.
Ask your landlord how to apply for compensation. You usually have to claim in writing.
You will not get compensation if you:
do not report the repair
are out at the agreed time
do not let the contractor or the council into your home
You probably cannot claim compensation if the repair work is cancelled because of problems like extreme weather.
When you cannot use the right to repair
You cannot use the right to repair scheme if the council:
decides that fixing the problem would cost more than £250
is not responsible for the repair
rents out fewer than 100 homes
You cannot use the scheme if you do not allow the council into your home to inspect or fix the problem.
Last updated: 17 November 2024
