Withholding rent for repairs
You should not stop paying your rent if your landlord does not do repairs.
You can be evicted for not paying rent.
It's unfair but your landlord could take steps to evict you even if:
your boiler or toilet are broken
repairs are taking too long or causing disruption
you cannot live in your home or use all your rooms
your health is at risk because of conditions in your home
If you decide not to pay rent, put the money aside and do not spend it. Pay the rent as soon as the problem is fixed.
Find out more about eviction for rent arrears if you are a:
Video: Should you withhold rent for repairs?
Video transcript
It's unfair when things in your home are broken and you still have to pay rent.
But you should not withhold rent if your landlord will not make repairs.
Your landlord can evict you if you do not pay even if the conditions in your home are making your life difficult.
So what can you do instead?
You could ask your landlord to reduce your rent until things in your home are put right.
Your landlord does not have to agree to a rent reduction but it could be worth trying to negotiate.
This could be reasonable if you've experienced a lot of disruption.
For example:
if you've had to take lots of time off work
you cannot use parts of your home
your belongings have been damaged or your health is being affected
You can use our letter template for help with what to say.
Our adviser explains why you should not withhold rent and what to do if repairs are not done.
Other ways to get your landlord to do repairs
Check which repairs your landlord is responsible for.
Your council's environmental health team could inspect your home if you rent from a private landlord. The council could tell your landlord to deal with repairs or poor conditions.
You can complain to the Housing Ombudsman if you rent from a council or housing association.
Ask for a rent reduction
You could ask to pay less rent if bad conditions, delays or repair work are disrupting your life.
Most repair work involves some disruption. But it could be reasonable to ask to pay less rent if, for example:
there has been a lot of noise
you have no heating or hot water
you've had to take lots of time off work
you're unable to use part of your home
your health is being affected by conditions in your home
workers in your home have used lots of gas or electricity
Private tenants might worry about asking for a rent reduction.
From 1 May 2026, your private landlord cannot give you a section 21 notice. They need a reason to evict you.
This gives you much stronger protection from revenge eviction.
You could still be evicted if you got a section 21 notice before 1 May 2026.
Use our letter template
Email or write to your landlord. Tell them:
why you think the rent should be reduced
what sort of reduction is reasonable
Copy our sample text into an email:
[Use the subject: Rent reduction request due to repairs]
I’m writing to ask for a temporary rent reduction at [your address] due to the conditions in the property. [Describe the problems you're having with repairs.]
I first told you about these problems on [date].
My life has been affected by the repair problems. [Give details. For example, if you cannot use a room in your home or your health is affected.]
I would like to pay £xxx until these problems are fixed. I think this is reasonable.
I would be happy to go back to paying the full rent when the repairs are done.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
You can also send the letter as an email attachment or through the post:
Word template: Rent reduction request due to repairs (docx 16kb)
OpenDocument template: Rent reduction request due to repairs (odt 8kb)
Keep any emails or messages. Get any agreement in writing.
Records can help if you decide to make a complaint or claim compensation at a later date.
Get support from a renters union
Renters unions can sometimes help tenants to:
get repairs done
negotiate a lower rent
There are local groups in many areas and other members can offer tips and support.
More on how renters unions can help.
Ask for compensation
You could ask for compensation even if your landlord does not agree to a rent reduction.
You could get compensation through:
negotiating
legal action in court
a complaint to an ombudsman or redress scheme
You have 6 years from when your landlord should have started the work to take court action.
You can do this after your tenancy ends as long as you reported the problems to your landlord when they needed fixing. Some tenants wait until after they have moved out to take court action.
Find out more about compensation for repairs and poor conditions.
Council tenants could also use the right to repair scheme.
Paying for repairs yourself
It is risky to arrange and pay for repairs yourself. Especially if you do not have your landlord's permission.
You might not get the money for repairs back from your landlord.
If your landlord is not happy with the repairs, they might:
charge you to fix problems or damage caused by the work
try to evict you if the work causes damage or if they think you broke conditions of your tenancy agreement
If you paid a deposit, your landlord might take money from it to cover damage caused by repair work you arranged without their permission.
Last updated: 1 May 2026
