Where Can I Get Help if My Landlord Won’t Carry Out Repairs?
If you have reported a serious repair repeatedly and nothing changes, it can become difficult to know who is supposed to make the landlord act.
If you have reported a serious repair repeatedly and nothing changes, it can become difficult to know who is supposed to make the landlord act.
There is no single route for every tenant.
The useful question is: do you need the landlord’s complaint process, council enforcement, an ombudsman, legal advice, or more than one of them?
Use the landlord’s formal complaint process
If ordinary repair reporting has stalled, make a formal complaint.
Set out the problem, when it was reported, what has happened since and what remains unresolved.
For a social landlord, completing the complaint process can also be important before taking the matter to the Housing Ombudsman.
Ask the council about serious hazards
For private rented homes in England, the local council’s environmental health or housing team can inspect where conditions may harm health or safety.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System assesses housing hazards. If the council identifies a serious Category 1 hazard, it has a duty to take appropriate enforcement action.
Council enforcement and a private compensation claim are different processes. One focuses on housing standards and hazards; the other considers civil legal rights and remedies.
Social tenants have additional routes
Social housing tenants can use their landlord’s complaints procedure and may be able to take unresolved complaints to the Housing Ombudsman.
Awaab’s Law also creates specific duties and timescales for hazards within its scope.
If the issue is damp and mould or an emergency hazard, check the current Awaab’s Law rules rather than treating it as an ordinary repair only.
When should I consider housing-law advice?
Legal advice becomes particularly relevant where serious conditions have remained unresolved despite notice, the landlord disputes responsibility, substantial parts of the home cannot be used, belongings or finances have been affected, or there are possible health consequences.
England has a specific Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims.
Its aims include securing necessary remedial works, resolving cases without unnecessary litigation and ensuring tenants receive compensation to which they are entitled.
What could a solicitor actually look at?
A housing-law solicitor may consider:
the tenancy and landlord’s obligations;
what defects exist and their likely cause;
when the landlord knew;
inspection and repair history;
how the home and household were affected;
financial losses;
whether medical evidence is relevant; and
what legal remedies may be available.
That assessment is different from MH360 saying that you have a claim.
A claim is not necessarily only about money
For somebody still living with a leaking roof, unsafe electrics or mould in a child’s bedroom, getting the condition resolved may be the immediate priority.
The Housing Conditions Protocol is expressly designed to promote appropriate remedial work as well as compensation.
Legal advice can therefore be about understanding both the repair problem and any potential financial remedy.
Prepare before you ask for advice
Gather your tenancy agreement, repair timeline, photographs, complaint correspondence, inspection reports and evidence of significant expenditure or damaged belongings.
If health has been affected, note relevant healthcare appointments.
A well-organised first conversation allows an adviser to spend less time reconstructing the basic history and more time identifying the legal issues.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important informationThis guide provides general information only and does not constitute legal, medical or other professional advice. Housing rights and legal remedies depend on the type of tenancy, landlord, location, the condition of the property and individual circumstances. Check current official guidance and consider advice from an appropriately qualified housing adviser, healthcare professional or legal professional where needed.