What you can do if your home is unfit to live in?
You can take court action if you think your home is unfit to live in. The court could order your landlord to:
- carry out any work needed;
- pay you compensation.
If your landlord is a Registered Social Landlord, such as a Housing Association, there is a simpler, less costly, and less risky route that court action. Once you have submitted a formal complaint to your landlord, you can complain to the Housing Ombudsman if you believe that your home falls below minimum legal standards.
If you think the conditions are putting your health or safety at risk and your landlord is not a Registered Social Landlord, the council can assess whether your home is safe and take action if it is not. If you show us that the conditions present an immediate risk to your safety or your health, we will arrange to inspect your home.
Most landlords want to know as soon as something needs fixing and want to fix things as promptly. Always tell your landlord when something needs repairing.
When you ask your landlord to make repairs, you must ask in writing - even if that is an email or text - and keep a copy.
If your landlord needs to get into the property to inspect it and do repairs, they should give you at least 24-hours written notice and arrange a suitable time to visit (unless there's an emergency).
You must allow them at least 14 days to let you know what they are going to do about the problems. If they don’t respond or their response isn’t satisfactory then it’s time to contact the council using the online reporting form.
The council will assess the issues found and if they present an unreasonable risk to health and safety then the council will take action to remedy those issues. Following the process of notifying your landlord in this way before contacting the council helps prevent a revenge eviction.
Read more about responsibilities for repair.