You have stronger rights than most landlords pretend. We identify which category your repair falls into, what the statutory deadline actually is, and draft the disrepair letter that triggers it. Free. No login. Nothing leaves your device.
The honest read
Your landlord has a statutory duty — not a discretion — to fix this.
Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, your social or private landlord must keep the structure, exterior and installations (water, gas, electricity, heating, sanitation) in repair. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, the property must be fit to live in throughout the tenancy. Under Awaab’s Law, from October 2025 social landlords face statutory timescales for damp and mould (and from 2026/27 for wider hazards). Read those last two sentences again. None of this is optional for them. If they tell you otherwise they are wrong.
What kind of repair is it?
The legal deadline depends on the category. Pick one.
Emergency — the 24-hour rule
Emergency repairs must be made safe within 24 hours under most social landlord standards (and reasonable in private tenancies). Examples: complete heating loss in winter, complete water loss, gas leak (call 0800 111 999 immediately), exposed live wiring, flooding, structural collapse risk.
Awaab’s Law (England, social tenants): from October 2025, social landlords must investigate damp and mould hazards within 14 days of report and begin remedial action within a further 7 days of finding a hazard. From 2026/27 this extends to other Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards.
Do this now: phone the repairs line, get a reference number, follow up in writing the same day (email or the letter below). Photograph everything. If a child or anyone vulnerable lives in the property, say so in writing — it raises the priority legally.
Urgent — the 7-day rule
Urgent repairs — significant disrepair that affects day-to-day living but isn’t an immediate danger — should be completed within 3 to 7 working days under most social landlord repair standards.
If they miss the deadline: escalate immediately under their formal complaints procedure (stage 1). Don’t accept verbal promises. Email everything. From the moment you make a formal written complaint, they are on the clock for the Housing Ombudsman.
Routine — the 28-day rule
Routine, non-urgent repairs should generally be completed within 28 days. This is the social landlord standard for most councils and HAs. There is no specific statutory deadline for “routine” in private tenancies but courts apply a “reasonable time” standard.
Honest expectation: routine repairs are where landlords drag their feet most. The disrepair letter below cites s.11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 explicitly — this signals you understand the law and significantly speeds up most cases.
Build your evidence pack
Tick each as you collect it. A weak evidence pack is the single biggest reason landlords stall — and the single biggest reason compensation claims fail later. This is the work that makes the letter land.
Before you send the letter
Draft your repair-and-disrepair letter
Sorted will draft it.
A calm, factual letter that triggers your landlord’s statutory duty under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Email it to your landlord and keep a copy.
If they still don’t act
This is the route that works. Do not skip stages — the Housing Ombudsman won’t accept a case unless you’ve completed the landlord’s own complaints process first.
1
Stage 1 complaint (formal)
If the repair isn’t done within the deadline above, file a formal Stage 1 complaint using the landlord’s own complaints procedure. Most councils and HAs must respond within 10 working days under the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.
2
Stage 2 complaint (final review)
If the Stage 1 response is inadequate, request a Stage 2 review. The landlord must respond within 20 working days. You can’t go to the Ombudsman until you have either the Stage 2 response or a clear refusal/delay.
3
Housing Ombudsman (free, binding)
If the complaint is still unresolved, contact the Housing Ombudsman Service. It is free, statutory, and its determinations are binding on social landlords. Phone 0300 111 3000. Can order repairs, apologies, and compensation.
4
Environmental Health (council tenants — nuclear option)
For damp, mould, infestation or any serious health hazard: contact your council’s Environmental Health team (not the housing team). They can serve a HHSRS improvement notice on the landlord with statutory force. This sometimes feels awkward when the landlord is the council, but the Environmental Health team is structurally separate and they take Awaab’s Law seriously.
5
Disrepair Protocol — legal action
If all the above fails, the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims allows you to threaten and bring a county court claim for repairs and compensation. Legal aid is available for serious cases. Speak to Shelter (0808 800 4444, free) or a local Law Centre.
Sources: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s.11; Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018; Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (“Awaab’s Law” provisions); Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code; HHSRS guidance. Not legal advice. For complex cases speak to Shelter, a Law Centre or a regulated housing solicitor.