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Housing disrepair claims in Birmingham
Birmingham is the UK's largest local authority by population, and its social housing stock is one of the oldest. If repairs have been promised and not delivered, the law has changed and you may have a claim.
What you need to know about repairs in Birmingham
Birmingham City Council owns and manages around 60,000 homes, the biggest council landlord in the country. The council was issued a Section 114 notice in September 2023, effectively a declaration that it could not balance its books. Repair backlogs and disrepair complaints have grown in the period since.
Awaab's Law (Section 10A LTA 1985, in force 27 October 2025) now binds Birmingham City Council to a 24-hour emergency response, a 10-working-day investigation window for significant hazards, a 3-working-day written summary, and 5 working days to complete the works. Missed deadlines are a breach of tenancy enforceable by the County Court. If your landlord has missed these deadlines, you may have a claim.
Private rented stock across Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Aston and Lozells is over a century old. Damp, mould, and structural disrepair are common. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies to every rented home in the city, social or private.
Awaab's Law deadlines, in plain English
Awaab's Law started on 27 October 2025. It gives every social landlord in Birmingham firm deadlines to fix dangerous problems once you report them. Here are the deadlines:
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard, make safe | 24 hours |
| Significant hazard, investigate | 10 working days |
| Written summary of findings | 3 working days after investigation |
| Complete the works | 5 working days after written summary |
See the full breakdown of what counts as an emergency vs significant hazard at /law/awaabs-law.
Major landlords in Birmingham
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies to every rented home in Birmingham, social or private. If your landlord is not listed above, the same rights apply.
Explore Birmingham in depth
Has Birmingham council been ignoring your repairs?
If you reported damp, mould, a leak, broken heating or another serious repair more than three months ago and the council has not fixed it, you may be entitled to make a formal housing disrepair claim. The law gives you the right to get the repairs done and to claim compensation for the time you have lived without them.
- No win, no fee. You pay nothing if the claim does not succeed
- Free initial advice. We tell you honestly if you have a case
- FCA-authorised claims management company
- SRA-regulated panel solicitors handle the legal work
How a claim works
- Tell your landlord in writing. First you report the problem to your landlord and ask them to put it right. Keep a copy of what you send and any reply. If they do not sort it out, you may have a claim.
- A no-win-no-fee claim. A panel solicitor takes your case. If you do not win, you pay nothing. If you win, you pay an agreed fee out of your compensation, never out of your own pocket, and we explain it clearly before you start. This is worth thinking about if the problem has gone on a long time, or the landlord keeps ignoring you.
We will tell you honestly whether you have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669. Support for Tenants is a regulated company. We are not a solicitor. Panel solicitors run the cases.
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By: Support for Tenants editorial team
Last updated:
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 22 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.