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Awaab's Law in force from October 2025

Council housing repairs, your legal rights

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What is a council housing repair?

Anything the council has a statutory duty to keep in repair under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. If the issue falls into any of these buckets, the council must act, regardless of how short your remaining tenancy is.

Structure and exterior

Roof, walls, windows, doors and drains.

Installations

Water, gas, electricity and sanitation: pipes, wiring, boilers, baths and toilets.

Heating and hot water

The heating system, and hot water you can rely on.

When you can claim

Once you have reported the issue, the statutory timeframe has run, and the council has not put it right. Keep dated records of every report you make and every response you receive.

24 hours
To investigate and make safe an emergency hazard.
10 working days
To investigate a significant hazard.
5 working days
From the end of that investigation to complete the safety work.
Awaab's Law applies to every social landlord in England, including local authorities, ALMOs and housing associations. It does not yet apply to private landlords (expected to change in 2027) and it does not apply in Wales: Welsh council tenants are covered by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

What to do if the council ignores you

  1. Stage-1 complaint

    Use the council's own complaints process: a stage-1 complaint to its housing complaints team. Keep dated records.

  2. Stage-2 senior review

    If you are still unsatisfied, escalate to a stage-2 review by a senior officer.

  3. Then you may have a claim

    If they still do not fix it after stage 2, or 8 weeks pass with no proper response, a claim for compensation and repairs runs independently of the council's internal process. The solicitor's fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket.

Not sure whether your situation qualifies? Talk to us free on 0800 030 4669 and we will tell you honestly. You can also estimate your compensation in about two minutes.

If it cannot wait, see council emergency repairs.

Find your council

Type your council's name to jump to its page.

Top councils we work with

Birmingham City Council
60,000 homes
Leeds City Council
54,000 homes
Sheffield City Council
38,500 homes
Southwark Council
36,800 homes
London Borough of Lambeth
33,000 homes
Camden Council
32,000 homes
London Borough of Hackney
31,000 homes
Bristol City Council
27,000 homes
Newcastle City Council
26,000 homes
Islington Council
25,700 homes
Nottingham City Council
25,000 homes
Hull City Council
23,000 homes
City of Wolverhampton Council
22,000 homes
Greenwich Council
21,000 homes
Leicester City Council
20,000 homes
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
18,000 homes
Wandsworth Council
17,000 homes
Hammersmith & Fulham Council
17,000 homes
Newham Council
16,000 homes
Haringey Council
16,000 homes
Southampton City Council
16,000 homes
Portsmouth City Council
14,500 homes
Lewisham Council
14,000 homes
Cardiff Council
14,000 homes
Swansea Council
13,800 homes
Croydon Council
13,500 homes
Hounslow Council
13,000 homes
Manchester City Council
12,500 homes
City of Westminster Council
12,000 homes
Brighton & Hove Council
11,500 homes

FAQs, council housing repairs

Anything covered by Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: the structure and exterior, water and gas installations, heating, hot water, sanitation, and electrical wiring. If the issue affects any of those, your council has a statutory duty to put it right.
Under Awaab's Law, in force from October 2025: 24 hours to investigate any emergency hazard (no heat in winter, dangerous electrics, major leaks); 10 working days to investigate any significant hazard, with a written summary of findings within 3 working days, then 5 working days to complete the works. These are statutory deadlines, not targets.
Put the problem in writing and keep a copy, then use the council's two-stage complaints process and keep a record of every stage. If it is still not put right, call us free on 0800 030 4669 and we will deal with the council for you.
Yes. Awaab's Law applies to every social landlord in England, including local authorities, council ALMOs, and housing associations. It does not yet apply to private landlords in England, and it does not apply in Wales (where the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 provides similar but separate protections).
How much you get depends on how long the disrepair lasted, how serious it was, and any health impact, so we cannot promise a figure. On no win, no fee terms you pay nothing up front, and the solicitor's fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket. You can also claim for damaged belongings and rent reduction.
Yes. Rent arrears do not disqualify you from a disrepair claim. They are separate matters in law. We will discuss your specific situation honestly.

Ready to talk?

Free 25-minute call. We will tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.

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By: Support for Tenants editorial team

Last updated:

Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 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.

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