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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?

The law is Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It lists what the council must keep in repair. If your problem fits any of these groups, the council must act. It does not matter 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

You can claim once three things are true. You reported the issue. The legal deadline has passed. And the council has still not put it right. Keep dated records of every report and every reply.

24 hours
To investigate and make safe an emergency hazard.
10 working days
To investigate a significant hazard.
5 working days
To finish the safety work once the investigation ends.
Awaab's Law applies to every social landlord in England. That includes local authorities, ALMOs and housing associations. It does not yet apply to private landlords. That is expected to change in 2027. 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

    Complain to the council's housing complaints team. This is called a stage-1 complaint. Keep dated records.

  2. Stage-2 senior review

    Still not happy? Ask for a stage-2 review. A senior officer looks at your complaint again.

  3. Then you may have a claim

    Still not fixed after stage 2? Or 8 weeks passed with no proper reply? Then you can claim for repairs and compensation. The claim runs separately from the council's own process. The solicitor's fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket.

Not sure if you qualify? 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

The list comes from Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It covers the structure and outside of your home. It also covers water, gas, electrics, heating, hot water and toilets. If your problem is on that list, the council must fix it by law.
Awaab's Law has been in force since October 2025. It sets strict deadlines. An emergency hazard, like no heat in winter, dangerous electrics or a major leak: 24 hours to investigate. A significant hazard: 10 working days to investigate. You must get a written summary of the findings within 3 working days. The council has 5 working days from the end of the investigation to complete the safety works. These are legal deadlines, not targets.
Put the problem in writing and keep a copy. Then use the council's complaints process and keep a record of every stage. We check whether you may have a claim. If you do, we refer you to an SRA-regulated panel solicitor who gives legal advice and runs the case.
Yes. Awaab's Law covers every social landlord in England. That includes local authorities, council ALMOs and housing associations. It does not yet cover private landlords in England. It does not apply in Wales. Welsh tenants have similar but separate cover under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
We cannot promise a figure. How much you get depends on how long the problem lasted, how serious it was, the evidence and how it affected you. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
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 if you have a case.

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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, not a promise; every case is different.

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