Complaining to your MP about housing disrepair

Writing to your Member of Parliament (MP) is a legitimate step when you are struggling to get your landlord to carry out repairs and other routes have not worked. While an MP cannot order your landlord to fix anything, their involvement can add pressure and open doors that individual tenants cannot. Below, we cover when and how to contact your MP.

What can an MP do?

An MP has no direct legal power over private landlords or housing associations. However, an MP can:

• Write to your landlord or local council on your behalf: a letter from an MP often prompts a faster response than a letter from a tenant alone
• Contact the Housing Ombudsman or local authority: if you are in social housing and have exhausted the internal complaints process, the MP can escalate the matter
• Raise the issue in Parliament: in extreme cases, an MP can ask a parliamentary question about local housing conditions or raise a point in a debate
• Refer your case to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: if the council has failed in its own housing or environmental health duties
• Put pressure on a housing association: housing associations are registered charities and regulated bodies, they are often sensitive to scrutiny from elected representatives

When is it worth contacting your MP?

Contacting your MP is most useful when:

• You have already reported the disrepair to your landlord in writing and they have not acted within a reasonable time
• You have contacted environmental health and either they have not acted or the landlord has still not carried out the work
• You are in social housing and have gone through the internal complaints procedure without resolution
• The problem is urgent, such as a total loss of heating in winter, and you need pressure applied quickly

It is a complement to, not a substitute for, the legal routes available to you (environmental health, the Housing Ombudsman for social tenants, or a disrepair claim).

How do I find my MP?

You can find your MP using the postcode lookup on the Parliament website at members.parliament.uk. Most MPs hold regular surgeries where you can attend in person, and all have email addresses.

What should I include in my letter?

Keep the letter clear and factual. Include:

• Your address and contact details
• How long the disrepair has been present
• What you reported to your landlord and when
• What action (if any) the landlord took
• The health or safety impact on you and your household
• What you are asking the MP to do (write to the landlord, contact the council, etc.)

Attach copies of your correspondence with the landlord.

Is there anything an MP cannot do?

Your MP cannot:

• Order your landlord to carry out repairs
• Act as your legal representative
• Override the courts or the Housing Ombudsman
• Guarantee any particular outcome

Their involvement is about applying political and reputational pressure and opening communication channels.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

Contacting your MP is one step in a broader strategy. If your landlord has failed to carry out repairs that are affecting your health, you may also be able to bring a housing disrepair claim.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. 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.

Sources

• Housing Ombudsman Service
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)

Related articles

• What to do if your landlord ignores your repair request