If your landlord keeps promising repairs but never does them, the legal clock is already running. Here is how to escalate and when to get legal help.
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Direct answer
Promises are not repairs. If your landlord keeps saying the work is coming but nothing ever happens, you do not have to keep waiting. The law starts counting from the moment your landlord first knew about the problem, so every week of delay can strengthen your position. Call us free on 0800 030 4669 if you have been waiting too long.
Why landlords stall, and why it matters
Some landlords delay repairs hoping tenants will give up or sort things out themselves. Others are simply disorganised. Either way, the law does not care about the reason. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, your landlord must carry out repairs within a reasonable time of being told about them.
That phrase, "reasonable time," depends on how serious the problem is. For urgent repairs (no heating in winter, a roof letting in rain, a gas leak) reasonable time can be a matter of days. For less urgent work, it may be a few weeks. Months of stalling with no action is almost never reasonable.
Why every report must be in writing from now on
A verbal promise means nothing if you later need to prove what was said and when. Courts and solicitors work with evidence. From this point on, report every problem in writing: by text, email or through your landlord's online portal. Keep a copy.
If you have only reported things verbally so far, send a message today that says something like: "As we discussed, I am reporting again in writing that the [problem] has still not been fixed. I reported this on [date]. Please let me know when work will start."
That single message creates a written record of the report and the history behind it.
The escalation ladder
Working through this process shows you acted reasonably and gave your landlord every chance:
Step 1: Informal report in writing
Send a polite message reporting the repair. Include what is wrong, when it started and what effect it is having on you or your home.
Step 2: Written follow-up
If there is no response after 14 days (or sooner for an urgent problem), send a follow-up. State that you reported the issue on a specific date and that no repair has been done. Ask for a written reply with a date for the work to start.
Step 3: Formal complaint, Stage 1
If Step 2 brings no result, write a formal complaint to your landlord. Use the words "formal complaint" clearly. Ask your landlord to acknowledge it within 5 working days and reply within 10 working days (for councils and housing associations, these are the required timescales under the Complaint Handling Code).
Step 4: Formal complaint, Stage 2
If the Stage 1 reply is unsatisfactory or you get no reply, escalate to Stage 2. State that your Stage 1 complaint was not resolved and that you are now escalating. You should receive a response within 20 working days.
Step 5: Letter of Claim
If the complaints process has not produced a repair, the next step is a pre-action protocol Letter of Claim. This is a formal legal letter that must be sent before civil court proceedings can begin. It carries real legal weight and often prompts landlords to act when nothing else has.
When to stop giving chances
If you have sent three written requests over roughly three months, and no meaningful repair has been done, legal action is usually justified. You do not need to keep waiting indefinitely.
What a solicitor can do that you cannot
A housing-disrepair solicitor can send a Letter of Claim on headed paper with legal authority behind it. Landlords take these seriously in a way they often do not with tenant messages. The solicitor can also instruct an independent surveyor to inspect your home and produce a report, which becomes key evidence in your case.
No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you do not win, you pay nothing.
Get help today
If your landlord has been promising repairs for months without delivering, call us free on 0800 030 4669. We can tell you quickly whether you have a strong case.
Free call: 0800 030 4669 | Start your claim
Sources
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 29 May 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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Still stuck?
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