No heating or hot water your landlord won't fix?
We get your home put right and claim the compensation you're owed.
If you have broken heating and hot water in your home, your landlord must put it right. The law that covers this is Section 11(1)(b), Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Awaab's Law also applies (it started in October 2025). Once you report it, your landlord must act within 24 hours. How much you could claim depends on how long it lasted, how serious it was, and any effect on your health. Most cases take 8 to 24 weeks. There is no upfront cost.
Symptoms
- No heating at all (radiators stay cold)
- No hot water (boiler not firing, intermittent)
- Boiler making banging, hissing, or kettling noises
- Heating that only works on some radiators
- Cold rooms even with thermostat turned up
Health impact
- Hypothermia risk, especially for over-65s and infants
- Worsened cardiovascular conditions in cold homes (NHS-recognised)
- Respiratory illness from condensation when alternative heating used
Evidence to gather
- Note the dates the heating failed and every report you made (text/email is best)
- Photograph thermostat readings + outside temperature on the same day
- Keep receipts for any electric heaters, blankets, or temporary fixes you bought
This really happens
An independent statutory ruling found severe failings after Hackney Council failed to treat a heating and hot water complaint as an emergency, leaving a resident with asthma without heating and hot water for five months, including over winter.
Source: Independent statutory ruling, Learning from Severe Failings (May 2025) · case 202343128. This is a published decision, not a Support for Tenants client.
Another route: Environmental Protection Act, Section 82
If your boiler has been condemned or chronically broken, Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is often the faster route. 21 days written notice to the landlord, then Magistrates' Court.
Read about the EPA Section 82 route →Frequently asked questions
How much money can I claim for broken heating and hot water?
How much you could get depends on how bad it is, how long it went on, and how it affected your health, so we cannot promise a figure. The fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket.
How long does a broken heating and hot water claim take?
Most broken heating and hot water claims take 8 to 24 weeks. Once you report the problem, Awaab's Law (Section 10A LTA 1985, started 27 October 2025) gives your landlord 24 hours to act.
What proof do I need for broken heating and hot water?
Photos and videos with the date on them. A note of when you told your landlord and what they said. A letter from your doctor if anyone has been ill.
Can I claim if I owe rent?
Yes. Owing rent does not stop you making a disrepair claim. They are separate things in law. We will talk through your situation honestly.
How long can a landlord leave you without heating or hot water?
Not long. No heating or hot water is usually an emergency, especially in cold weather or if anyone in the home is very young, elderly, or unwell. Under Awaab's Law your landlord must make an emergency hazard safe within 24 hours. If they leave you without heating or hot water in a council flat or a housing association home, that delay can be the basis of a claim.
Can I get compensation for no heating or hot water?
Yes, if you reported it and your landlord did not fix it in a reasonable time. Compensation usually includes some of your rent back for the time the home was not properly heated, money for the distress, and the cost of things like the electric heaters you had to buy. On no win, no fee, the fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket.
Read more about broken heating and hot water
Broken heating and hot water at your landlord
Awaab's Law deadlines and your rights for broken heating and hot water with these social landlords.
Broken heating and hot water where you live
Your rights for broken heating and hot water in these areas.
This is worth a claim
Tenants are owed real money when a landlord leaves problems like broken heating and hot water unfixed. This is what landlords were made to pay across England in one recent year, and it is what we help you claim.
- £5.4m
- compensation ordered for tenants in one year
- 26,901
- orders made to put things right
- 40%
- of it for damp, mould and leaks
- £32,000
- the largest single award
Figures from the independent statutory review, Annual Complaints Review 2024 to 2025. These are sector-wide outcomes for social housing tenants in England.
Read deeper, Broken heating
Practical Q&As, legal context, and named case studies on this topic. Every link below is a Support for Tenants page.
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.