Boiler broken or heating off for days? What the law says your landlord must do, what counts as an emergency repair, and the steps to take if they ignore you.
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A broken boiler is never just a bother. With young children, an older relative, or anyone unwell in the home, days without heat or hot water quickly become a health risk. Is the landlord dragging their feet? Here is what the law expects of them, and what you can do.
How long can a landlord legally leave you without heating?
Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the landlord must keep the heating and hot water installations working, with repairs done in a reasonable time. No single fixed number of days covers every situation. What counts as reasonable follows the circumstances. Total heat loss in winter, in a home with a baby or an older person, runs far more urgent than a minor summer fault.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System matters too. A home that cannot stay warm enough can be assessed for the excess cold hazard. A serious case counts as Category 1, one the council holds powers to make the landlord fix.
Renting from a council or housing association? Awaab's Law sets legal timescales for hazards in social housing, with the strictest deadlines on the most serious problems.
What counts as an emergency repair
Complete loss of heating or hot water, above all in cold weather or with someone vulnerable in the home, generally counts as an emergency. Most landlords and agents run an out-of-hours emergency procedure. A real emergency deserves fast attention, not a place in the normal repair queue.
A partial fault, one cold radiator while the rest works, usually counts as routine. The key: describe plainly what has actually failed.
Steps to take if your landlord ignores you
Report it in writing straight away, even after phoning. Say plainly that no heating or hot water runs, who in the home suffers, and that you are asking for an emergency repair. Keep a copy.
Photograph the boiler fault code, or the cold thermostat, with the date showing. Note every day the problem carries on. A landlord still doing nothing leaves the council's environmental health team, which can inspect and assess the hazard.
Never stop paying rent to force action without advice first: that can put your tenancy at risk. Get free, independent advice on your options instead.
How to start a claim
Support For Tenants is an FCA-authorised claims management company, not a solicitor. We check whether grounds for a disrepair claim exist, and where they do, we connect you with a panel solicitor working no-win, no-fee. The initial claim check is free and independent. 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.
Frequently asked questions
How long can my landlord leave me without heating?
The law requires repairs within a reasonable time, under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. What is reasonable follows the circumstances. Total heat loss in cold weather, above all with a vulnerable person in the home, should be treated as urgent.
Is no heating an emergency?
Complete loss of heating or hot water in cold weather generally counts as an emergency, above all with children, older people, or anyone unwell in the home.
Can the council help?
Yes. The council's environmental health team can inspect and assess hazards like excess cold under the HHSRS rating system.
Can I stop paying rent until it is fixed?
Never withhold rent without advice first: it can put your tenancy at risk. Get free, independent advice on the safer routes.
Do I have to pay anything to start a claim?
Where a claim appears to exist, we connect you with a panel solicitor working no-win, no-fee. 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.
Cold home and a landlord who won't act?
Going without heat or hot water should never be your normal. Get a free, independent view on your rights today. Call free on 0800 030 4669 or start your claim.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System guidance (GOV.UK)
- Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the basis for Awaab's Law
Support For Tenants is a trading name of Cyntex Group Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Claims Management Company. FRN 1020217. Registered in England and Wales.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 2 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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