Housing disrepair help across Kent
Twelve districts plus Medway, from Dartford and Gravesham in the north to Folkestone and Hythe in the south. Coastal damp, old housing stock, and the same legal rights as everywhere else.
What you need to know about repairs in Kent
Kent has twelve district councils plus the unitary Medway. The county's housing stock ranges from Victorian terraced streets in Margate and Folkestone to large post-war estates in Medway, to suburban private rentals across the commuter belt close to London. Damp and ventilation problems are a known concern in coastal and lower-Thames stock.
Major social landlords across Kent include Optivo (now part of Southern Housing), Town & Country Housing, Moat Homes, Clarion and Orbit. Awaab's Law (in force 27 October 2025) applies to every one of them, with the same 24-hour, 10-working-day, 3-working-day, 5-working-day deadlines as the rest of England.
Private rented stock in Margate, Folkestone and Sheerness has known disrepair concentrations. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies to every rented home in the county. If your landlord is private, your district council's housing standards team is the local route in.
Awaab's Law deadlines, the same across Kent
Awaab's Law started on 27 October 2025. It gives every social landlord across Kent firm deadlines once you have reported a hazard. The clock applies to every council and registered provider in the region.
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard, make safe | 24 hours |
| Significant hazard, investigate | 10 working days |
| Written summary of findings | 3 working days after investigation |
| Complete the works | 5 working days after written summary |
Awaab's Law deadlines bind every social landlord operating in Kent, including the district councils, Medway, Southern Housing (formerly Optivo), Town & Country Housing, Moat Homes, Clarion and Orbit. Missed deadlines are a breach of tenancy enforceable in the County Court.
Districts and boroughs across Kent
The law is the same wherever you are in the region. Local councils and registered providers all owe the same duties to their tenants.
If your landlord is ignoring you in Kent
Kent does not have a single county housing department, every district and Medway runs its own housing standards and environmental health team. Call the district council that covers your postcode. They can inspect under the HHSRS and force the landlord to act.
How a claim works
- Tell your landlord in writing. First you report the problem to your landlord and ask them to put it right. Keep a copy of what you send and any reply. If they do not sort it out, you may have a claim.
- A no-win-no-fee claim. A panel solicitor takes your case. If you do not win, you pay nothing. If you win, you pay an agreed fee out of your compensation, never out of your own pocket, and we explain it clearly before you start. This is worth thinking about if the problem has gone on a long time, or the landlord keeps ignoring you.
We will tell you honestly whether you have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669. Support for Tenants is a regulated company. We are not a solicitor. Panel solicitors run the cases.
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By: Support for Tenants editorial team
Last updated:
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 22 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.