Housing disrepair help across West Midlands
Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley, Solihull and Walsall. Seven local authorities, one combined region, and some of the oldest housing stock in England.
What you need to know about repairs in West Midlands
The West Midlands is the second largest urban area in the country. Birmingham City Council alone owns and manages around 60,000 council homes, the biggest single council landlord in England, and was issued a Section 114 notice in September 2023. Repair backlogs have grown across the region in the period since.
Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Sandwell each have their own council housing departments and their own backlogs. Housing associations active across the region include Midland Heart, Bromford, Citizen, WHG (Walsall Housing Group) and Whitefriars. Every one of them is bound by Awaab's Law deadlines from 27 October 2025.
Private rented stock in inner-Birmingham wards like Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Aston and Lozells is over a century old. Damp, mould and structural disrepair are common. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies regardless of who your landlord is, council, housing association or private letting agent.
Awaab's Law deadlines, the same across West Midlands
Awaab's Law started on 27 October 2025. It gives every social landlord across West Midlands 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 |
Every council and registered provider across the West Midlands is bound by the same Awaab's Law clock. The 24-hour, 10-working-day, 3-working-day, 5-working-day deadlines apply whether your landlord is Birmingham City Council, Midland Heart, Bromford, Citizen, or any other social landlord in the region.
Districts and boroughs across West Midlands
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 West Midlands
Each council in the West Midlands runs its own environmental health and housing standards team. If your private landlord ignores you, call the housing standards team at the council that covers your area. They can inspect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and serve enforcement notices.
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.
Speak to an adviser about your West Midlands home
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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.