Reporting a repair
Reporting a repair is the formal process by which a tenant notifies their landlord that something in the property needs fixing. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, a landlord's duty to repair most defects in the structure, exterior, and key installations does not arise until the landlord has been put on notice of the problem. A repair report is that notice. Until a landlord is aware of a defect, through a formal report, a property inspection, or any other means, the repairing obligation is generally not enforceable.
Why the report must be documented in writing
Repair reports can be made in person, by phone, by text, by email, or through a property management platform. Citizens Advice recommends following up any verbal report in writing, and for good reason: in any subsequent dispute, whether before the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, a local housing authority, or a court, the critical question is when the landlord was put on notice and what action they took afterwards. A written record with a timestamp answers both questions. Landlords should make it straightforward for tenants to report repairs and should acknowledge every report in writing, confirming receipt, clarifying the nature of the issue, and setting out next steps.
Tenants using August can log repair requests through the maintenance reporting feature, which time-stamps each report and keeps a complete record per property, the kind of audit trail that matters if a dispute reaches the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
What the landlord must do after a report
Once a landlord has been put on notice, they must act within a reasonable time. No statute sets a single fixed timeframe for all repairs; what is reasonable depends on the nature and urgency of the defect. A broken boiler in winter requires a response within hours. A dripping tap does not. For the full scope of what a landlord is legally required to repair under Section 11 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, see our entry on repairs.
For practical guidance on what counts as reasonable for specific repair types, from boilers and hot water to damp and broken fittings, see our guide to what's a reasonable wait time for repairs.
Where the defect amounts to a Category 1 hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, for example dangerous electrics, severe damp and mould, or lack of adequate heating, delay can trigger local housing authority enforcement. The council may serve an improvement notice, carry out emergency works itself and recover the cost from the landlord, or make a prohibition order restricting occupation of all or part of the property.
Awaab's Law and statutory timeframes
Awaab's Law, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 from mould exposure in a social housing property, introduces mandatory investigation and remediation timeframes for certain hazards. It currently applies to social housing landlords, where Citizens Advice confirms the timeframes are: emergency hazards must be made safe within 24 hours of a report; significant damp and mould hazards must be investigated within 10 working days and remediated within 5 working days of the investigation completing. Extension to the private rented sector requires secondary legislation under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which the government has committed to following consultation. Once in force for the PRS, these timeframes will apply to private landlords directly. Delays on damp and mould reports in particular already carry heightened risk: see our entry on damp and mould for the obligations that apply now and those that are incoming.
Access to carry out repairs
Once a repair has been reported and a course of action agreed, the landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering the property, unless the situation is a genuine emergency. This is a minimum, not a norm, access should be arranged at a time convenient to the tenant wherever possible. The tenant's right to quiet enjoyment is not suspended during repairs: the landlord may only access the parts of the property needed for the repair and must not use repair visits as an opportunity to inspect areas unconnected to the reported defect.
The difference between a repair report and a formal complaint
A repair report is a service request. As the Housing Ombudsman's guidance makes clear, reporting a repair and making a formal complaint are distinct processes. If a landlord acknowledges a report and arranges the repair promptly, no complaint arises. A complaint becomes appropriate when the landlord has failed to respond adequately to a repair report, ignoring it, taking too long, or carrying out work that does not resolve the problem. The formal complaints process must be exhausted before a tenant can escalate to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman. Landlords should have a clear repairs policy and respond to all reports within a defined timeframe.
Retaliatory eviction and the post-Section 21 landscape
From 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act abolishes retaliatory eviction as a practical tool: with Section 21 gone, a landlord cannot serve a no-fault eviction notice in response to a repair report. Previously, some landlords responded to repair reports by serving Section 21 notices. That route is closed. A landlord who attempts to evict a tenant shortly after a legitimate repair report now faces scrutiny under the grounds-based possession framework, and the PRS Ombudsman and local housing authority can investigate complaints about landlords who fail to address reports in a timely way.
In our experience supporting landlords through the Renters' Rights Act transition, the landlords best placed to manage repairs compliantly are those who already treated the repair log as a live document: every report acknowledged in writing, every contractor visit recorded, every outcome confirmed to the tenant. That standard is no longer just good practice, it is the baseline the PRS Ombudsman will expect.
For a full guide to what landlords and tenants are each responsible for repairing, typical response timescales, and how to manage repair records professionally, see our landlord and tenant repair obligations guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does a tenant have to report a repair in writing?
There is no statutory requirement to report in writing, but it is strongly advisable. A written report with a clear timestamp establishes when the landlord was put on notice. Citizens Advice and Shelter both recommend following up any verbal report in writing and keeping copies of all correspondence. If the matter later reaches a court or the PRS Ombudsman, the written record is the primary evidence of what was reported and when.
How quickly must a landlord respond after a report?
There is no single statutory timeframe for all repairs. The standard is "within a reasonable time" given the nature of the defect. Emergency hazards, no heating in winter, dangerous electrics, a severe gas leak, require a same-day or next-day response. Non-urgent cosmetic issues can take longer. Where Awaab's Law applies (currently social housing, and incoming for the private rented sector), emergency hazards must be made safe within 24 hours and significant damp or mould hazards investigated within 10 working days.
What should a repair report include?
A clear description of the problem, its location in the property, the date it was noticed, any relevant photographs, and the tenant's contact details and availability for access. The more specific the report, the easier it is for the landlord to triage urgency, instruct the right contractor, and avoid a second visit. Vague reports, "something is wrong with the heating", delay resolution and may affect how liability is assessed if the defect worsens.
