My home is unsafe and my landlord won't fix it

How long

If the problem is life-threatening, the owner must fix it within 24 hours of being told. For other problems, within 30 calendar days of being told, or a longer time the housing agency approves. The dates on your housing agency's notice are the dates to follow

Starts

the day your housing agency (or another inspector it relies on) inspects your home and tells the owner in writing about the problems. You do not have to wait for the next yearly inspection: HUD says to contact your housing agency if you are worried about your home between inspections

If missed

the housing agency must stop (abate) its payments to the owner if the owner misses the deadline, and the owner cannot end your tenancy just because payments were stopped. If the home still fails after 60 days, or a longer time the housing agency sets, the housing agency ends the owner's contract and you would have to move to keep your voucher: the agency must give you the voucher at least 30 days before the contract ends and at least 90 days to find a new home. Ask it what help it gives with moving. If the housing agency decides you or a guest caused the damage, the owner may not have to fix it and you may be held responsible

It lets you

report the problem to your housing agency in writing and ask for a special inspection; say if it is an emergency and how it affects your health and safety, and say when and how you first told the owner. HUD says to start with your landlord, then your housing agency, and then your local HUD office if you need to. The housing agency must take enforcement action if the owner does not keep the home up to standard

Where this differs: This is the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rule. Public housing, project-based and other HUD-assisted homes have their own rules. If HUD insures or assists your apartment building, you can call HUD's Multifamily Housing Complaint Line on 1-800-685-8470 (weekdays 9am to 5pm Eastern). If you cannot sort out a problem with your housing agency, HUD's PIH Customer Service Center is on 800-955-2232. HUD tells voucher holders to know their rights on repairs and on protection from retaliation: ask your housing agency or legal aid what applies to you

Checked 10 October 2026 at US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 24 CFR 982.404 (eCFR)

How long

No fixed number of days in the federal rule: the housing authority must repair it within a reasonable time. Your lease sets out how it handles this, so read that part of your lease

Starts

the moment you find damage that makes your home dangerous to life, health or safety. The federal rule says you must tell the housing authority's management immediately: phone if it is an emergency, then put it in writing and keep a copy

If missed

there is no rent reduction if you turn down the other home it offers, or if you, your household or guests caused the damage; then you can be charged for the repair. Do not stop paying rent on your own: ask the housing authority, and legal aid, first

It lets you

have the repair done. If it cannot be done in a reasonable time, the housing authority must offer you another suitable home if one is available, and your lease must allow your rent to be reduced to match the damage if it does neither

Where this differs: Public housing owned by a housing authority only. Voucher (Section 8) homes: see the voucher clock. HUD-insured or project-based buildings: HUD's Multifamily Housing Complaint Line, 1-800-685-8470. Your state or city may give you more

Checked 10 October 2026 at US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 24 CFR 966.4 (eCFR)

How long

A danger to health or safety, such as no heat in cold weather or exposed wiring, is an emergency: call your landlord's emergency number at once, and 911 if anyone is in danger. If you smell gas, leave first and call 911 or the gas company from outside. No federal rule gives one number of days for a privately rented home: your state, city or county decides how long a landlord has, and your lease may add rules of its own. Ask your local housing or health office, or legal aid, how long applies where you live

Starts

the day you tell your landlord about the problem. Tell them in writing and keep a copy with the date: you may need to show when they knew

If missed

if the landlord does not act, the next step is your local housing or health office and legal aid, not stopping the rent. Even when repairs really are owed, a landlord may be able to start an eviction case over unpaid rent, so do not stop paying, or take the cost of repairs off the rent, until legal aid has told you what your state allows. If your landlord answers with an eviction notice after you complained, do not ignore it: see the eviction guide

It lets you

contact your local government: its tenant-landlord affairs office, code enforcement or health department, or your state's tenant-rights agency, to ask who inspects rented homes. USAGov lists local governments by state, and the EPA says that when water problems are not dealt with, you may want to contact local, state or federal health or housing authorities. Legal aid can tell you what your state lets you do and what it does not

Where this differs: Different in every state and often by city, including whether a landlord may evict or raise the rent because you complained. Homes with a voucher or other HUD help have federal rules: see the voucher clock. HUD-insured or project-based apartment buildings: HUD's Multifamily Housing Complaint Line, 1-800-685-8470, weekdays 9am to 5pm Eastern. Public housing: see the public housing clock

Checked 10 October 2026 at USAGov, How to file a complaint against a landlord (US General Services Administration)

How long

An emergency hazard, such as a gas or carbon monoxide leak, a broken boiler, no water at all, exposed wires or a major leak: your landlord must investigate and make it safe within 24 hours. Significant damp and mould: it must investigate within 10 working days, send you a written summary within 3 working days of finishing, and make your home safe within 5 working days of finishing. Any further work must start, or be booked, within 5 working days, and all work must begin within 12 weeks. If it cannot make your home safe in time, it must offer you somewhere else to stay, free, until it can

Starts

the day your landlord becomes aware of the problem, however it finds out: you tell it, a contractor reports it, or another organisation raises it. Report it the way your landlord says (phone, email or online form), keep a record of when and how you did, and tell it who lives in your home, including children, because that decides how urgent the problem is. If you reported the problem before 27 October 2025 and it is still there, report it again now

If missed

if your landlord misses a deadline, complain in writing and give the date you reported the problem. If the problem gets worse, or someone's health gets worse, report it again: that counts as a new report. Let your landlord into the home when it asks at reasonable times: GOV.UK says that if you do not allow access after it has tried to arrange it, it may not be held responsible for delays. If you turn down the offer of somewhere else to stay and change your mind later, your landlord does not have to offer again

It lets you

use your landlord's complaints process, and then the Housing Ombudsman (0300 111 3000) if you are unhappy with the final reply, or the landlord is not replying at all. You can also ask for an in-person visit if the landlord only looked at photos, and your landlord cannot treat you unfairly for making a complaint. Court action for breach of contract is possible: get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice before you start

Where this differs: England only, for homes rented from a council or housing association with a tenancy. Supported housing and temporary accommodation may be a licence instead, which may mean it does not apply: check your papers or ask your landlord. Private renters are not covered: see the private repairs clock. Hazards other than emergencies and damp and mould, such as cold, are not covered yet: report them anyway, because your landlord still has to keep your home safe. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), Awaab's Law: Guidance for tenants in social housing

How long

Your landlord must do repairs in a reasonable time, and GOV.UK says it should tell you when to expect them; there is no fixed number of days. What is reasonable depends on what the problem is and how serious it is. If it is not sorted in a reasonable time, you can complain to your local council

Starts

the day you tell your landlord or letting agent about the problem. Tell them in writing (text or email counts if you keep it), with photos or video if you can. Do it straight away for anything that could harm your health, such as faulty electrical wiring

If missed

keep paying your rent. GOV.UK says you should not withhold rent because of disrepair, as it may put you at risk of eviction. Do not do repairs yourself unless your tenancy agreement says you can. If your landlord answers a repair request with an eviction notice, do not ignore it: see the clock on eviction after a complaint and get advice the same day

It lets you

complain to your council's environmental health or housing team, which can inspect the whole home. Councils have legal powers that they may be able to use to get repairs done at no cost to you, must take action where they find the most serious (category 1) hazards, and may help protect you from being evicted because you complained. If the home is not fit to live in, you can ask the county court to order repairs and pay compensation under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018: get advice first, because court has costs. Your landlord, private or social, must also fit a smoke alarm on each floor you live on and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a boiler, fire or heater that burns fuel (not a gas cooker), and repair or replace one you report as faulty: the council enforces this

Where this differs: England only. Housing association tenants can also complain to the council, but use the social landlord clock first. Council tenants complain to their landlord directly. Lodgers and people with a licence may be outside the Fitness Act. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), Tenant guide to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System

How long

Since 1 May 2026 a private landlord cannot use a 'no fault' section 21 notice. To end your tenancy they must give you a notice with a reason, called a ground, and the notice period depends on the ground: see the guide 'I got an eviction notice or court papers'. Asking for repairs is not a ground. A landlord can still use a real one, such as rent you owe, which can be used at any time, or selling or moving in, which cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy

Starts

the day your private landlord gives you any eviction notice after you asked for repairs or complained to the council

If missed

if you are still in your home when the notice ends, your landlord has to go to court: they cannot take your home back without a court order. If your landlord changes the locks or removes your things without a court order, call the police and your council the same day: illegal eviction is a criminal offence

It lets you

tell your council: GOV.UK says councils may be able to help protect tenants against being evicted because they have complained. Take any notice to a free adviser the same day: Shelter, Citizens Advice, or the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service, free from the day you get a written notice, whatever your income. If your landlord goes to court, the defence form lets you counterclaim for repairs that were not done; there is a fee. A rent rise must come on Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice, only once a year and not in the first 12 months, and you can challenge one above the market rent. Keep a record of when you asked for repairs and when any notice came, and keep paying your rent, because rent you owe is a ground your landlord can use

Where this differs: England only. Section 21 has ended only for private landlords. A housing association tenant on a starter or assured shorthold tenancy can still be given a section 21 notice: if one arrives after you complained about repairs, get advice the same day, because the law can stop or cancel it if the council has served an improvement or emergency remedial action notice. If a private landlord gave you a section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 and applied to court on or before 31 July 2026, that case can still run: GOV.UK says the same restrictions apply, and to seek legal advice. Council tenants, lodgers and people with a licence have different rules. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), Renters' Rights Act overview for tenants

How long

The investigation must be finished within 10 working days. Your landlord must send you a written summary within 3 working days after it ends. If repairs are needed, they must start within 5 working days after it ends. A council or housing association must finish them within 20 working days of starting; a private landlord must complete them as soon as possible

Starts

the day after your landlord is told about damp or mould, or otherwise becomes aware of it. Report it the way your landlord asks, in writing if you can, and keep a copy. If you reported it before 6 October 2026 and it is still there, report it again now

If missed

complain to your landlord in writing and give the date you reported the problem. Let your landlord in to inspect and repair at a time you agree. If a notice to leave arrives after you reported repairs, do not ignore it: see the guide 'I got an eviction notice or court papers' and get advice the same day

It lets you

have damp and mould investigated and repairs started on these dates. If something outside your landlord's control stops it, the law says your landlord must tell you why and when it will be done, and take reasonable steps meanwhile to reduce the damp and mould. A council or housing association tenant can be owed a small sum of compensation if the investigation or the start is late. If you rent privately, you can also apply to the tribunal: see the next clock

Where this differs: Scotland only. It covers Scottish secure and short Scottish secure tenancies and private residential tenancies, for damp or mould that is your landlord's job to repair. Other repairs have no fixed number of days: see the next clock. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at legislation.gov.uk, the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/173)

How long

Apart from damp and mould, which has fixed deadlines in the clock above, mygov.scot gives no number of days: your landlord must do repairs in a reasonable amount of time. If you have reported repairs and they have not been done, you can take your landlord to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber)

Starts

the day you report the repair to your landlord. Do it in writing, by letter or email, and keep a copy: the tribunal asks for your letters or emails

If missed

mygov.scot gives no date after which this route closes, but waiting leaves a hazard in your home: apply when it is clear your landlord is not acting. Get advice from Shelter Scotland or Citizens Advice first if you can. If your landlord answers with a notice to leave, do not ignore it: see the guide 'I got an eviction notice or court papers' and get advice the same day

It lets you

apply to the tribunal on form A (Repairs Application), with your tenancy agreement, copies of the letters or emails you sent to report the repairs, and photos or other evidence. There is no cost to apply. The tribunal can hold a hearing, inspect the home and decide whether it meets the repairing standard. It can give your landlord a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order saying what repair work to do and by when, and it is a criminal offence for a landlord to ignore the order

Where this differs: Scotland only, private tenants. Council and housing association tenants do not use this tribunal: for damp and mould see the clock above; for other repairs, complain to your landlord and ask Shelter Scotland or Citizens Advice what comes next. The repairing standard covers things like a safe, working gas and electrical supply, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and being free from serious damp and mould. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at mygov.scot (Scottish Government), If your private landlord does not do repairs

How long

No fixed number of days. Once your landlord is aware of the need for repairs, they must be done in a reasonable time and to a reasonable standard. A burst pipe or broken boiler is urgent and should be dealt with quickly; a dripping tap is less urgent

Starts

the day you tell your landlord about the problem. Tell your landlord in writing: the Welsh Government says repairs must be done in a reasonable time once your landlord knows about them

If missed

do not stop paying rent without advice. Occupation contracts usually say no rent is due for a day the home is unfit, but the Welsh Government warns that a court may not agree it was unfit, and you could end up in rent arrears and possession proceedings. If you decide to withhold, it advises setting the rent aside. If you get Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, get advice first. If your landlord tries to end your contract after you asked for repairs, get advice the same day: the court must not make a possession order if it considers the landlord made the claim only to get out of keeping the home in repair or fit to live in, and the landlord then cannot give a landlord's notice for six months

It lets you

ask your landlord to make the home fit for human habitation. Damp and mould, cold, and a boiler that cannot heat the home in winter are all matters your landlord has to consider, and your landlord must fit smoke alarms, test the electrics at least every 5 years and fit carbon monoxide alarms where there is a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance. If you disagree, Citizens Advice, Shelter Cymru or your council can contact your landlord for you. You can ask the county court to decide: it can order your landlord to repair or correct the cause of the problem, and you can apply for damages

Where this differs: Wales only, for occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act. The duties do not apply to fixed term contracts of seven years or more. A landlord's notice with no reason is still possible in Wales: see the guide 'I got an eviction notice or court papers'. A landlord also cannot give that notice if your home is unfit because there are no working smoke or carbon monoxide alarms or no valid electrical condition report. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at Welsh Government (gov.wales), Fitness for human habitation: guidance for tenants (contract holders)

How long

Ask your landlord in writing first; if your landlord does not improve things, you can contact an environmental health officer in your local council. nidirect gives no number of days. Your landlord is responsible for the structure and outside of the home, heating and hot water, and the water, gas, electricity and sanitation installations, and all rented homes must meet the fitness standard (heating, lighting, ventilation, hot and cold water, cooking facilities and drainage)

Starts

the day you ask your landlord to put the problem right. Ask in writing and keep a copy, so you can show the date

If missed

if your landlord does not act, tell the council's environmental health office what you reported and when. If your landlord tries to evict you without a court order, or harasses you, contact the council's environmental health office: harassment and illegal eviction are criminal offences. If your landlord answers with a notice to quit, do not ignore it: see the guide 'I got an eviction notice or court papers' and call Housing Rights

It lets you

ask your council's environmental health office to investigate: it can take action against landlords, and can prosecute a landlord who does not keep smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms in working order or does not give a tenant an electrical safety report. If you are not sure who must do a repair, ask Advice NI, Housing Rights or the Law Centre (NI)

Where this differs: Northern Ireland only, private tenants. Housing Executive and housing association tenants report repairs to their own landlord's repairs line, then use its complaints process; Housing Rights can advise. Other nations: see their clocks

Checked 10 October 2026 at nidirect (Northern Ireland Executive), Housing standards in rented accommodation