Report Disrepair to Landlord Letter Template

Landlords in England and Wales have a legal duty to keep rented properties in a reasonable state of repair — including the structure, exterior, and installations for heating, water and sanitation. A formal, written disrepair letter is the recommended first step: it starts the clock on your landlord's obligation to act, and creates the paper trail you'll need if they don't.

What counts as disrepair

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (section 11), your landlord is responsible for repairing the structure and exterior of the property, and keeping installations for supplying water, gas, electricity, heating and sanitation in working order. This covers issues like a broken boiler, leaking roof, damp caused by a structural problem, faulty wiring, or a non-functioning toilet. It generally doesn't cover damage you've caused yourself, or condensation caused purely by how the property is used day-to-day — though persistent damp and mould are increasingly treated seriously, especially where they affect health.

What the letter needs to cover

• Your details and the property address — and the date you're writing.
• A clear, specific description of the problem — what's wrong, where, and since when. Photos help enormously if you can attach them.
• The impact — if it's affecting your health, your ability to use part of the property, or causing damage to belongings, say so.
• Reference to your landlord's legal duty — briefly note this falls under their repairing obligations.
• What you want done, and by when — a specific, reasonable deadline for repairs to start.
• What happens if they don't act — that you may report the issue to the local council's environmental health team.

Your rights if your landlord doesn't act

If your landlord doesn't respond or carry out repairs within a reasonable time, you can report the disrepair to your local council's environmental health department, who have powers to inspect the property and require the landlord to carry out repairs under the Housing Act 2004. For serious health hazards, this can include formal enforcement action against the landlord.

It's important to keep paying rent as normal while this is ongoing — withholding rent without a formal legal process can itself put you at risk of action from your landlord, even where the disrepair is genuine.

If it doesn't get resolved

If the disrepair is serious and your landlord continues to ignore it, you may have grounds for a disrepair claim, which can result in the landlord being ordered to carry out repairs and potentially pay compensation for the period you lived with the problem. Keep a full record of your letters, any responses, photos, and dates throughout — this becomes your evidence if the matter needs to escalate. See our Housing Rights Checker for guidance specific to your situation.