Long or repeated periods without working heating or hot water can seriously affect daily life, particularly for children, older residents and people with health conditions.
The urgency and reasonable repair time depend on the season, household vulnerability, available alternatives and the nature of the fault.
Landlords are generally responsible for keeping installations for space heating and hot water in repair and proper working order. They must also consider whether the resulting cold or lack of facilities makes the home unsafe or unfit.
Responsibility depends on the cause of the problem, the terms of your tenancy and whether the landlord had notice and a reasonable opportunity to investigate and act.
When reporting the failure, tell the council if children, elderly residents or anyone with a relevant medical condition lives at the property. Record any emergency heaters supplied, extra electricity used and every period without service.
Read our council claims guide →Good records help establish what happened, when the landlord knew and how the conditions affected your household.
Share the repair history, photographs and how the problem affects your home.
A specialist considers the landlord’s responsibilities and explains your options.
If accepted, we seek appropriate repairs and compensation on your behalf.
There is no universal deadline for every fault, but a complete loss of heating in cold weather requires a much faster response than a minor non-urgent defect.
Reasonable, evidenced additional costs may be relevant. Keep bills and receipts showing use of temporary electric heaters.
Repeated temporary resets may show that the underlying fault has not been resolved. Continue reporting each failure and keep the repair references.
Tell us what you reported and what happened next. We will explain whether we may be able to assist.