There is an emergency repair and your landlord will not act - what can you do?
Direct answer
For immediate danger, protect safety first and then deal with the landlord. Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 for suspected gas leaks or carbon monoxide, and call 999 if there is immediate risk to life. Your landlord must deal urgently with repairs that make the home unsafe or unfit, such as dangerous electrics, flooding, no water, no working toilet, or no heat in severe cold. If the landlord will not act, contact the council's Environmental Health team the same day and get advice before arranging works yourself.
What the law says
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes the landlord responsible for core repairs to structure, exterior, heating, hot water, water, gas, electricity, and sanitation. Emergency defects still fall under section 11, but the reasonable-time test is much shorter because the risk is higher. The landlord is not acting within a reasonable time if flooding, dangerous wiring, sewage leaks, or no heat in severe weather are ignored.
Section 9A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires the home to be fit for human habitation. Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004 lets the council respond to serious hazards. Where the risk is immediate, the council can use emergency powers, and the county court can grant an injunction ordering the landlord to act.
Step-by-step: what to do
1. Deal with danger first. For gas, call 0800 111 999. For fire, collapse risk, violence, or immediate danger, call 999.
2. Tell the landlord or agent in writing as soon as possible. Use email, text, or the repair portal and keep screenshots.
3. Describe the emergency clearly: no heating, no hot water, flooding, exposed electrics, sewage, insecure doors, or no working toilet.
4. Contact Environmental Health the same day if the landlord does not respond. Use the council emergency out-of-hours number if needed.
5. If you must arrange temporary works, use qualified contractors, keep receipts, and get advice before deducting costs from rent.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not wait for office hours if there is gas, fire, flooding, or electrical danger. Do not carry out gas or electrical works yourself. Do not assume that a temporary patch ends the landlord's duty to complete a proper repair. Do not deduct contractor invoices from rent without advice, because set-off rules are technical and a wrong deduction creates arrears. Do not leave the home permanently unless an adviser confirms your options, because leaving can affect remedies.
- Use emergency services for immediate safety risks.
- Keep every message and call log.
- Use qualified contractors only.
- Ask the council for emergency help where the home is unsafe.
Related guidance
- Repairs rights checker
Check the legal route for urgent disrepair. - Council Environmental Health repairs
How to escalate urgent hazards to the council. - No hot water in rented property
Specific steps for hot water failure. - The landlord will not fix hot water
Repair duty, evidence, temporary costs, and escalation.
Sources used for this guide
These are primary legislation and public guidance sources that support the legal-information framework used on this page.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Primary statute for core landlord repair duties, including structure, exterior, installations, heating, water, gas, and sanitation. - Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Primary statute adding a fitness-for-human-habitation duty for rented homes in England. - Housing Act 2004
Primary statute for tenancy deposit protection, HMO licensing, and local authority housing hazard enforcement. - GOV.UK: repairs in private renting
Government guidance on landlord repair responsibilities and what tenants can do when repairs are not carried out. - Shelter England: repairs
Independent housing charity guidance on repair duties, evidence, and escalation when a landlord does not act.
Common questions
- There is an emergency repair and your landlord will not act - what can you do?
- For immediate danger, protect safety first and then deal with the landlord. Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 for suspected gas leaks or carbon monoxide, and call 999 if there is immediate risk to life. Your landlord must deal urgently with repairs that make the home unsafe or unfit, such as dangerous electrics, flooding, no water, no working toilet, or no heat in severe cold. If the landlord will not act, contact the council's Environmental Health team the same day and get advice before arranging works yourself.
- Can I call the council for emergency repairs?
- Yes. Environmental Health can respond to serious hazards, and many councils have out-of-hours numbers for dangerous housing conditions.
- Can I arrange an emergency repair myself?
- Only where the situation is genuinely urgent and the landlord has failed to respond. Use a qualified contractor, keep the invoice, and get advice before deducting the cost from rent.
- What if the emergency makes the home uninhabitable?
- Ask the council for emergency housing help and get advice about an injunction or disrepair claim. Keep proof of any hotel, travel, food, or replacement-item costs.
- Can I claim compensation for an emergency repair delay?
- Yes. Compensation can cover loss of amenity, damaged belongings, extra costs, and health impact where the landlord breached section 11 or the fitness duty.
Is this legal advice?
This is legal information for renters in England, not legal advice. If you need advice on your specific facts, contact Shelter (0808 800 4444), Citizens Advice, your council, or a housing solicitor.