Tenant Support UK

Illustration of a tenant holding a phone and looking sad at it

What Tenants Should Do When Landlords or Letting Agents Ignore Repair Requests

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by

Luigi Garuzzi
in

“Disclaimer:Tenant Support UK is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice. All content on this website is for general informational purposes only, based on publicly available legal guidance and personal experience. If you need legal advice tailored to your situation, please consult a qualified solicitor or a trusted housing advice service.“

The truth: you don’t have to accept silence. You have rights, and there are steps you can take to protect yourself and get results.

1. Keep Calm and Start Gathering Evidence Don’t panic, and definitely don’t stop paying rent. Instead, start building your paper trail:

Save every ignored message or email.

Screenshot WhattsApp chats, text messages, or missed calls.

Write down what happened and when This isn’t just venting, it could become key evidence if things escalate.

2. Put It in Writing (Formally) If they won’t reply casually, send a clear, formal message:

Include the issue.

State what you want done.

Give a clear deadline (e.g., 14 days).

Mention that you’re aware of your rights under housing law (e.g., the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985)

3. Escalate if Needed, Still no reply? That’s when you might want to escalate:

Contact your local council’s Environmental Health team.

Mention disrepair or safety issues (mould, leaks, heating, etc.).

Let the agent or landlord know you’re reporting the situation.

4. Don’t Withhold Rent (Yet) Even if you feel like you’re paying for nothing, withholding rent is risky unless you’ve had professional guidance.

Keep paying, but document everything.

You may be able to claim later and stay legally protected now.

5. Know When to Take It Further If the issues continue, you may be entitled to:

Compensation through small claims court.

A rent repayment order (if they’ve broken the law).

Damages for uninhabitable conditions.

6. Need Help? we’ve Been There. You don’t need to navigate this alone:

Draft strong letters that actually get noticed.

Understand their rights in plain English and Italian.

Prepare for council complaints or small claims.

The Toolbox: 9 Ways to Fight Back Without Moving to Mars

  1. Shelter England – england.shelter.org.uk — 0808 800 4444.
  2. Citizens Advice Redditch & Bromsgrove – citizensadviceredditch.org.uk.
  3. TSUK Letters Templates – TenantSupportUK.com
  4. ACORN Community Union – acorntheunion.org.uk.
  5. Generation Rent – generationrent.org.
  6. Renters Reform Coalition – rentersreformcoalition.co.uk.
  7. Housing Ombudsman Service – housing-ombudsman.org.uk.
  8. Redditch Borough Council Housing Solutions – redditchbc.gov.uk/housing or call 01527 587 000.
  9. Tenancy Deposit Schemes – depositprotection.com (DPS) • tenancydepositscheme (TDS) • mydeposits.co.uk (MyDeposits)

Tenant Support UK