How to Write a Letter to a Housing Association About Repairs UK: Your Rights and What to Do
You have reported the repair. You may have reported it several times. Nothing has happened, or what has been done has not fixed the problem, or you have been given appointment after appointment that never leads to the work actually being completed. Living with unresolved disrepair is stressful, often uncomfortable and sometimes genuinely dangerous. And you are not powerless.
Housing associations are subject to significant legal obligations around repairs. Since the Housing Ombudsman reported a 474 percent rise in complaints since 2019-20, and since Awaab’s Law came into force for social landlords in October 2025, the pressure on housing associations to deal with disrepair properly has never been higher. A formal written complaint, referencing the relevant legal duties, is the most effective step you can take when a repair is being ignored.
This guide explains what your housing association is legally required to do, what the repair categories and timescales are, how to write a letter that gets taken seriously, and what to do https://www.letterwritingservice.co.uk/help-writing-to-a-councilwhen the letter alone is not enough.
What Your Housing Association Is Legally Required to Do
Housing associations have statutory repairing obligations that exist independently of anything in your tenancy agreement. The main sources are:
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Requires the landlord to keep in repair and proper working order the structure and exterior of the property, including walls, roof, windows and external doors, and to keep in repair and proper working order the installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, heating and hot water. These obligations cannot be contracted out of.
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018: Requires that the property is fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout it. This covers a broad range of hazards including damp and mould, unsafe installations, structural instability, inadequate ventilation, pest infestations and other conditions that make the property hazardous to health.
Awaab’s Law (Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, in force October 2025): Requires social landlords including housing associations to investigate reports of damp and mould within 14 days, begin emergency repairs within 24 hours if a health hazard exists, and complete all damp and mould repairs within a defined timescale. Named after Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old who died in 2020 from mould in a Rochdale housing association flat, this law is the most significant change to social housing repair obligations in decades.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): A risk-based assessment framework used by councils to identify hazards in residential properties. If your housing association fails to address a hazard that would score as a Category 1 hazard under HHSRS, your local council’s Environmental Health team can serve an improvement notice on the landlord.
Repair Categories and Response Timescales
Most housing associations categorise repairs by urgency and have their own stated response timescales. You should be able to find these in your tenancy agreement, your welcome pack or on the housing association’s website. Common categories include:
Emergency repairs (within 24 hours): Total loss of heating in cold weather, gas leaks, flooding, electrical faults posing immediate danger, complete loss of hot water, severe roof damage allowing water ingress. Under Awaab’s Law, damp and mould posing an immediate health risk must also be addressed within 24 hours.
Urgent repairs (within 3 to 5 working days): Partial loss of heating, partial loss of hot water, blocked drains, broken windows and external doors, leaking roof.
Routine repairs (within 28 days): Minor plastering, doors that do not close properly, broken fences, general wear and tear, cosmetic damage that does not affect habitability.
If your housing association has missed its own stated timescale, say so in your letter. Failing to meet a self-imposed deadline is itself a failing that the Housing Ombudsman takes into account. In two-thirds of upheld repair complaints, poor record-keeping and failure to follow through on commitments were key factors.
Before You Write: Document Everything
A complaint letter backed by specific, dated evidence is far more effective than a general expression of frustration. Before writing, gather:
The date you first reported the repair, and every subsequent report, including the method (phone call, online form, email, in person)
Any reference numbers you were given for the repair
Any appointments that were made and not kept, or that resulted in no work being done
Any written communication from the housing association about the repair
Photographs of the disrepair, dated where possible
Any medical evidence if the disrepair has affected your health or the health of household members
A note of how the disrepair is affecting your daily life: rooms you cannot use, belongings damaged, sleep disruption, impact on children
Keep a running written record from this point forward. Note every phone call, every visit, every promise made. This record is your evidence if the matter escalates to the Housing Ombudsman or to court.
How to Structure Your Repair Complaint Letter
Address It to the Complaints Team
A letter addressed to the repairs team is a service request. A letter addressed to the complaints team is a formal complaint. The distinction matters because a formal complaint triggers specific obligations on the housing association under the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, which is now a statutory requirement for all social landlords. Under the Code, the housing association must acknowledge your complaint within five working days and provide a full response within ten working days.
State That It Is a Formal Complaint
Use those exact words in the subject line. Do not soften it to ‘concern’ or ‘query’. A formal complaint starts the clock on the required response timescales and creates the documented record you need to escalate to the Housing Ombudsman if the response is inadequate.
Describe the Disrepair Specifically
For each repair issue, state: what the problem is, where it is in the property, when you first reported it, every time you reported it subsequently, what the housing association did or failed to do in response, and the current state of the problem.
Reference the Legal Obligations
Reference Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 as applicable. If the issue is damp or mould, reference Awaab’s Law. If the issue poses an immediate health hazard, note that and state explicitly that you expect it to be treated as an emergency. This demonstrates that you know your rights and that you understand the legal framework the housing association is operating under.
State What You Want and When
Be specific. Ask for the repair to be completed within a defined timescale, for a written response within ten working days, and for confirmation of who will be responsible for carrying out the work and when the appointment will be. If the repair has caused damage to your belongings or affected your health, note this and state that you reserve the right to claim compensation.
Full Worked Example
[Your full name]
[Your address including property reference if known]
[Your tenancy reference number]
[Date]
Complaints Team
[Housing association name]
[Address or email]
Subject: Formal Complaint – Unresolved Repairs – [Your address]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to make a formal complaint about the failure of [housing association name] to carry out repairs at my property. Despite repeated reports over [timeframe], the repairs have not been completed and the condition of my home continues to deteriorate.
The repairs in dispute
[Repair 1: Damp and mould in bedroom]
I first reported damp and mould in the main bedroom on [date] by [method: phone call / online form / email]. I was given reference number [number]. No inspection was carried out. I reported the issue again on [date] and was told an inspection would be arranged within [timeframe]. No appointment was made. As of today the mould has spread to [describe extent: two walls / the ceiling / the adjacent room]. My [child’s / partner’s / my own] health has been affected: [describe the health impact if applicable]. I attach photographs taken on [date] showing the current extent of the mould.
Under Awaab’s Law, [housing association name] is required to investigate reports of damp and mould within 14 days of a report. This requirement has not been met. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, the property must be fit for human habitation throughout the tenancy. The extent of the mould in its current state does not meet this standard.
[Repair 2: Broken boiler / no heating]
My central heating stopped working on [date]. I reported this as an emergency on [date] at [time] by [method]. I was given reference number [number] and told an engineer would attend within 24 hours. No one attended. I called again on [date] and was told the appointment had not been booked correctly. An engineer attended on [date] but was unable to fix the fault and ordered a part. No further appointment has been made. It is now [X weeks / days] since the heating failed and my home has had no heating during this period.
A total loss of heating is classified as an emergency repair requiring a response within 24 hours under your own repairs policy. This has not been met. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, [housing association name] is required to keep the installation for space heating in repair and proper working order.
Impact on my household
[Describe the practical impact: I have been unable to use the bedroom due to the mould. I have been sleeping in the living room for [X weeks]. The mould has damaged [describe: clothing / furniture / bedding]. My [child] has been coughing persistently since the mould appeared / I have had to use electric heaters at my own expense, costing approximately £[amount] per week. My [child / elderly parent] is particularly vulnerable because [reason].]
What I am asking for
I am asking [housing association name] to: carry out a full inspection of the damp and mould within 14 days of this letter in accordance with Awaab’s Law; provide a written schedule of works setting out what repairs will be carried out and by when; complete all repairs within [28 days / a timeframe appropriate to the urgency of the issues]; and provide a written response to this formal complaint within ten working days as required by the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
I also reserve the right to claim compensation for [damage to my belongings / the cost of alternative heating / the impact on my health and quality of life] caused by the housing association’s failure to carry out the repairs in a timely manner.
If this complaint is not resolved satisfactorily, I will escalate to the Housing Ombudsman and, if appropriate, contact my local council’s Environmental Health team.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Contact details]
[Attachments: photographs dated [date], list of repair reports with dates and reference numbers, any correspondence received from [housing association name]]
What Happens After You Send the Letter
Under the Housing Ombudsman’s statutory Complaint Handling Code, the housing association must acknowledge your complaint within five working days and provide a full stage one response within ten working days. If the response is unsatisfactory, you can escalate to stage two of their internal process. Most housing associations have a two-stage complaints process before you can go to the Ombudsman.
If the housing association does not respond within the required timescales, or if the stage two response does not resolve the complaint, you can refer the matter to the Housing Ombudsman. You can also approach the Ombudsman if eight weeks have passed since the initial complaint with no resolution. The Housing Ombudsman’s service is free and independent.
Escalation Routes if the Letter Does Not Work
The Housing Ombudsman
The Housing Ombudsman Service investigates complaints about social landlords including housing associations. The service is free. The Ombudsman can order the housing association to carry out repairs, to pay compensation, to apologise and to review its procedures. You must have completed the housing association’s internal complaints process before the Ombudsman will investigate, unless eight weeks have passed without resolution. The Ombudsman publishes its decisions publicly, naming the landlord, which acts as an additional incentive for housing associations to engage properly with complaints.
Environmental Health
Your local council’s Environmental Health team can inspect your property and serve an improvement notice on the housing association if it identifies a Category 1 hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Common Category 1 hazards include severe damp and mould, unsafe heating, electrical hazards and structural problems. Contact Environmental Health in parallel with your complaint to the housing association if the disrepair is affecting your health or safety.
Legal Action
If the housing association has failed to carry out repairs despite your formal complaint and Ombudsman involvement, you can bring a claim for breach of the implied covenant to repair (Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) or under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 in the County Court. Under the Homes Act, you can also claim an injunction requiring the work to be done. This route is usually a last resort and obtaining legal advice before proceeding is recommended. Shelter’s legal advisers can help you understand whether your case is suitable for court action.
Getting Help
Free advice on housing association repairs and your legal rights is available from Shelter (0808 800 4444) and Citizens Advice. Shelter’s online guidance on repairs in social housing is comprehensive and regularly updated. If you want help drafting a repair complaint letter that references the correct legal framework, describes the disrepair specifically and makes it clear you understand your rights, the team at LetterLab can help you get it right before you send it.
Quick Checklist: Before You Send
Is the letter addressed to the complaints team, not the repairs team?
Does the subject line say ‘formal complaint’?
Have you described each repair issue separately with dates of every report you made?
Have you referenced Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and / or the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018?
If the issue involves damp or mould, have you referenced Awaab’s Law and the 14-day investigation requirement?
Have you described the impact on your household?
Have you asked for specific repairs within a specific timescale?
Have you asked for a written response within ten working days?
Have you noted that you will escalate to the Housing Ombudsman if the complaint is not resolved?
Have you attached photographs and a record of all previous reports?
The Key Takeaway: Report It Formally, Reference the Law, Follow Through
Housing associations have more legal obligations around repairs than many tenants realise. Section 11, the Homes Act 2018 and now Awaab’s Law create a framework of enforceable duties that go well beyond what most housing associations would prefer tenants to know about.
A formal written complaint that names these laws, describes the disrepair specifically and sets a clear deadline for response is a fundamentally different document from an email saying the boiler is broken again. Write it formally. Reference the law. Send it to the complaints team. And if the housing association still does not act, the Housing Ombudsman is there to enforce the standards the law requires.
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