Your Right to Repair: The Scheme Explained

The Right to Repair scheme gives secure council tenants in England a legal right to have certain small, urgent repairs carried out quickly. If your landlord misses the statutory deadline, you can ask for an alternative contractor or claim compensation. Our analysis of 16,224 published Housing Ombudsman decisions shows repairs delays feature in 11,274 determinations — one of the most common themes residents raise.

What is the Right to Repair scheme?

The Right to Repair scheme is a set of legal rights for secure tenants of local councils in England. It was introduced to make sure that small urgent repairs — those that affect your health, safety or security — are completed within set timescales. The scheme applies to a specific list of "qualifying repairs" and sets a maximum cost limit for each job.

If you report a qualifying repair and the council does not complete it within the statutory timescale, you have two main options. First, you can ask the council to appoint an alternative approved contractor to do the work within the same timescale. Second, if the repair is still not done, you may be entitled to claim compensation. The amount is fixed by law and increases the longer the delay continues, up to a statutory maximum.

The scheme is separate from the Housing Ombudsman. The Ombudsman looks at the overall handling of your complaint and can make broad orders, including compensation for maladministration. The Right to Repair is a statutory entitlement for specific qualifying repairs that miss their deadline, and you do not need a finding of maladministration to claim it. You can use both routes if they apply to your situation.

Which repairs qualify for Right to Repair?

Qualifying repairs are those that affect your health, safety or security and fall below a statutory cost limit. They are set out in law and cover issues such as:

• total or partial loss of electric power
• unsafe power sockets or electrical fittings
• total or partial loss of water supply
• total or partial loss of gas supply
• blocked flue to an open fire or boiler
• loss of heating or hot water, depending on the time of year
• blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack or toilet
• toilet not flushing when there is only one in the property
• blocked sink, bath or basin
• tap that cannot be turned
• leak from a water pipe, tank or cistern
• leaking roof
• insecure external window, door or lock
• loose or detached banister or handrail
• rotten timber flooring or stair tread
• door entry phone not working
• mechanical extractor fan not working

Each qualifying repair has a statutory response time measured in working days. The most urgent issues — such as a total loss of power or water, an insecure external door, or a blocked toilet when there is only one — must be started within one working day. Other issues, such as a blocked sink, loose handrail, or rotten stair tread, have a longer timescale. The longest statutory timescale is seven working days for repairs such as a broken extractor fan or a leaking roof.

Repairs that are above the statutory cost limit, or that involve improvements rather than repairs, do not qualify. Neither do repairs caused by tenant damage or neglect, or repairs to shared parts of a building that are the responsibility of a third party. If you are unsure whether your repair qualifies, ask your council when you report it. The council should tell you whether the repair is on the statutory list and what the timescale is.

How much compensation under Right to Repair?

If the council fails to complete a qualifying repair within the statutory timescale, you may be entitled to compensation. The scheme sets a fixed starting amount and adds a daily amount for each further working day the repair remains outstanding, up to a statutory cap.

The compensation is not based on the cost of the repair or on the impact the delay had on you. It is a statutory entitlement that exists simply because the deadline was missed. If you are in rent arrears or owe money to the council, the compensation may be offset against that debt before any remainder is paid to you.

This statutory compensation is separate from any award the Housing Ombudsman might make. The Ombudsman can order compensation for maladministration — for example, if the council repeatedly missed its own timescales, failed to keep records, or left you without an essential service for a prolonged period. That compensation reflects the severity and duration of the failing and its impact on you. You can read more about how the Ombudsman approaches compensation in our compensation guide, and you can browse the responsive repairs compensation data to see the range of past awards.

How do I use the Right to Repair scheme?

Step one is to report the repair to your council. Most councils accept reports online, by phone and by email. When you report a repair, ask whether it qualifies under the Right to Repair scheme and what the statutory timescale is. The council should tell you and give you a reference number. Keep a record of your report, the reference number, and the promised completion date. If you report online, take a screenshot of your submission.

If the repair is not started within the statutory timescale, contact the council again in writing and ask it to appoint an alternative approved contractor. The alternative contractor has the same amount of time to complete the repair as the original contractor had. You cannot simply use your own contractor unless the council agrees.

If the alternative contractor also fails to complete the repair in time, you can claim compensation. The council should have a claim form or process for this. Make your claim in writing, quoting your original reference number and the dates the repair was reported and missed. Keep copies of everything.

If the council refuses to pay or disputes whether the repair qualified, you can escalate through the council's formal complaints process. Stage 1 complaints should be acknowledged promptly and responded to within ten working days. If you are not satisfied, you can ask for a Stage 2 review. Once the internal process is complete — or if the council fails to respond — you can take your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. For a full walkthrough, see our guide on how to complain about your housing association.

What if the repair is not done in time?

If the repair is not done within the statutory timescale, start by chasing the council in writing. Quote your reference number, remind the council of the deadline, and ask for an alternative contractor or compensation under the Right to Repair scheme. Keep a diary of every contact: dates, names, and what was promised. Take dated photographs showing the problem is still unresolved.

If the council still does not act, escalate through its formal complaints process. You can also contact your local council's environmental health team if the disrepair is a health or safety hazard. Environmental health has powers to inspect hazards and can require the landlord to carry out works. This runs alongside the complaints process.

If the matter remains unresolved after the council's internal process, you can bring your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. The service is free and you do not need a solicitor. The Ombudsman will check that your complaint is within its jurisdiction, gather evidence, and reach a determination on each part of your complaint. If it finds maladministration, it can order the council to apologise, carry out the repair, pay compensation, review its policy, and train staff. For more on what maladministration means, see our what is maladministration guide.

Does Right to Repair apply to housing association tenants?

No. The Right to Repair scheme applies only to secure tenants of local councils in England. Housing association tenants are not covered by the statutory scheme.

If you are a housing association tenant and your landlord is not carrying out repairs, you still have rights. Your landlord must carry out repairs within a reasonable time, and you can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman if it does not. The Ombudsman can order compensation and other remedies where it finds maladministration. See our guide on what to do if your landlord won't fix repairs and our responsive repairs issue page for more information.

Who the scheme covers — and who it does not

The Right to Repair scheme applies to secure tenants of local councils in England. If you are a council tenant and your tenancy agreement says you are a secure tenant, you are likely covered. Some council tenants with different tenancy types — such as introductory or demoted tenancies — may not be covered. Check your tenancy agreement or ask your council if you are unsure.

The scheme does not apply to housing association tenants, private tenants, leaseholders, or most temporary tenants. It also does not cover repairs that are above the statutory cost limit, improvements or adaptations, repairs caused by tenant damage or neglect, or repairs to shared parts of a building where the landlord is not the council.

If you are not covered by the Right to Repair scheme but your landlord is failing to carry out repairs, you can still complain. Keep records, chase in writing, and use the Housing Ombudsman if the landlord does not put things right. You may also have rights under your tenancy agreement or under general housing law. Our guide on how long a landlord has to fix repairs explains the broader rules.

Repairs delays in Housing Ombudsman decisions

Repairs delays are one of the most common issues raised in complaints to the Housing Ombudsman. Our analysis of published determinations shows that repairs delays feature in a large number of cases, making them one of the most frequent themes residents raise.

The Ombudsman has found maladministration where landlords failed to complete repairs within their own stated timescales, failed to keep adequate records of repair requests, repeatedly cancelled appointments, or left residents without essential services for extended periods. In serious cases, the Ombudsman has ordered substantial compensation as well as apologies, policy reviews, and staff training.

If your council is repeatedly missing repair deadlines or not responding to your reports, that pattern can amount to maladministration. You can browse responsive repairs decisions to see how the Ombudsman has handled similar cases, or explore our severe maladministration rankings to see which landlords have the most serious findings.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Council housing repairs — for tenant rights and the Right to Repair scheme
• Housing Ombudsman Service — for complaints guidance and determinations
• Legislation.gov.uk — for the Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994

This page is an information resource and does not constitute legal advice. If you need support with a repair complaint, free advice is available from Citizens Advice and Shelter.