Private tenant information

If your property needs repair

If you are a private tenant renting from a private or social landlord or managing agent, you may sometimes experience issues with the property you rent or with your landlord. This includes if you live in a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

It’s nearly always faster to let your landlord/agent deal with the issue. To do this, always in report these problems to your landlord and/or agent as soon as you become aware of them. Always make sure any complaints are put into writing. Even if you originally phoned them.

Be flexible in providing access to them and their tradespersons. Allow a reasonable time for them to organise and carry out repairs. If you can not be at the property when repairs or investigations are being carried out, and you want someone there, then please try to organise for a friend or relative to be at the property instead of you.  

Reporting problems in writing and at the earliest opportunities will often resolve problems quickly.

The London Borough of Redbridge as the local housing authority may be able to assist you to resolve disrepair or similar issues.

 

What we can do to help

If you are experiencing problems relating to disrepair, or where you believe the property you rent fails to comply with minimum standards, there are steps you can take to resolve the issue. The following provides a step by step guide on how you can achieve a resolution or otherwise how the Councils Housing Standards team will remediate by either informal intervention or where necessary by enforcement action.

Step 1

If you are unable to resolve the problem with the landlord or agent, you can contact us using our online form to 'Report a rental property'.

We will need to see a copy of the correspondence you have sent to your landlord or managing agent, together with their response (if any).

We will then write to your landlord or managing agent to explain that a complaint has been received.

Step 2

If your landlord or managing agent fails to respond and the issues complained of persist, it is important that you let us know.

We will then arrange a convenient time for a Housing Enforcement Officer to visit your property and carry out an inspection.  We are required by law to give you and the landlord at least 24 hours’ notice before we can inspect.

Step 3

Housing Enforcement Officer’s inspection will normally include looking at the external front and rear of the property and they may need access to all the rooms in the property in order to properly assess the property condition. This is because there may be issues or hazards, they have identified, which you may not be aware of. They will be making notes and taking photos of any items of disrepair or hazards present. They will be happy to explain what they are doing and will take you views and concern into consideration.

We would respectfully ask that you clear away any items that block doors, or prevent access to electrical or gas meters, fuse boxes etc. This is to help facilitate their inspection. It is important that they witness the issues first hand, so they are able to take legal action later on, if required.

Step 4

The Housing Enforcement Officer will then assess any hazards that present a serious risk to your safety or that of your family. And assess if there have been any breaches of any property licence conditions or HMO management regulations. They will contact your landlord or managing agent, to inform them of their findings and detail the remedial action they must take to rectify the situation.

The action we take at this stage will be proportionate to the disrepair identified, allowing your landlord a reasonable opportunity to undertake the repairs required. If the Housing Enforcement Officer assess it to be a ‘category 1’ hazard they will normally serve a legal notice/order requiring the works to be carried out by a certain date. You will receive a copy of this notice or order.

Step 5

If your landlord is not carrying out the repairs, during the time they should be, please contact the Housing Enforcement Officer dealing with your case.

Once the deadline of the notice or order has passed, the Housing Enforcement Officer will contact you and the landlord to arrange a follow up visit to check on the works.

If the works are not completed or no works have taken place. The Housing Enforcement Officer will take action to enforce the notice or order, if the landlord/agent does not have a reasonable excuse. The enforcement may result in a Financial Penalty Notice of up to £30,000 or Prosecution in Magistrates court. They will also still be required to carry out the work.

You may be able to claim a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) back from your landlord, if they have committed certain offences, please see out dedicated webpage for details.

 

Co-operation With Your Landlord and Rent Payment

Whilst any complaint against your landlord is being investigated, It is important that you do not withhold your rent. This may result in your landlord or managing agent applying for possession of the property and you may then be considered as intentionally homeless. You may not then be eligible for rehousing assistance from the Council.

You must also cooperate with your landlord and allow reasonable access for any works to be carried out to remedy the issues that you have raised. If you do not act reasonably this will likely mean we cannot take legal action against a landlord or have to serve a hazard awareness notice, which does not require any works to be carried out.

 

What we can’t do:

• Where a complaint relating to disrepair is received, we cannot normally intervene unless we have evidence that the matter has first been brought to the attention of the landlord.
• We cannot make arrangements for alternative accommodation for you or your family.
• We cannot authorise or help you or your family get Council Housing or Accommodation.  To do this please contact our Housing Advice and Options colleagues.
• We cannot intervene in landlord and tenant disputes that do not relate to disrepair of failure by a landlord to comply with property licensing or conditions relating to a property licence.
• Matters relating to anti-social behaviour (ASB) is primarily dealt with by the Community Protection Team/or the Police. Where ASB relates to a licensed property the Housing Standards Team will work jointly with the Community Protection Team/or Police to assist in resolving issues.
• Matters relating to the threat of illegal eviction is addressed by the Councils Housing Needs Service.
• Deal with disrepair in Council Housing.

 

Council Tenants

If you are a Council tenant and the matter relates specifically to disrepair, you should contact Housing Management using their online report it form to request a repair.

 

Anti-Social Behaviour Complaints

If the matter relates to anti-social behaviour, for example a neighbour dispute, noise nuisance or fly tipping you should contact visit our dedicated ASB page where you will be able to report your ASB complaint.

 

Tenants Handbook

The tenants handbook is a great source of information, if you are already renting or are thinking about renting privately. There is useful content about how to rent, tenant rights and responsibilities and what to do if you experience any problems.

 

Advice on managing your money 

If you have money worries or need support managing you finances, our Advice managing your money page can provide further information on advice and help available. 

Our Home improvement grants page provides advice and information on what grants you or your landlord may be entitled to.