Council House Leaks: A Tenant's Guide
Housing Repair Help Editorial Team · Reclaim Experts Ltd is a Claims Management Company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1030701. You do not have to use a claims management company to pursue a complaint or explore your legal options. You can report repair problems directly to your landlord. If you have an unresolved housing complaint, eligible tenants can also use the Housing Ombudsman Service free of charge: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/residents/.
Published 28 August 2026. Last reviewed and updated 28 August 2026.
If water is coming through your ceiling, a pipe keeps dripping behind a cupboard or a leaking roof has left damp patches spreading across a wall, you may be entitled to have the repair carried out properly and to claim compensation — with no upfront cost. Leaks rarely stay small: within weeks they cause damp, black mould, ruined belongings and electrical risks. Because leaks affect the structure and the water installations, they are your landlord's responsibility to trace and fix.
Has your council failed to fix a leak?
Begin your housing disrepair claim. First, a few questions about your home — then we'll take you through the rest.
Who is your landlord?
Not ready to start your claim?
Who is Housing Repair Help?
The facts about who we are, how we work and what you pay, set out plainly.
Who operates the service
Housing Repair Help is a trading style of Reclaim Experts Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 16058317) with its registered office at Innovation Centre, 49 Oxford Street, Leicester, LE1 5XY.
FCA status
Reclaim Experts Ltd is a Claims Management Company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1030701. You can check its entry on the FCA Register. It is also registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration number ZB869483).
What our role is
We provide free, plain-English information about housing disrepair, run a free eligibility check based on the details and evidence you provide, and help organise photos, reports and correspondence into a clear case file. Housing Repair Help is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation.
What happens after you submit an enquiry
Every enquiry is reviewed against the same criteria before it is passed on: whether the disrepair falls within the landlord's repairing obligations, whether the landlord was told about the problem and given a reasonable chance to fix it, the severity of the problem, the quality of the evidence, and how long it has continued. If your case is not suitable we tell you and point you to free routes such as the Housing Ombudsman Service, Citizens Advice and Shelter.
Our relationship with the solicitor
Suitable cases are introduced to specialist housing disrepair solicitors on our panel. Those firms are independent of us and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They decide whether to take a case on, and any legal advice comes from them once they have been formally instructed and a client care agreement is in place.
How referrals work
When a case is suitable, we pass it to a specialist housing disrepair solicitor on our panel. Reclaim Experts Ltd receives a fee from the solicitor for any successful recommendation. You are never charged for the introduction.
What you pay
You pay nothing to Housing Repair Help. We do not charge tenants a fee for our eligibility check or our introduction service.
What "No Win No Fee" means
The solicitors on our panel may offer to run your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement. Under such an agreement, the solicitor's fee is only payable if your claim succeeds, and is then usually recovered from your compensation. If your claim does not succeed, you do not pay the solicitor a fee for their time. The solicitor will explain the full terms before you sign anything, and you are free to choose a solicitor of your own instead.
Who Is Responsible for the Leak?
The Council's Responsibility
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes the council responsible for the structure and exterior — roofs, gutters, downpipes, external walls and windows — and for the installations supplying water, gas, electricity and sanitation.
That covers leaking roofs, burst or corroded pipework, failed seals around baths and showers, blocked or broken drains, and water coming from a flat above.
The Tenant's Responsibility
Tenants are generally expected to report leaks promptly, use the property responsibly, and take reasonable steps to limit damage — for example placing a bucket under a drip and moving belongings out of the way.
Damage you caused deliberately or through clear misuse may be recharged, but ordinary wear, ageing pipework and structural failures are not your liability.
Reported a leak that still hasn't been fixed?
If your council was told about a leak, damp patch or damaged ceiling and hasn't put it right, you may be entitled to repairs and compensation.
Start Your ClaimFCA Regulated Claims Management Company FRN: 1030701
No obligation.
Not ready to start your claim?
Common Types of Leak in Council Homes
Leaking Roof
Missing tiles, failed flat-roof felt or damaged flashing letting rain into upstairs rooms
Burst or Corroded Pipes
Ageing pipework under floors and behind walls that drips or fails suddenly
Leak From the Flat Above
Water coming through the ceiling from a neighbour's bathroom or kitchen
Failed Bath & Shower Seals
Perished sealant and grout letting water soak into floors and ceilings below
Blocked Gutters & Downpipes
Overflowing rainwater running down external walls and soaking through
Broken Drains & Waste Pipes
Leaking soil pipes and underground drains causing smells and penetrating damp
How Long Should a Leak Repair Take?
| Situation | Typical target |
|---|---|
| Uncontainable leak or burst pipe | Emergency — attend within 24 hours |
| Water leaking near electrics or light fittings | Emergency — make safe immediately |
| Containable leak (drips into a bucket) | Urgent — often 3–7 working days |
| Leaking roof causing damp patches | Routine repair — commonly up to 28 days |
| Making good plaster, ceilings and decoration | After drying out — planned follow-up works |
A repair is not complete when the leak stops — the damage it caused must be made good too. Read more about landlord repair timescales in England and Wales.
What an Unrepaired Leak Does to Your Home
Penetrating Damp
Tide marks, blown plaster and permanently wet walls where water keeps entering
Black Mould
Mould spreading across ceilings, walls and belongings within weeks of a leak
Electrical Danger
Water reaching wiring, sockets or light fittings creates a serious safety risk
Ceiling Collapse
Saturated plasterboard that bows, cracks and can eventually come down
Ruined Belongings
Damaged furniture, carpets, clothing, electricals and personal items
Health Effects
Damp and mould can trigger asthma and respiratory illness, especially in children
Leaks are the most common cause of damp and mould in social housing. see our guide on what to do if your landlord ignores damp and mould.
How to Report a Leak to the Council
Report It the Same Day
Make It Safe
Photograph Everything
Ask for the Cause to Be Traced
Use the Formal Complaints Process
Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman
Long-running leaks are one of the most common grounds for disrepair claims against councils and housing associations. If your landlord was told and the leak or the damage it caused has not been put right in a reasonable time, you may be able to make a disrepair claim. Our panel of fully vetted no win, no fee housing disrepair solicitors specialise in this area.
Has your council ignored a leak in your home?
If you reported a leak and the council failed to act, you could be entitled to have the repairs done and to claim compensation for the damage. Start your claim — no upfront cost.
Start Your ClaimFCA Regulated Claims Management Company FRN: 1030701
No obligation.
Not ready to start your claim?
Evidence That Strengthens a Claim
Dated Photos & Videos
The leak in progress, spreading damp patches, mould and damaged ceilings
Written Correspondence
Emails and letters showing when you reported it and what the council replied
Inspection Reports
Council surveyor findings or environmental health notices about the property
Repair History
Job numbers, missed appointments and repeat visits for the same leak
Receipts & Valuations
Costs of replacing damaged furniture, carpets, clothing and electricals
Medical Evidence
GP records where damp and mould have affected your family's health
When a Leak May Lead to a Claim
If the council was notified of a leak and failed to repair it, or failed to make good the resulting damage, within a reasonable time, tenants may be able to seek compensation for:
Damaged belongings, furniture, carpets and decoration
Loss of use of rooms affected by water damage or mould
Inconvenience and distress from living with an ongoing leak
Health impacts caused by damp and mould
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Further Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
This article provides general information about housing issues in England and Wales and does not constitute legal advice. Legal services may be provided by independent solicitors where appropriate.