Landlord Not Fixing a Leak? What Tenants Can Do
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/.
A leaking roof, burst pipe, or dripping tap might seem minor at first, but if left unrepaired, leaks can cause serious damage to a rented property — and to a tenant's health and belongings. Under the law in England and Wales, landlords are generally responsible for maintaining the structure and plumbing.
Types of Leaks in Rented Properties
Roof Leaks
Water entering through damaged tiles, flashing, or guttering causing extensive ceiling and wall damage
Pipe Leaks
Burst or corroded pipes causing flooding, damp, and mould behind walls and under floors
Plumbing Leaks
Dripping taps, leaking toilets, and faulty connections causing ongoing damp
Window Leaks
Poorly sealed or damaged windows allowing rainwater to enter and damage frames
Boiler Leaks
A leaking boiler — both a safety hazard and a source of water damage
Signs That a Leak May Be Serious
Water stains on ceilings or walls that grow over time
Damp patches that don't dry out
Mould growth around the area of the leak
Bubbling or peeling paint and wallpaper
A musty or damp smell in affected rooms
Warped or damaged flooring
Reporting a Leak to Your Landlord
Put It in Writing
Document the Damage
Follow Up Regularly
Contact Your Council
If your landlord continues to ignore the leak, you can report the issue to your local council. Environmental health officers can inspect and may require the landlord to make repairs.
If a Leak Was Caused by a Failure to Do Repairs
In some circumstances, a leak into your home may be because of a failure to make repairs in a neighbour's home or a communal area.
Failure to Make Repairs in Another Flat
If you share the same landlord with your neighbour and the cause of the leak or flood was a failure to make repairs in their flat which is your landlord's responsibility to repair, your landlord could also be responsible for the effects of the leak or flood.
The landlord may be responsible if your neighbour reported the need for repair to them but they didn't do anything about it. In these circumstances, as well as being responsible for repairing damage to your home, your landlord is also likely to be responsible for damage to your belongings and any loss or inconvenience you've suffered.
Failure to Make Repairs in a Communal Area
If your landlord is responsible for a communal area and the leak comes from there because of a failure to make repairs — for example, leaking service pipes — then your landlord is responsible for repairing damage to your home.
In these circumstances, your landlord is also likely to be responsible for damage to your belongings and any loss or inconvenience you've suffered.
Because communal areas of buildings are considered to be in your landlord's control, you're not required to give notice of the need for repairs in these areas in the same way as if the problem was in your home. This means your landlord becomes responsible for fixing repairs to common parts straightaway.
Repeated Leaks from a Neighbour's Flat
If you're having problems with repeated leaks because of something that a neighbour is doing or not doing, it's their or their landlord's responsibility to repair it. For example, a problem with your neighbour's washing machine causes it to leak into your home when used and your neighbour fails to get it fixed.
It's best to try and resolve the problem between yourselves, so speaking to your neighbour is the best first step. If you find that difficult, a local mediator might be able to help. Ultimately, you could take court action for nuisance or negligence and get an injunction. You would need specialist help to do this.
If you and your neighbour share the same landlord you could also ask for their help with the problem. If your landlord is a social housing landlord and they fail to help you, you could make a complaint.
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.
Is your landlord ignoring a leak?
If you've reported a leak and your landlord has failed to act, you can submit your details to see whether your situation qualifies for further review.
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Evidence That Supports a Leak Claim
Photos & Videos
Dated images of the leak and resulting damage
Correspondence
Written messages with your landlord
Council Reports
Environmental health inspection findings
Receipts
For damaged belongings or emergency repairs
Medical Evidence
If damp from the leak has affected health
When a Leak May Lead to a Claim
If your landlord has been notified and failed to repair the leak within a reasonable time, and it has caused you inconvenience, damage, or health problems, you may be able to make a housing disrepair claim. Tenants may seek compensation for:
The inconvenience and disruption of living with a leak
Damage to personal belongings
Health impacts caused by resulting damp and mould
Any additional costs incurred
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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.