A clearer repair pathway for social housing tenants

Poor housing conditions are widespread, and records matter

The English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025 found surveyor-assessed damp in 6% of homes overall, including 9% of local authority homes and 6% of housing association homes. Household-reported condensation, damp or mould was higher still. These figures describe England as a whole; they do not determine what is happening in any individual home.

A clear repair history helps a landlord understand the problem and helps a complaint reviewer see what was reported, when access was offered, what work was attempted, and what remains unresolved.

Sources: GOV.UK; Housing Ombudsman

Report it. Record it. Escalate it.

1. 1

   Report it through an official channel

   Tell your council or housing association what is wrong, which rooms are affected, when it began, and whether there is an immediate safety risk. Ask for a reference number and expected next action.

2. 2

   Record the response

   Keep copies of reports, replies, appointments, access offered, contractor visits, photographs, temporary fixes, and any recurrence after work.

3. 3

   Escalate unresolved work

   Use the landlord's formal complaints process when repair handling remains unresolved. If the landlord's complaints process does not resolve it, check when the Housing Ombudsman can help.

Sources: Shelter England; Housing Ombudsman

Choose the guidance that matches your landlord

• Council tenant: use the council repairs guide for repair reporting, complaints, and escalation records.
• Housing association tenant: use the housing association guide to keep the repair and complaint trails connected.
• Private tenant: use the private landlord guide, because the complaints and ombudsman routes can be different.
• Social tenant with an emergency hazard or significant damp or mould: read the current Awaab's Law guide.

Source: GOV.UK

Build a repair record you can actually use

The free repair timeline and room impact diary on this site work in your current browser tab. RentDoctor does not receive the information entered into either tool unless you later choose to start the guided case process and enter information there yourself.

• A dated list of every repair report and complaint reference
• Wide and close photographs showing room context and detail
• Appointments offered, access provided, missed visits, and contractor notes
• What changed after each repair and whether the problem returned
• Rooms that could not be used normally and practical costs caused by the condition