Council and housing association tenants in England
Lifts, shared areas and drains your landlord hasn’t fixed
Broken lifts, blocked drains, toilets that don’t work and shared areas left in disrepair: what your council or housing association has to fix, and what you can do if it doesn’t.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistUpdated 9 October 2026
Has your landlord been told about it?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet your landlord’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to your landlord, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
What counts
Lifts, shared areas and drains: what your landlord should fix
- 01Lifts out of order
- 02Blocked drains, sewage or a toilet that won’t flush
- 03Broken toilets, baths, basins and sinks
- 04Broken door entry systems, communal lighting or stairwells
- 05Bin stores, rubbish chutes and gutters
Your landlord has to fix it once it knows about it, so reporting it is what starts the clock.
The law
What your landlord has to do
- 01
Drains, toilets and pipes
Your landlord must keep drains, gutters and external pipes in repair, and keep basins, sinks, baths and toilets working.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 - 02
Shared parts of the building
For tenancies that started on or after 15 January 1989, the duty also covers the structure and outside of the parts of the building your landlord owns or controls, and installations there that serve your home, where the disrepair affects your home or shared parts you’re entitled to use. Lifts, door entry and communal lighting are usually covered by your tenancy agreement too.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 - 03
Awaab’s Law
Since 27 October 2025, Awaab’s Law makes social landlords investigate and make safe any emergency hazard within 24 hours. The government’s guidance gives a total loss of water supply as an example. If it’s a significant damp or mould hazard, or from 30 November 2026 a domestic hygiene hazard, your landlord must investigate within 10 working days, then give you a written summary within 3 working days and do the work to make you safe within 5 working days of the investigation ending.
GOV.UK: Awaab’s Law guidance for social landlords
Landlords compared
When the biggest landlords treat a lift, drain or toilet as an emergency
195 of the 306 councils and housing associations whose emergency repairs list we checked include lifts, shared areas or drains on it. Here’s what the biggest say, in their own words.
| Landlord | Counts as an emergency | Emergency target |
|---|---|---|
| Clarion Housing | Severe drainage problems, blockages or water leaks that can't be left overnight. Source | 24 hours |
| Peabody | Toilet not working when it's the only toilet in the home; Blocked foul drains, toilets, boiler flues, or refuse chutes in high-rise blocks. Source | 4 hours |
| Sovereign Network Group | Your only toilet is broken. Source | 24 hours |
| Places for People | A blocked toilet that can’t be cleared, if it’s your only one. Source | 24 hours |
| Southern Housing | Blocked main drain or blocked only toilet; Lift breakdown. Source | 24 hours |
| Riverside | Blocked drains or sewage overflowing. Source | 12 hours |
| The Guinness Partnership | Your only toilet is broken; Lift not working. Source | 24 hours |
| Leeds City Council | Your only toilet is blocked. Source | 3 hours |
| Home Group | A broken toilet, if it’s your only one. Source | 24 hours |
| Platform Housing Group | A blocked toilet when it is the only toilet in your home. Source | 24 hours |
| Anchor | Blocked drains; Lifts not working. Source | 4 to 24 hours |
| Torus | Sewage overflowing into the home or communal areas. Source | 24 hours |
From each landlord’s own website, checked in October 2026. Each landlord’s page has its repair numbers and full emergency list.
What to do
What to do about lifts, shared areas and drains
- 01Report it, and say if it’s your only toilet or someone can’t use the stairs: most landlords treat that as an emergency.
- 02Ask neighbours to report shared problems too, and note their reference numbers.
- 03Take dated photos of the problem, and keep a list of every report and visit.
- 04Keep receipts for anything it cost you, such as taxis or deliveries while the lift was out.
- 05Complain if it isn’t fixed or keeps breaking down.
Find your landlord’s repairs line
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation, and get the work done.
Start your claimHousing Ombudsman
Ombudsman cases about lifts, shared areas and drains
From Jan 2025 to Sep 2026, the Housing Ombudsman found a council or housing association at fault over lifts, shared areas and drains in 236 decisions. Where it ordered compensation, it was £450 in a typical case and £815 or more in one case in four, up to £3,000. Every case is different.
- L&Q: how it handled problems with the communal lift. Read the decisionMaladministration
£300 ordered - Poplar HARCA: how it handled repairs to a communal lift. Read the decisionMaladministration
£300 ordered - Harlow Council: how it handled repairs to the communal entrance door and intercom system. Read the decisionMaladministration
£300 ordered - Peabody: how it handled reports of repairs, including to: an intercom communal stairs. Read the decisionMaladministration
£300 ordered - Camden Council: how it handled reports that the lifts in the building were out of service and that she had no hot water service failure in the landlord’s handling of the complaint We have made orders for the landlord to put things. Read the decisionService failure
£100 ordered - Anchor: how it handled communal maintenance and cleaning. Read the decisionMaladministration
£500 ordered - Hyde: how it handled reports of a leak and subsequent damp and mould in his bedroom. Read the decisionMaladministration
£1,000 ordered - Southwark Council: how it handled a leaking drainpipe, and subsequent damage to the bedroom wall’ In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme there was maladministration in the landlord’s complaint handling. Read the decisionMaladministration
£870 ordered
Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions. Compensation the Ombudsman ordered on a complaint, not the amount of a court claim. Ombudsman compensation by problem and landlord.
Claiming
Claiming compensation for lifts, shared areas and drains
If you reported it and your landlord didn’t fix it in a reasonable time, you could claim. A claim asks for the work to be done and for compensation, usually worked out as a share of the rent you paid while it wasn’t fixed. Three things decide how much.
- 01
How long
From when your landlord knew about it to when it was fixed, or today.
- 02
How much of your home
One room, or the whole home.
- 03
How badly
How much it affected your daily life and your belongings.
- 01You tell us what’s wrong, who your landlord is and when you reported it. About 2 minutes.
- 02We introduce you to a law firm on our panel, with your permission.
- 03They write to your landlord asking for the repairs and compensation. Under the court rules for housing conditions claims, your landlord should reply within 20 working days.
- 04If your claim succeeds, the work is done and compensation is paid to you.
Free to check, and we don’t charge you. If a solicitor takes your claim on, they work on a no win, no fee basis and must explain their fee in writing before you agree to anything. See fees
Questions
Lifts, shared areas and drains: questions
Can I claim compensation for a broken lift or shared area?
You could, if it affects your use of your home, it was reported, and your landlord didn’t fix it in a reasonable time.
Check if you can claimIs a blocked toilet an emergency repair?
If it’s your only toilet, most landlords treat it as an emergency. See the table above.
The lift has been broken for weeks. What can I do?
Report it, ask neighbours to report it too, and complain if it isn’t fixed. If you rely on the lift to get in and out of your home, say so.
Should I stop paying rent until it’s fixed?
No. Keep paying your rent: rent arrears can put your tenancy at risk. Report it, complain, and claim instead.
Other repair problems
Something else wrong?
- Damp and mouldBlack mould, condensation, damp walls and ceilings
- Leaks and waterRoof leaks, burst pipes, water coming through
- Heating and hot waterBroken boiler, no hot water, radiators not working
- ElectricsSockets, wiring, lights and fuse boxes
- Windows and doorsWon’t lock, won’t close, rotten frames, draughts
- PestsMice, rats, cockroaches and bedbugs
- Structure and roofCracks, falling plaster, unsafe ceilings and stairs
Still waiting for your landlord to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.