Council and housing association tenants in England
Structural problems and roof repairs your landlord hasn’t fixed
Cracks, falling plaster, roof damage and unsafe stairs or floors: 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 · Awaab’s Law: from 30 November 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
Structure and roof: what your landlord should fix
- 01Cracks in walls or ceilings
- 02Falling or bulging plaster, sagging ceilings
- 03Roof damage, missing tiles, leaking flat roofs
- 04Broken or unsafe stairs, floors, banisters and balconies
- 05Crumbling brickwork or render, subsidence
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
Repairs to the building
Your landlord must keep the structure and outside of your home in repair: roof, walls, floors, ceilings, stairs, windows and external doors.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 - 02
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 rotten ceiling joists at high risk of collapse and broken balcony railings as examples. From 30 November 2026 it also covers structural collapse and falls where they are a significant risk: 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 - 03
Keeping your home fit to live in
Your home must be fit for human habitation for the whole tenancy. The law looks at repair and stability.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 10
Landlords compared
When the biggest landlords treat structural damage as an emergency
135 of the 306 councils and housing associations whose emergency repairs list we checked include structural or roof damage on it. Here’s what the biggest say, in their own words.
| Landlord | Counts as an emergency | Emergency target |
|---|---|---|
| Sanctuary Housing | A serious roof leak or major structural failure. Source | 24 hours |
| Places for People | A ceiling at risk of falling in. Source | 24 hours |
| Southern Housing | Structural damage after a severe storm. Source | 24 hours |
| Platform Housing Group | Your home can’t be secured, such as broken outside doors or windows, or structural damage. Source | 24 hours |
| Anchor | Dangerous structures or storm damage. Source | 4 to 24 hours |
| LiveWest | Something likely to injure someone, such as loose roof tiles or unsafe walls. Source | 24 hours |
| Thirteen | Dangerous structures, such as a collapsing wall or ceiling. Source | 24 hours |
| Jigsaw Homes | Dangerous structures. Source | 24 hours |
| Vivid | A leaking roof or unsafe structure. Source | 24 hours |
| Karbon Homes | A serious roof leak or major structural failure. Source | 24 hours |
| Gentoo | Storm damage, such as structural damage or fallen trees. Source | 24 hours |
| Sandwell Council | A leaking roof. 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 structure and roof
- 01Report it straight away, and say if a ceiling, stair or balcony looks unsafe: that can be an emergency.
- 02Take dated photos of cracks, with something for scale, and take more as they change.
- 03Keep a list of every report, reference number and visit.
- 04Keep damaged belongings, or photos and receipts for them.
- 05Complain if it isn’t fixed.
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 structure and roof
From Jan 2025 to Sep 2026, the Housing Ombudsman found a council or housing association at fault over structure and roof in 373 decisions. Where it ordered compensation, it was £700 in a typical case and £1,150 or more in one case in four, up to £5,000. Every case is different.
- Vivid: how it handled reports of repairs to the roof allowing entry for pests. Read the decisionService failure
£550 ordered - Lambeth Council: how it handled reports of noise and requests for sound proofing, Complaint handling. Read the decisionMaladministration
£700 ordered - Clarion Housing: how it handled response to concerns about subsidence and cracks. Read the decisionSevere maladministration
£100 ordered - B3Living: how it handled report of a ceiling collapse. Read the decisionMaladministration
£150 ordered - Manchester City Council: how it handled reports relating to roof repairs and damp and mould in the property. Read the decisionSevere maladministration
£2,621 ordered - South Tyneside Council: how it handled roof repairs, render, pointing, damp, mould, and associated work at the property. Read the decisionMaladministration
£1,900 ordered - Peabody: how it handled outstanding repairs to the first floor windows, a bathroom window, and the back door in the property. Read the decisionMaladministration
£200 ordered - L&Q: how it handled reports about cracked window and door glass. Read the decisionMaladministration
£600 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 structure and roof
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
Structure and roof: questions
Can I claim compensation for structural or roof repairs?
You could, if you reported it and your landlord didn’t fix it in a reasonable time. A claim can cover the time you lived with it, damage it caused and damaged belongings.
Check if you can claimIs a cracked or falling ceiling an emergency?
It can be. If a ceiling is sagging, bulging or has fallen, keep away from it and call your landlord’s emergency repairs line. Under Awaab’s Law a ceiling at high risk of collapse can be an emergency hazard that must be made safe within 24 hours.
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
- Lifts, shared areas and drainsLifts, shared areas, drains and anything else
Still waiting for your landlord to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.