Council and housing association tenants in England
Broken windows or doors your landlord hasn’t fixed
Windows and doors that won’t lock, won’t close or let the weather in: 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
Windows and doors: what your landlord should fix
- 01Front or back doors that won’t lock or shut properly
- 02Windows that won’t open, close or lock
- 03Rotten frames, broken glass or misted double glazing
- 04Draughts and rain coming in round frames
- 05Broken window restrictors on upper floors
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 outside of your home
Your landlord must keep the structure and outside of your home in repair. Windows and external doors are part of it.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11 - 02
Keeping your home fit to live in
Your home must be fit for human habitation for the whole tenancy. The law looks at repair, damp, ventilation and natural light, and at hazards such as cold, falls and break-ins.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 9A - 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 broken external doors or windows that put your home’s security at risk as an example. From 30 November 2026 it also covers excess cold and falls, such as from an upper-floor window, 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
Landlords compared
When the biggest landlords treat a door or window as an emergency
217 of the 306 councils and housing associations whose emergency repairs list we checked include broken windows or doors on it. Here’s what the biggest say, in their own words.
| Landlord | Counts as an emergency | Emergency target |
|---|---|---|
| Sanctuary Housing | Making the home secure after a fire, domestic abuse incident or police activity. Source | 24 hours |
| Clarion Housing | Broken front door locks that lock you in or mean you can't secure your home. Source | 24 hours |
| Peabody | Windows, doors or locks that leave the home insecure, or being locked out. Source | 4 hours |
| Sovereign Network Group | Your home isn’t secure. Source | 24 hours |
| Places for People | A broken main door that stops you getting in or locking your home. Source | 24 hours |
| Southern Housing | Broken locks or security on doors or windows. Source | 24 hours |
| Riverside | A front door that won’t lock. Source | 12 hours |
| The Guinness Partnership | Doors or ground-floor windows that aren’t secure. Source | 24 hours |
| Leeds City Council | Damaged outside doors or windows leaving your home insecure. Source | 3 hours |
| Home Group | Your home can’t be made secure. 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 | Doors that won’t lock or unsafe glass. Source | 4 to 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 windows and doors
- 01Report it, and say if your home can’t be locked: most landlords treat that as an emergency.
- 02Take dated photos of rotten frames, broken glass, gaps and water coming in.
- 03Keep a list of every report, reference number and visit.
- 04Keep receipts for anything you paid for to make your home secure.
- 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 windows and doors
From Jan 2025 to Sep 2026, the Housing Ombudsman found a council or housing association at fault over windows and doors in 293 decisions. Where it ordered compensation, it was £600 in a typical case and £1,150 or more in one case in four, up to £5,000. Every case is different.
- Great Places: how it handled request for window replacement. Read the decisionMaladministration
£700 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 request for her neighbour’s video doorbell to be removed. Read the decisionMaladministration
£800 ordered - Bernicia: how it handled reports of repairs to her front and back doors and windows. Read the decisionMaladministration
£200 ordered - L&Q: how it handled reports about cracked window and door glass. Read the decisionMaladministration
£600 ordered - Livv Housing Group: how it handled reports about faults with external doors. Read the decisionMaladministration
£500 ordered - Harlow Council: how it handled repairs to the communal entrance door and intercom system. Read the decisionMaladministration
£300 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 windows and doors
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
Windows and doors: questions
Can I claim compensation for broken windows or doors?
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, damp or damage it caused, and extra heating costs.
Check if you can claimMy front door won’t lock. Is that an emergency?
For most landlords, yes: a home that can’t be secured is usually an emergency repair. See the table above, and call your landlord’s repairs line rather than reporting it online.
Who fixes a window broken in a break-in?
Report it straight away: your landlord must make your home secure and repair it. Many landlords only do this free if you give a police crime reference number; without one they may charge you.
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
- PestsMice, rats, cockroaches and bedbugs
- Structure and roofCracks, falling plaster, unsafe ceilings and stairs
- 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.