Independent · not part of Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Bristol City Council: the repairs phone numbers and emergency line, reporting a repair online, and how long the council has to fix it.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 5 October 2026 · How we checkSource: bristol.gov.uk
Has Bristol City Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Bristol’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
Emergency? If you smell gas, leave and call 0800 111 999 now. For a flood, fire or loss of power, Bristol’s emergency line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Bristol City Council
- 01Phone or report online. Emergencies are by phone only.
- 02Say what’s wrong and where. Mention damp, mould or anything dangerous straight away, and how long it’s been a problem.
- 03Get a reference number. Write it down with the date, and keep photos of the problem.
- 04Chase it if it’s late. If Bristol misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
- Damp and mould formDamp and mould must be reported online: digital.bristol.gov.uk/housing/report-a-problem-with-damp-or-mould
- WebchatReport a non-emergency repair or ask a repair question using the chat on the council’s report-a-repair page.
Emergency repairs
When to call Bristol straight away
Phone Bristol straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. Open 8.30am to 6pm. Use it for emergencies in these hours and for any repair you can’t report online. The number is in Bristol’s repair contacts.
- 01A health or safety risk, such as smashed glass or an electrical hazard
- 02A door or window that can’t be locked
- 03Total or partial loss of electricity, or an unsafe socket or fitting
- 04Total loss of water supply
- 05Total or partial loss of gas supply, or a blocked boiler or fire flue
- 06No heating or hot water
- 07A blocked or leaking drain or toilet, or the only toilet not flushing
- 08A leak from a pipe, tank or cistern that can’t be stopped
What counts as an emergency, from bristol.gov.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Bristol.
Timescales
How long Bristol City Council has to fix it
Bristol’s own targets, next to the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Bristol’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 24 hoursImmediate risk to health, safety or security. The council responds within 24 hours. | Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours |
| Urgent | 7 daysNot an emergency, but could affect your health, safety or home if left. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Standard | 35 daysRoutine, non-urgent repairs. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | Reports of damp and mould are investigated within 24 hours. A significant damp and mould hazard must be investigated within 10 working days and the home made safe within 5 working days after that (Awaab’s Law). | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Targets from bristol.gov.uk, checked 5 October 2026. Legal limits from GOV.UK guidance on Awaab’s Law.
Reported a repair and it still isn’t fixed? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimYour options
If Bristol City Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Bristol for you. It asks for the repairs to be done and claims compensation, usually worked out as a share of the rent you paid while the problem wasn’t fixed.
Start your claim 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 feesComplain
Complain to the council
This can get the council to look at the repair again. If you’re still unhappy, the Housing Ombudsman can order the council to put things right. In its recent decisions about Bristol, it ordered between £750 and £2,200 in compensation.
How to complain to BristolYou can do both: a complaint can carry on while a law firm makes your claim.
Complaining to the council
Every social landlord has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to the council
Acknowledged in writing within 5 working days, and your complaint handler contacts you within 10 working days of that.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
The council aims to finish its review and write to you with the outcome within 20 working days.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Bristol’s record
How Bristol City Council performs on repairs
Jul 2024: The regulator found serious failings, including over half of homes without a current electrical safety certificate, most homes not meeting smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules, about 3,000 outstanding fire safety actions, over 1,900 open damp and mould cases and more than 16,000 outstanding repairs.
of Bristol tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Bristol in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Bristol City Council
- How it handled water ingress repairs and an associated move to alternative accommodation.Maladministration
£750 ordered - How it handled reports of leaks, damp and mould and associated repairs.Severe maladministration
£2,200 ordered
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 9 July 2024; Bristol tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Bristol City Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Bristol City Council repairs: questions
What is Bristol City Council’s repairs number?
0117 922 2200 (Repairs line) or 0117 922 2050 (Out of hours). Open 8.30am to 6pm. Use it for emergencies in these hours and for any repair you can’t report online.
What is Bristol City Council’s emergency or out of hours repairs number?
0117 922 2200 (Repairs line). Open 8.30am to 6pm. Use it for emergencies in these hours and for any repair you can’t report online.
Can I report a repair to Bristol City Council online?
Yes, at digital.bristol.gov.uk. Non-emergency repairs in a council home or a communal area. Phone for emergencies.
How long does Bristol City Council have to fix a repair?
Its own targets run from 24 hours (emergency) to 35 days (standard). Awaab’s Law sets legal limits for emergency hazards and serious damp and mould.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Bristol City Council tenants?
Since 27 October 2025, the council must investigate emergency hazards and make them safe within 24 hours, and investigate significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days. From 30 November 2026 the law covers more hazards, including excess cold, electrical hazards, falls and fire. Bristol’s own damp and mould commitment: Reports of damp and mould are investigated within 24 hours. A significant damp and mould hazard must be investigated within 10 working days and the home made safe within 5 working days after that (Awaab’s Law).
How do I complain about a repair to Bristol City Council?
Complain to the council first, online or by email (complaints.feedback@bristol.gov.uk). Acknowledged in writing within 5 working days, and your complaint handler contacts you within 10 working days of that. If you’re still unhappy after its final reply, you can take it to the Housing Ombudsman for free.
Can I claim compensation from Bristol City Council?
You could, if you reported a repair and it wasn’t fixed in a reasonable time. A law firm on our panel can take it up with Bristol City Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Bristol City Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Bristol City Council or any council or housing association. We show Bristol’s own repair contacts, and if a repair you’ve reported hasn’t been fixed, we can introduce your claim to a law firm on our panel.
Repair problems
What the council has to fix, by problem
Not Bristol?
Other landlords in the South of England
- Brighton & Hove City Council repairsCouncil
- Broadland Housing Association repairsHousing association
- Bromford Flagship repairsHousing association
- Brunelcare repairsHousing association
- Cambridge City Council repairsCouncil
- Norwich City Council repairsCouncil
- Portsmouth City Council repairsCouncil
- Southampton City Council repairsCouncil
Reported a repair to Bristol City Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.