Independent · not part of Islington Council
Islington Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Islington Council: the repairs phone numbers and emergency line, reporting a repair online, and how long the council has to fix it. The council’s own target for routine repairs is 20 working days.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 5 October 2026 · How we checkSource: islington.gov.uk
Has Islington Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Islington’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, Islington’s emergency line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Islington Council
- 01Phone or report online. You’ll need an account to 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 Islington misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
- WhatsAppMessage 07915 340855 on WhatsApp to report a repair and book an appointment through an automated service.
- Partners for Improvement tenantsIf your home is managed by Partners for Improvement, contact them directly (partnersislington.net).
Emergency repairs
When to call Islington straight away
Phone Islington straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. For repairs that are a danger to health, safety or security and can’t wait until the next working day. The number is in Islington’s repair contacts.
- 01A leak you can’t contain
- 02Dirty water coming up through plug holes, toilets or drains
- 03Broken glass that could hurt someone
- 04Your home isn’t secure
- 05No electricity, or unsafe electrics
- 06No cold or clean drinking water
- 07No central heating in winter
- 08Someone trapped in a lift
What counts as an emergency, from islington.gov.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Islington.
Timescales
How long Islington Council has to fix it
Islington’s own targets, next to the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Islington’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Trapped in a lift | 30 minutesWithin 1 hour outside working hours. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Emergency | 2 hoursImmediate danger to a person or risk of serious ongoing damage. | Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours |
| Urgent | 24 hoursRepairs affecting day-to-day living, such as no heating or hot water. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Routine | 20 working daysNon-urgent repairs, such as minor plastering or resealing a bath. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Planned | 60 working daysLarger or more complicated repairs. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | For damp and mould, the council says it will investigate within 10 working days, send a written report within 3 working days of that, and start or finish safety work within 5 working days. Emergency hazards are checked within 24 hours. | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Targets from islington.gov.uk and Islington’s damp and mould page, checked 5 October 2026. Legal limits from GOV.UK guidance on Awaab’s Law.
Reported a routine repair more than 20 working days ago? That’s past Islington’s own target. You could claim compensation.
Start your claimYour options
If Islington Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Islington 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 Islington, it ordered between £300 and £459 in compensation.
How to complain to IslingtonYou 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 within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days of that.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Islington’s record
How Islington Council performs on repairs
May 2026: The regulator found serious failings: most homes have no up-to-date condition survey, safety records gave limited assurance, and over 1,000 lift repairs were overdue.
of Islington tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Islington in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Islington Council
- How it handled concerns about reduced hours of heating and hot water.Maladministration
£400 ordered - How it handled a leak to the resident’s bathroom and associated repairs.Maladministration
£459 ordered - How it handled a leak alleged to originate from the resident’s flat.Service failure
£300 ordered
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 13 May 2026; Islington tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Islington Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Islington Council repairs: questions
What is Islington Council’s repairs number?
020 7527 5400 (Repairs line) or 0800 694 3344 (Emergency repairs). Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to midday. The council’s number for reporting emergency repairs.
What is Islington Council’s emergency or out of hours repairs number?
0800 694 3344 (Emergency repairs · freephone). For repairs that are a danger to health, safety or security and can’t wait until the next working day.
Can I report a repair to Islington Council online?
Yes, at account.islington.gov.uk. Non-emergency repairs inside your council home. You need your rent account number, or your address and name as on your housing account. Not for emergencies or communal repairs.
How long does Islington Council have to fix a repair?
Its own targets run from 30 minutes (trapped in a lift) to 60 working days (planned). Awaab’s Law sets legal limits for emergency hazards and serious damp and mould.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Islington 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. Islington’s own damp and mould commitment: For damp and mould, the council says it will investigate within 10 working days, send a written report within 3 working days of that, and start or finish safety work within 5 working days. Emergency hazards are checked within 24 hours.
How do I complain about a repair to Islington Council?
Complain to the council first, online or by phone on 020 7527 2000. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply 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 Islington 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 Islington Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Islington Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Islington Council or any council or housing association. We show Islington’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 Islington?
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Reported a repair to Islington Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.