Independent · not part of Southend-on-Sea City Council
Southend-on-Sea City Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Southend-on-Sea City 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.
Other names: South Essex Homes
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 8 October 2026 · How we checkSource: southessexhomes.co.uk
Has Southend-on-Sea City Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Southend’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, Southend’s emergency line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
- Email (chasing a repair)sehcustomerservices@seh.southend.gov.uk — to chase an outstanding repair.
- Damp and mould emailhealthyhomes@seh.southend.gov.uk — to report damp or mould.
Emergency repairs
When to call Southend straight away
Phone Southend straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. Freephone, run by South Essex Homes. Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5pm; out of hours the same number takes emergencies only. Emergencies must be reported by phone. The number is in Southend’s repair contacts.
- 01Total loss of electricity or water
- 02Dangerous electrics
- 03Water leaks or a roof leak you can’t contain
- 04A blocked or leaking toilet when it’s the only one
- 05Drains or sewers backing up into the home
- 06No heating between October and March
- 07A front or back door, or ground-floor window, that can’t be locked
- 08Damp and mould that is an emergency hazard
What counts as an emergency, from southessexhomes.co.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Southend.
Timescales
How long Southend-on-Sea City Council has to fix it
Southend’s own targets, next to the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Southend’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 24 hoursAttend and make safe within 2 hours; complete within 24 hours. | Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours |
| Urgent | 5 working days | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Routine | 20 working days | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | Emergency damp and mould hazards attended within 2 hours and made safe within 24 hours; other significant cases inspected within 10 working days with a written report within 3 working days, and repairs started within 5 working days. | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Targets from southessexhomes.co.uk and Southend’s damp and mould page, checked 8 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 Southend’s own target. You could claim compensation.
Start your claimYour options
If Southend-on-Sea City Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Southend 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 Southend, it ordered £800 in compensation.
How to complain to SouthendYou 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 decision within 10 working days of that.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Considered by a senior member of staff, with a decision within 20 working days of acknowledging your request.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Southend’s record
How Southend-on-Sea City Council performs on repairs
Sep 2025: The regulator found serious failings: many homes and communal areas without valid electrical safety checks, around 2,500 open fire safety actions, out-of-date stock condition data, over 900 overdue repairs, and missed complaint targets.
of Southend tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Southend in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Southend-on-Sea City Council
- How it handled repairs.Maladministration
£800 ordered
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 24 September 2025; Southend tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Southend-on-Sea City Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Southend-on-Sea City Council repairs: questions
What is Southend-on-Sea City Council’s repairs number?
0800 833 160 (Repairs line) or 020 3597 2056 (Axis). Freephone, run by South Essex Homes. Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5pm; out of hours the same number takes emergencies only. Emergencies must be reported by phone.
What is Southend-on-Sea City Council’s emergency or out of hours repairs number?
0800 833 160 (Repairs line). Freephone, run by South Essex Homes. Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5pm; out of hours the same number takes emergencies only. Emergencies must be reported by phone.
Can I report a repair to Southend-on-Sea City Council online?
Yes, at southessexhomes.co.uk/non-emergency-repairs-form. Online form for new, non-emergency repairs. Phone for emergencies.
How long does Southend-on-Sea City Council have to fix a repair?
Its own targets run from 24 hours (emergency) to 20 working days (routine). Awaab’s Law sets legal limits for emergency hazards and serious damp and mould.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Southend-on-Sea 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. Southend’s own damp and mould commitment: Emergency damp and mould hazards attended within 2 hours and made safe within 24 hours; other significant cases inspected within 10 working days with a written report within 3 working days, and repairs started within 5 working days.
How do I complain about a repair to Southend-on-Sea City Council?
Complain to the council first, online, by email (SEHComplaintsandFOIS@seh.southend.gov.uk) or by phone on 0800 833 160. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a decision 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 Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend-on-Sea City Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Southend-on-Sea City Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Southend-on-Sea City Council or any council or housing association. We show Southend’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
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Reported a repair to Southend-on-Sea City Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.