Independent · not part of Southwark Council
Southwark Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Southwark 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 14 October 2026 · How we checkSource: southwark.gov.uk
Has Southwark Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Southwark’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, Southwark’s emergency line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Southwark 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 Southwark misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
- Emailrepairs@southwark.gov.uk: for questions about a repair already reported, or a leak that keeps happening
- Damp and mould formOnline damp and mould report form at southwark.gov.uk/form/damp-and-mould, or call 020 7525 2600 (option 1, then option 5), 9am-5pm Monday to Friday
Emergency repairs
When to call Southwark straight away
Phone Southwark straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. Southwark lists this number for emergency repairs too. The number is in Southwark’s repair contacts.
- 01Anything that would put a person or the building in danger if it is not fixed
What counts as an emergency, from southwark.gov.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Southwark.
Timescales
How long Southwark Council has to fix it
Southwark doesn’t publish repair targets on its website. These are the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Southwark’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | An officer visits to inspect and find the cause, treatment follows (sometimes on a follow-up visit), and the council calls about 4 weeks afterwards to check the problem has not come back. No inspection timescale is published. | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Southwark’s damp and mould commitment, 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 Southwark Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Southwark 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 Southwark, it ordered between £50 and £671 in compensation.
How to complain to SouthwarkYou 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 (the Code’s limits).
- 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.
Southwark’s record
How Southwark Council performs on repairs
Nov 2024: The regulator found serious failings, including overdue electrical and fire safety checks, out-of-date stock condition data, homes failing the Decent Homes Standard, and a backlog of complaints.
of Southwark tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Southwark in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Southwark Council
- How it handled a leak, including electrics.Maladministration
£671 ordered - How it handled reports of a communal waste stack leak.Maladministration
£600 ordered - How it handled reports of damp and mould.Service failure
£50 ordered
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 27 November 2024; Southwark tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Southwark Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Southwark Council repairs: questions
What is Southwark Council’s repairs number?
020 7525 2600 (Repairs line) or 0800 952 4444 (Emergency repairs) or 020 7403 9271 (Trapped in a lift). Southwark doesn’t publish opening hours for this number. Report emergencies by phone.
What is Southwark Council’s emergency or out of hours repairs number?
0800 952 4444 (Emergency repairs). Southwark lists this number for emergency repairs too.
Can I report a repair to Southwark Council online?
Yes, at forms.southwark.gov.uk – Housing repairs form. Non-emergency repairs you’re reporting for the first time.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Southwark 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. Southwark’s own damp and mould commitment: An officer visits to inspect and find the cause, treatment follows (sometimes on a follow-up visit), and the council calls about 4 weeks afterwards to check the problem has not come back. No inspection timescale is published.
How do I complain about a repair to Southwark Council?
Complain to the council first, online, by email (complaints@southwark.gov.uk) or by phone on 020 7525 0042. It should acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and 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 Southwark 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 Southwark Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Southwark Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Southwark Council or any council or housing association. We show Southwark’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 Southwark Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.