Independent · not part of Tower Hamlets Council
Tower Hamlets Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Tower Hamlets Council: the repairs phone number, 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: towerhamlets.gov.uk
Has Tower Hamlets Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Tower Hamlets’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, Tower Hamlets’s repair line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
Emergency repairs
When to call Tower Hamlets straight away
Phone Tower Hamlets straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. The number is in Tower Hamlets’s repair contacts.
- 01A severe water leak that can't be contained
- 02Total loss of electricity (not caused by the supplier)
- 03Total loss of water supply (not caused by Thames Water)
- 04Total or partial loss of heating where there is no other heating
- 05A blocked toilet if it is the only toilet in the home
What counts as an emergency, from towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Tower Hamlets.
Timescales
How long Tower Hamlets Council has to fix it
Tower Hamlets’s own targets, next to the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Tower Hamlets’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 24 hourscontractor attends within 2 hours to make safe where needed; follow-up work completed within 24 hours | Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours |
| Normal priority | 20 working days | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | Treat emergency damp and mould hazards within 24 hours of a report; investigate significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Targets from towerhamlets.gov.uk and Tower Hamlets’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 Tower Hamlets’s own target. You could claim compensation.
Start your claimYour options
If Tower Hamlets Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets, it ordered between £275 and £600 in compensation.
How to complain to Tower HamletsYou 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.
Tower Hamlets’s record
How Tower Hamlets Council performs on repairs
Apr 2025: The regulator found serious failings, including thousands of overdue fire safety actions, hundreds of overdue water safety actions, out-of-date stock condition data with almost a quarter of homes failing the Decent Homes Standard, weak repairs performance and confusing complaints information.
of Tower Hamlets tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Tower Hamlets in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Tower Hamlets Council
- How it handled concerns relating to window repairs.Maladministration
£300 ordered - How it handled reports of toilet window repairs.Maladministration
£600 ordered - How it handled concerns following repairs.Service failure
£275 ordered
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 30 April 2025; Tower Hamlets tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Tower Hamlets Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Tower Hamlets Council repairs: questions
What is Tower Hamlets Council’s repairs number?
020 7364 5015. The council says emergency repairs have a 24-hour phone service.
Can I report a repair to Tower Hamlets Council online?
Yes, at MyHome portal. MyHome, the council’s tenant portal. You need to register and log in. Not for emergencies.
How long does Tower Hamlets Council have to fix a repair?
Its own targets run from 24 hours (emergency) to 20 working days (normal priority). Awaab’s Law sets legal limits for emergency hazards and serious damp and mould.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Tower Hamlets 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. Tower Hamlets’s own damp and mould commitment: Treat emergency damp and mould hazards within 24 hours of a report; investigate significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days
How do I complain about a repair to Tower Hamlets Council?
Complain to the council first, online or by phone on 020 7364 5015. 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 Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Tower Hamlets Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Tower Hamlets Council or any council or housing association. We show Tower Hamlets’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 Tower Hamlets?
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Reported a repair to Tower Hamlets Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.