Independent · not part of Waltham Forest Council
Waltham Forest Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Waltham Forest Council: the repairs phone number 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 28 calendar days.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 5 October 2026 · How we checkSource: walthamforest.gov.uk
Has Waltham Forest Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Waltham Forest’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, Waltham Forest’s emergency line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
- Damp and mould formDamp and mould can also be reported with an online form on the council’s Awaab’s Law page.
Emergency repairs
When to call Waltham Forest straight away
Phone Waltham Forest straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. The council house repair line is open 24 hours a day, including for emergencies. The number is in Waltham Forest’s repair contacts.
- 01Severe leaks or exposed sewage
- 02Total loss of electricity or water
- 03Break-ins or fire damage
- 04An external door jammed
- 05Structural collapse
- 06Lift failure or communal heating failure
- 07Partial loss of power or a contained leak
- 08Blocked sink, bath or toilet
What counts as an emergency, from walthamforest.gov.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Waltham Forest.
Timescales
How long Waltham Forest Council has to fix it
Waltham Forest’s own targets, next to the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Waltham Forest’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Critical emergency | 4 hoursAttend and repair or make safe. | Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours |
| Essential emergency | 24 hoursRepair or make safe. | Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours |
| Routine | 28 calendar daysMost non-emergency repairs, including communal repairs. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Complex | 90 calendar daysJobs needing specialist contractors, surveys, scaffolding or ordered materials. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | Investigates possible damp and mould hazards within 10 working days (24 hours for emergencies) and sends a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation; safety work for significant hazards is done within 5 working days of the investigation. | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Targets from walthamforest.gov.uk and Waltham Forest’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 28 calendar days ago? That’s past Waltham Forest’s own target. You could claim compensation.
Start your claimYour options
If Waltham Forest Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest, it ordered between £700 and £1,000 in compensation.
How to complain to Waltham ForestYou 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 written reply within 10 working days of the complaint being logged.
- 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.
Waltham Forest’s record
How Waltham Forest Council performs on repairs
Apr 2025: The regulator found weaknesses including a repairs service that was not always effective or timely, homes not all meeting the Decent Homes Standard, outstanding fire safety actions and electrical tests, and complaint handling changes not yet embedded.
of Waltham Forest tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Waltham Forest in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Waltham Forest Council
- How it handled reports of damp and mould in the property.Severe maladministration
£1,000 ordered - How it handled concerns regarding the condition of the windows.Maladministration
£700 ordered - How it handled a request for bathroom tiling.Service failure
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 30 April 2025; Waltham Forest tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Waltham Forest Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Waltham Forest Council repairs: questions
What is Waltham Forest Council’s repairs number?
020 8496 3000. The council house repair line is open 24 hours a day, including for emergencies.
What is Waltham Forest Council’s emergency or out of hours repairs number?
020 8496 3000 (Repairs line). The council house repair line is open 24 hours a day, including for emergencies.
Can I report a repair to Waltham Forest Council online?
Yes, at housing.walthamforest.gov.uk. Report and track repairs in the Resident Portal. You need an account.
How long does Waltham Forest Council have to fix a repair?
Its own targets run from 4 hours (critical emergency) to 90 calendar days (complex). Awaab’s Law sets legal limits for emergency hazards and serious damp and mould.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Waltham Forest 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. Waltham Forest’s own damp and mould commitment: Investigates possible damp and mould hazards within 10 working days (24 hours for emergencies) and sends a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation; safety work for significant hazards is done within 5 working days of the investigation.
How do I complain about a repair to Waltham Forest Council?
Complain to the council first, online, by email (information.officer@walthamforest.gov.uk) or by phone on 020 8496 3000. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written reply within 10 working days of the complaint being logged. If you’re still unhappy after its final reply, you can take it to the Housing Ombudsman for free.
Can I claim compensation from Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Waltham Forest Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Waltham Forest Council or any council or housing association. We show Waltham Forest’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 Waltham Forest Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.