Independent · not part of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council repairs: how to report a repair, phone numbers and timescales
How to report a repair to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council: the repairs phone number and emergency line, and how long the council has to fix it. The council’s own target for routine repairs is 20 working days.
Other names: Welhat
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 5 October 2026 · How we checkSource: welhat.gov.uk
Has Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Welwyn Hatfield’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, Welwyn Hatfield’s emergency line is here.
How to report
Reporting a repair to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
- 01Phone the repairs line. 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 Welwyn Hatfield misses its own target, complain. You may also be able to claim.
- Emailhousingmaintenance@welhat.gov.uk (non-emergency repairs only; phone for emergencies)
Emergency repairs
When to call Welwyn Hatfield straight away
Phone Welwyn Hatfield straight away if anything puts someone in danger or leaves your home unsafe. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergencies. Listen to the options to reach the right team. The number is in Welwyn Hatfield’s repair contacts.
- 01Total loss of electricity, power or water
- 02Total or partial loss of heating or hot water
- 03Smoke alarm that won’t stop sounding
- 04Carbon monoxide alarm showing a red light
- 05Ceiling collapsing because of a leak
- 06Severe damp
- 07Any serious (Category 1) health and safety hazard
What counts as an emergency, from welhat.gov.uk.
Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first, then tell Welwyn Hatfield.
Timescales
How long Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has to fix it
Welwyn Hatfield’s own targets, next to the legal limits under Awaab’s Law.
| Type of repair | Welwyn Hatfield’s target | Legal limit (Awaab’s Law) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 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 |
| Major work | 45 working daysAim to start the work within this time. | No fixed legal limit unless it’s a hazard |
| Damp and mould that’s a significant risk | Severe damp is treated as an emergency repair, dealt with within 24 hours. | Investigate within 10 working days; written summary within 3 working days; safety work within 5 working days |
Targets from welhat.gov.uk, 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 Welwyn Hatfield’s own target. You could claim compensation.
Start your claimYour options
If Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council doesn’t fix it: your options
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Welwyn Hatfield 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 Welwyn Hatfield, it ordered between £100 and £700 in compensation.
How to complain to Welwyn HatfieldYou 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 full reply within 10 working days of that (up to 10 more for complex cases).
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Ask within two months of the stage 1 reply. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a full reply within 20 working days of that.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Welwyn Hatfield’s record
How Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council performs on repairs
of Welwyn Hatfield tenants were satisfied with the repairs service in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Welwyn Hatfield in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Recent Housing Ombudsman decisions about Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
- How it handled concerns regarding damage caused by a leak.Service failure
£100 ordered - How it handled leak.Maladministration
£700 ordered - How it handled reported repairs.Maladministration
£550 ordered
Sources: Welwyn Hatfield tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Contacts
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s repair contacts
Reported it and still waiting? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council repairs: questions
What is Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s repairs number?
0800 111 4484. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergencies. Listen to the options to reach the right team.
What is Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s emergency or out of hours repairs number?
0800 111 4484 (Repairs line). Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergencies. Listen to the options to reach the right team.
How long does Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council have to fix a repair?
Its own targets run from 24 hours (emergency) to 45 working days (major work). Awaab’s Law sets legal limits for emergency hazards and serious damp and mould.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for Welwyn Hatfield Borough 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. Welwyn Hatfield’s own damp and mould commitment: Severe damp is treated as an emergency repair, dealt with within 24 hours.
How do I complain about a repair to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council?
Complain to the council first, online, by email (contact-WHC@welhat.gov.uk) or by phone on 01707 357000. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a full reply within 10 working days of that (up to 10 more for complex cases). If you’re still unhappy after its final reply, you can take it to the Housing Ombudsman for free.
Can I claim compensation from Welwyn Hatfield Borough 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 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council for you. It’s free to check.
Start your claimIs Report Repair part of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council?
No. Report Repair is independent and not part of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council or any council or housing association. We show Welwyn Hatfield’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 Welwyn Hatfield?
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Reported a repair to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and still waiting?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.