Council and Housing Association Tenants: Rent, Repairs and Your Rights

Social housing is rented housing provided by a council (local authority) or by a housing association — a not-for-profit landlord registered with the housing regulator in its nation. In Northern Ireland the largest social landlord is the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, alongside registered housing associations. Rents are usually lower than in the private market, and tenancies usually offer more long-term security.

Your tenancy agreement is the contract between you and your landlord. It names the type of tenancy you hold, what rent and service charges you pay, what your landlord must repair, what you must do, and what happens if either side does not keep to it. Almost every question on this page — what your landlord must fix, whether you can keep a pet, whether you can swap homes, how a rent increase must be notified — is answered first by your tenancy agreement and then by the law of the nation you live in.

Find your agreement before you do anything else. If you cannot find it, ask your landlord in writing for a copy. Landlords are used to this request and should provide one.

This page is general information for the UK, not legal advice about your own case. It cannot tell you what a court, tribunal or ombudsman would decide. For advice on your own situation, use a free housing adviser or a solicitor — see Solicitors and Legal Help.

The name of your tenancy matters. It affects your security, whether you can exchange or pass the home on, and what process a landlord must follow to end it. The type is normally stated on the first page of your tenancy agreement.

Your rent pays for the home. A service charge may be added for shared services such as cleaning of communal areas, grounds maintenance, lighting in stairwells, lifts, door entry systems, communal heating or a scheme manager. Service charges may be fixed or variable, and a variable charge is usually reconciled against actual costs.

• Check what your rent covers and what is charged separately.
• Ask for a written breakdown of any service charge you do not understand.
• Check whether water, heating or energy for communal areas is included.
• Keep every rent statement — they are the evidence in any later dispute.
• Tell your landlord promptly if a charge appears for a service you do not receive.

In England, rents charged by registered providers are also shaped by the government's rent policy and the regulator's rent standard — see Rent Standard. Rent policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is set separately by those administrations.

Social landlords can normally increase rent, but they must follow the process that applies to your tenancy and nation. There is no single UK-wide notice period, and the correct procedure depends on your tenancy type, the wording of your agreement and the law where you live.

Do not stop paying rent because you disagree with an increase. Withholding rent can put your home at risk. Pay what you can, dispute it in writing, and get advice.

Rent arrears are common and they are dealt with every day by every social landlord. Acting early gives you far more options than waiting for a notice.

1. Contact your landlord's income or rents team as soon as you realise there is a problem.
2. Ask for a complete rent statement covering the whole period in dispute.
3. Check every payment, benefit payment and adjustment against your own records.
4. Check your Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs are in payment and correct, and report any change of circumstances.
5. Ask your council about a Discretionary Housing Payment if your housing costs do not cover your rent, and about Council Tax Reduction.
6. Ask whether payments can be made directly to the landlord from your benefit if that would help.
7. Agree only a repayment amount you can genuinely afford and maintain, and get it in writing.
8. Get free debt advice before agreeing to anything you are unsure about.

As a general rule, social landlords are responsible for the structure and exterior of the home and for the installations that supply water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water. Tenants are usually responsible for minor items and for damage they, their household or their visitors cause. Your agreement sets out the exact split, and it may be more generous than the legal minimum.

Damp and mould are health matters, not just decorating problems. Mould spores and damp conditions can worsen asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions, and can be particularly serious for babies, young children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with a lung condition or a weakened immune system.

There are different causes — penetrating damp from a defect such as a roof or gutter leak, rising damp, plumbing leaks, cold bridging and poor insulation, inadequate ventilation, and condensation. Several can happen at once. The important thing is that the underlying cause is investigated properly.

Tenants should not be blamed automatically. Advice to open windows, use extractor fans and heat the home can be part of the answer, but it is not an adequate response on its own where there is a building defect, missing or broken ventilation, failed insulation or a leak. If you are told simply to "manage condensation", ask in writing what inspection was carried out, what cause was identified, and what will be repaired.

This section applies to social housing in England only. It does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which have their own repair rules and timescales.

Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his home. It is set out in the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, which came into force on 27 October 2025. Government guidance for tenants and for landlords was published on 17 October 2025 and has been updated since.

Landlord-facing guidance is at Awaab's Law Phase 1: guidance for social landlords, and a short plain-English summary is on the government's Make Things Right campaign site. Further phases of Awaab's Law are planned; check the GOV.UK collection for what is in force at the time you read this.

Disabled tenants can ask their landlord for reasonable adjustments to how services are delivered — for example, communication in large print, easy read, braille or by email rather than phone, longer appointment slots, a named contact, a support worker or advocate being copied in, or repairs appointments arranged around care or dialysis.

• Ask for adjustments in writing and ask for them to be recorded on your tenancy file.
• Ask how the landlord records vulnerability so it is considered when repairs are prioritised.
• Ask for a copy of the landlord's reasonable adjustments or vulnerable residents policy.
• For physical changes to the home — grab rails, level-access shower, ramp, stairlift, widened doors — ask about an occupational therapy assessment through your council's adult social care service.
• Funding for larger adaptations may come through a Disabled Facilities Grant in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or through equivalent arrangements in Scotland; social landlords also fund adaptations directly.
• Supporting evidence from a GP, consultant, occupational therapist or support worker often speeds up decisions — ask what evidence is required before you gather it.

Northern Ireland adaptations information is at nidirect — adaptations to a Housing Executive property. Our own page on Mobility Aids, Disability Equipment and Home Adaptations explains the assessment process in more detail.

Reporting a repair, chasing an appointment or asking a question is a service request. A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord or its contractors. Landlords must handle these differently, and only a formal complaint starts the process that can later reach an ombudsman.

If you are unhappy, say plainly in writing: "I would like to make a formal complaint." Ask for the complaint reference number and for a copy of the landlord's complaints policy.

In England, landlord complaint handling is governed by the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code, which sets out how complaints must be logged, responded to and escalated.

Three separate bodies are often confused in England. They do different jobs.

If a crime is happening now, or anyone is in immediate danger, call 999. If you cannot speak, call 999 and, when prompted, follow the Silent Solution instructions. For non-emergency police matters in England, Scotland and Wales call 101; in Northern Ireland call 101 for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

• Report antisocial behaviour to both your landlord and, where a crime may have occurred, the police.
• Keep an incident log with dates, times, what happened and any witnesses.
• Ask your landlord what action it can take, what evidence it needs, and how it will keep you updated.
• Report hate incidents and harassment based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity — landlords and police treat these seriously.
• If you are being harassed by a neighbour, do not confront them; use the reporting routes and keep yourself safe.
• If you are experiencing domestic abuse, specialist help is available and social landlords have safety options including emergency repairs to security, moves and management transfers. See GOV.UK — domestic abuse: how to get help, our page on Abuse and Safety Support and Women's Refuges and Safe Accommodation.

What you may do — and what permission you need — depends on your tenancy type and your nation. Always ask your landlord in writing and keep the reply. Doing any of these without required permission can put your tenancy at risk.

If your home is too small, unsuitable for a disability or health condition, or unsafe, you can ask your landlord about a transfer, and you can apply or reapply to your council's housing register. Priority is decided by each council's allocation scheme and by the landlord's transfer policy.

• Ask for a copy of the allocation or transfer policy so you know what evidence counts.
• Provide medical, occupational therapy or support-worker evidence where relevant.
• Ask how overcrowding is assessed and whether your household qualifies for extra priority.
• Ask about mutual exchange as well as transfer — it is often faster.
• Ask how long people in your priority band typically wait for a home of the size you need.
• Keep applying and keep your application up to date; changes in circumstance can change priority.

No one can promise you will be rehoused. Demand for social housing exceeds supply in most areas, and waits can be long. What you can insist on is that your application is properly assessed under the published scheme, that your evidence is considered, and that decisions are explained and can be reviewed. Apply through GOV.UK — apply for a council home and find your local council.

• Pay your rent and any service charges on time, and tell your landlord early if you cannot.
• Report repairs and safety problems promptly rather than waiting.
• Allow reasonable access for repairs, inspections and safety checks when properly arranged.
• Look after the home and avoid deliberate damage or neglect by you, your household or visitors.
• Keep communal areas and escape routes clear.
• Do not cause nuisance, harassment or antisocial behaviour to neighbours.
• Get written permission before alterations, lodgers, exchanges or pets where it is required.
• Tell your landlord about changes in your household, and keep contact details up to date.
• Use the home as your only or principal home unless your agreement says otherwise.

GOV.UK, GOV.SCOT, GOV.WALES, nidirect, the Housing Ombudsman Service, the Regulator of Social Housing, the Scottish Housing Regulator, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman are official public bodies or government services. Shelter and Citizens Advice are charities, not government bodies; they provide free, independent advice but they do not make legal decisions.