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Landlord Not Fixing Repairs in Newcastle? Template Letters, Rights and Support (2026)

If your landlord is not carrying out repairs, here's what to do:

  1. 📸 Document everything: photos, videos, dates
  2. ✍️ Send a written repair request (use our free template letter below)
  3. 📞 If ignored, call Newcastle City Council Environmental Health on 0191 278 7878
  4. 🤝 Get collective support: contact Food & Solidarity

Need help now? Fill in our support form and we'll get back to you within 48 hours.

⚖️ Section 21 abolished: now in force from 1 May 2026 From 1 May 2026, Section 21 no-fault eviction is abolished under the Renters' Rights Act. Landlords can no longer evict you without a legally recognised reason. This significantly strengthens your position if you report disrepair.

What this means for Newcastle tenants →

If your landlord is not doing repairs, you have real options. Landlords in England are legally responsible for maintaining safe homes. Whether your landlord is ignoring damp, mould, broken heating, leaking ceilings, or something else, this tells you what to do and in what order. Food & Solidarity supports Newcastle tenants to take these steps collectively.

Get Support Now Join Food & Solidarity Facing Eviction Too?

Awaab's Law: What It Is and When It Applies to Private Renters

Awaab's Law was introduced following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from prolonged mould exposure in social housing in Rochdale. It requires landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould within legally defined timeframes.

Awaab's Law currently applies to social landlords only. The Renters' Rights Act includes provision to extend these obligations to private landlords, but the commencement date for that extension has not yet been confirmed. We will update this page when it is.

Private renters in Newcastle are not without options in the meantime. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) already gives Newcastle City Council the power to inspect your property and legally compel your landlord to fix hazardous conditions including damp and mould. The step-by-step guide below covers how to trigger that process.

The case of JP and Shamme in Newcastle (see below) happened before Awaab's Law existed at all. It took weeks of collective action to force a response. HHSRS and collective pressure remain your strongest tools right now.

Already dealing with damp or mould your landlord is ignoring? Report it in writing now, using our template letter below, so you have a paper trail. Then request a council inspection. That process has real teeth. Jump to template letters →

Read our full analysis: A Victory, Not the End: Why Tenant Solidarity Must Continue After the Renters' Rights Act.

What Counts as Housing Disrepair?

Landlords in England are legally responsible for repairing and maintaining:

  • Heating, boilers, radiators, and central heating systems
  • Hot water systems
  • Plumbing, drains, and water supply
  • Showers, toilets, and bathroom fixtures that are part of the property
  • Electrical wiring and installations
  • The roof, walls, windows, and external doors
  • Damp caused by structural problems or leaks
  • Infestations caused by structural defects
  • Any conditions that pose a risk to the health or safety of occupants
Is the damp your fault? In most cases, no. Landlords are responsible for structural damp, leaks, and inadequate ventilation. If your home has black mould caused by poor insulation or structural problems, that is your landlord's responsibility to fix.

What to Do When Your Landlord Is Not Doing Repairs: Step by Step

  1. Document the problem immediately. Take clear photos and videos. Note the date problems started, how they affect your health and daily life, and keep copies of everything. This evidence is essential for every step that follows.
  2. Report to your landlord in writing. Always put repair requests in writing (email or letter) so there is a paper trail. Keep the tone factual. Use the free template letter below.
  3. If ignored, contact Newcastle City Council. Request a formal inspection by Environmental Health or Private Rented Housing under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Use the council inspection template letter below. Council action creates an official record your landlord cannot deny.
  4. Contact Food & Solidarity. If your landlord continues to ignore the problem, collective action changes the equation. Call 07393 101018 or fill in our support form. We have helped members in Newcastle win safe housing through organised community pressure.

Free Template Letters for Landlord Not Fixing Repairs

Copy, fill in, and send. Keep a copy of everything you send.

Letter to landlord not fixing repairs: free template

Suggested subject line: Request for repairs, [your address]

Copy, fill in the brackets, and send by email. Keep a copy.
I am writing to request repairs at my home at [your address].

The following issues need to be repaired:
[list the repairs needed, for example: damp and mould, broken heating,
leaks, unsafe electrics, broken shower, broken toilet]

These problems have been present since approximately [date]. They are
affecting my home in the following ways:
[briefly explain, e.g. mould on walls, heating not working, ceiling
leaking]

I am concerned that the disrepair is affecting my health and the health
of my household because:
[briefly explain, e.g. respiratory problems, cold temperatures,
damage to belongings]

Please contact me within [14 days] to arrange a suitable time to carry
out the repairs.

I am keeping a record of this correspondence.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

Template letter to Newcastle City Council: request a formal inspection

Suggested subject line: Request for inspection of private rented property, [your address]

Send to: Newcastle City Council Environmental Health or Private Rented Housing team. Find the current contact details at newcastle.gov.uk.

Use this after your landlord has failed to act.
I am a tenant living at [your full address, including postcode]
in Newcastle upon Tyne.

My landlord / letting agent is [name and address if known].

I contacted them about repairs on [dates]. The issues have not been fixed.

The problems include:
[describe the problems in detail: damp, mould, broken heating, leaks etc.]

These conditions are affecting my health and safety in the following ways:
[briefly explain]

I am requesting a formal inspection under the Housing Health and Safety
Rating System (HHSRS).

I have photographs and correspondence documenting the disrepair and can
provide these on request.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your contact details]
[Date]

What Happens After the Council Inspection?

  • The council assesses hazards using the HHSRS system.
  • If serious issues are found, they can legally require your landlord to carry out repairs and set a deadline to comply.
  • If an improvement notice is served, your landlord is restricted from using Section 21 no-fault eviction against you during that period.
  • From 1 May 2026, Section 21 is abolished entirely. Read more about the Renters' Rights Act.
Disrepair and eviction risk: Reporting disrepair does not protect you from eviction. Since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, landlords must use Section 8 grounds — and a valid Section 8 notice can proceed even if you have reported repairs. However, many Section 8 notices contain errors that make them challengeable on technical grounds. If you receive any eviction notice after reporting disrepair, call us immediately so we can check it: 07393 101018, or read our eviction help guide.

Can I Sue My Landlord for Not Making Repairs?

If your landlord has failed their legal repair obligations and you have suffered as a result, you may have grounds for a housing disrepair claim. This is a legal route that operates separately from council enforcement and can result in compensation for health damage, damaged belongings, or inability to use parts of your home.

Before pursuing this route, document everything: photos, medical evidence if relevant, a complete record of correspondence, and a timeline of the problem. Then contact Citizens Advice Newcastle (0808 278 7868) or a housing solicitor who can advise you on the Housing Disrepair Protocol. Some solicitors take these cases on a no-win no-fee basis.

Food & Solidarity can help you build the documentation you need. Call 07393 101018.

Real Cases: What Collective Action Achieves in Newcastle

Damp, mould, and a collapsed ceiling: Breamish House, Newcastle East End, 2025

What happened: Ceiling collapsed, damp ignored for months. What changed: Residents delivered a collective letter at a council meeting. Repairs started within 24 hours.

When water leaked from the flat above Abdul's home at Breamish House, his bathroom ceiling collapsed. He was left with extensive damp, black mould, and an unsafe environment. Despite repeated reports by Abdul's daughter and neighbours, Newcastle City Council proposed repairs for late November, months away, leaving an elderly tenant in dangerous conditions.

Food & Solidarity organisers doorknocked the building and discovered numerous other flats with serious damp problems. Residents signed a collective letter demanding urgent repairs, temporary rehousing where required, and a full inspection. The action was timed to coincide with a council cabinet meeting.

Within 24 hours of residents delivering their letter in person at the cabinet meeting, the council sent workers to Abdul's flat and began repairs. Months of unanswered reports were addressed only after residents acted together.

The case was featured in the Chronicle: Inside the uninhabitable Newcastle council flats plagued by damp and mould.

Read the full Breamish House story: how residents forced emergency repairs in 24 hours →

Letting agent not doing repairs: black mould, saturated ceilings, Hunters Newcastle, 2023

What happened: Black mould ignored by a letting agent for months. What changed: 25 days of collective action, including a picket. Tenancy surrendered.

Throughout winter 2022-23, JP and Shamme lived with black mould spreading across every wall, ceilings so saturated that water dripped inside, and a letting agent, Hunters Newcastle, that refused to act. Hunters Newcastle was not doing repairs despite repeated contact. The health impact was serious: their mental health deteriorated to the point where they lost half their income. The cost-of-living crisis meant leaving the heating off was a financial necessity in a flat already losing heat through waterlogged walls.

Food & Solidarity members marched to Hunters Newcastle's office, picketed outside distributing hundreds of leaflets, and escalated public pressure over several weeks. After 25 days of collective action, Hunters Newcastle surrendered the tenancy. JP and Shamme moved out of the mould and into somewhere warm and dry.

Read JP and Shamme's full story →

"Individual reports are often ignored. Abdul's case moved forward only after public collective pressure." Food & Solidarity organisers, Breamish House case notes

Your Rights as a Tenant in Newcastle

  • You have the right to live in a safe, warm, dry home. Landlords are legally responsible for maintaining the structure, heating, plumbing, and electrics.
  • You can ask Newcastle City Council to formally inspect your property and compel your landlord to act.
  • If you report disrepair and then receive an eviction notice, reporting disrepair does not automatically make that notice invalid. Your landlord must now use Section 8 grounds, which can be challenged if the notice contains errors or the grounds are not met. Call us to check: read our eviction help guide.
  • Since 1 May 2026, Section 21 no-fault eviction is abolished. Landlords cannot evict you without a legally recognised reason, reducing the risk of retaliation for tenants who report problems. Read more.
  • Awaab's Law currently applies to social landlords only. The extension to private renters is included in the Renters' Rights Act but has no confirmed commencement date yet. The HHSRS inspection route through Newcastle City Council remains your strongest enforcement tool in the meantime.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report housing disrepair in Newcastle?

Report in writing to your landlord first using our free template letter to landlord not fixing repairs, then if not resolved contact Newcastle City Council's Environmental Health team for a formal inspection using our council inspection template. Food & Solidarity can support you collectively: call 07393 101018.

What is Awaab's Law and does it apply to private renters?

Awaab's Law currently applies to social landlords only. The Renters' Rights Act includes provision to extend it to private landlords, but the commencement date has not yet been confirmed. Private renters in Newcastle can still request a formal council inspection under HHSRS, which gives the council real powers to compel your landlord to fix hazardous conditions including damp and mould. Full guide to the Renters' Rights Act →

Will my landlord evict me for reporting disrepair?

Reporting disrepair does not protect you from eviction. Since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, landlords must use Section 8 grounds — and a valid Section 8 notice can proceed even if you have complained about repairs. However, many Section 8 notices contain errors that make them challengeable on technical grounds. If you receive any eviction notice, call us so we can check it: 07393 101018. Eviction help guide →

Can Newcastle City Council force my landlord to do repairs?

Yes. Under the HHSRS, if serious hazards are found the council can legally require your landlord to carry out repairs and set a compliance deadline. A council improvement notice also restricts your landlord from using Section 21 against you during that period.

Can I sue my landlord for not making repairs?

If your landlord has failed their legal repair obligations and you have suffered health problems, damage to belongings, or loss of use of part of your home, you may have grounds for a housing disrepair claim. Contact Citizens Advice Newcastle (0808 278 7868) or a housing solicitor. Some solicitors take these cases on a no-win no-fee basis. Food & Solidarity can help you document and prepare. Call 07393 101018.

Is damp and mould my fault?

In most cases, no. Landlords are responsible for structural damp, leaks, and inadequate ventilation. If your home has black mould caused by poor insulation, structural problems, or a landlord's failure to maintain the property, that is their legal responsibility to fix.

Can I withhold rent if my landlord ignores disrepair?

Withholding rent can put your tenancy at risk and is generally not advisable without legal guidance. Document everything, report in writing, request a council inspection, and contact Food & Solidarity or Shelter before taking financial action. Call 07393 101018.

How does Food & Solidarity help with housing disrepair?

We support tenants to take collective action: helping document problems, accompanying tenants to council meetings, organising community pressure on negligent landlords and letting agents, and connecting people with food parcels and practical support. We show up alongside you, not just point you to resources. See the Breamish House and JP & Shamme cases above. Request support →

Get Support Now

Our members have won repairs, rehousing, and accountability from landlords and councils who thought they could ignore the problem indefinitely.

📞 07393 101018 , call for support
📍 120-126 Buckingham St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5QR
✉️ organiser@foodandsolidarity.org

Request Support Join Food & Solidarity

Additional Resources

Page last updated: May 2026. Reflects Section 21 abolition in force from 1 May 2026. Awaab's Law extension to private renters: included in the Renters' Rights Act but commencement date not yet confirmed.