Landlord Repairs: The Role of Environmental Health

Originally written by Abigail Taylor, updated by the editorial team on 21st May 2026

What Environmental Health Officers Do

Environmental Health Officers, often called EHOs, work within local councils to protect public health and safety. Their responsibilities cover a wide range of areas, from food hygiene in restaurants to air quality and waste disposal. Many businesses encounter them during routine inspections or licensing matters.

What some landlords and tenants may not realise is that EHOs also have significant powers when it comes to housing conditions. If a rented property has serious problems that affect the health or safety of occupants, the local council's Environmental Health team can step in and issue legal notices requiring the landlord to put things right.

For tenants who have tried and failed to get their landlord to carry out repairs, contacting Environmental Health can be an effective way forward. EHOs possess legal powers that extend beyond initial informal efforts. Through formal notices and enforcement action, they can compel landlords to act, and there are penalties for those who ignore these requirements.

This article focuses on the system in England. Wales and Scotland have their own housing health regulations, so tenants in those nations should check the rules that apply locally.

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How Properties Are Assessed

In England, Environmental Health Officers use a system called the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, or HHSRS, to assess residential properties. This framework helps them identify and evaluate hazards that could affect the health or safety of anyone living in or visiting the property.

The HHSRS does not set a simple pass or fail standard. Instead, it assesses the likelihood of a hazard causing harm and how serious that harm might be. Hazards are then placed into one of two categories. Category 1 hazards are the most serious, and councils are required to take appropriate action on these, which may involve a range of interventions depending on circumstances. Category 2 hazards are less severe, but councils still have the power to address them if they choose.

The types of problems that EHOs commonly assess include:

Damp and mould growth
Excess cold due to poor heating or insulation
Structural problems such as crumbling plaster, unstable floors or wood rot
Faulty, outdated or exposed electrical wiring
Pest infestations including rats, mice or insects
Fire safety risks such as blocked escape routes or missing smoke alarms
Falls hazards from uneven surfaces, steep stairs or missing handrails
Poor sanitation or inadequate washing facilities

An EHO will typically visit the property to carry out an inspection. They may take photographs, measurements and notes. In some cases they will request documentation from the landlord about gas safety certificates, electrical reports or building work that has been done.

The inspection report forms the basis for any enforcement action the council decides to take.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

What Action Can Environmental Health Take?

If a property fails to meet acceptable standards, EHOs have several enforcement options available to them. The action they take will depend on the severity of the hazard and whether the landlord cooperates.

Often, an EHO begins with informal communication, where they may write to the landlord to explain the problem and give them a reasonable timeframe to fix it. In many cases, landlords resolve issues upon receiving these informal notices, making formal action unnecessary.

If informal approaches do not work, or if the hazard is serious enough to warrant immediate action, EHOs can issue formal notices. A Hazard Awareness Notice may be used to officially inform a landlord about a problem, though it does not require them to take specific action. This approach is frequently employed for less critical hazards.

An Improvement Notice is more forceful. It sets out the work that must be done and gives a deadline for completion. Landlords who fail to comply with an improvement notice can face prosecution and significant fines.

In the most serious cases, a Prohibition Order can be issued. This may restrict or completely ban the use of part or all of a property until the hazards are removed. For properties that are beyond reasonable repair, councils can issue a Demolition Order.

Where there is an imminent risk to health or safety, councils have the power to carry out emergency remedial action themselves without waiting for the normal notice period. They can then seek to recover the costs from the landlord, although this process is not always straightforward.

Landlords have the right to appeal against enforcement notices and orders. Appeals are typically heard by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which can confirm, vary or cancel the notice.

Some local authorities maintain a register of landlords who have been issued with certain types of enforcement notices, though this varies by council and is not a universal practice.

What to Do If You Need Help

If you are a tenant living with repair problems that your landlord will not address, you can contact your local council's Environmental Health department directly. You do not need to go through your landlord or get their permission. Most councils allow you to report housing problems online, by phone or in writing, and many now offer dedicated apps or digital portals for reporting issues.

Before making contact, it can be beneficial to document the issues as thoroughly as you can. Taking photographs, keeping a written record of when problems started, and saving copies of any correspondence you have sent to your landlord asking for repairs will help support your case.

Neighbours can also report concerns to Environmental Health if a property next door poses a risk to their health or safety. This might include issues like pest infestations spreading between properties or structural problems affecting adjoining walls.

Response times can vary significantly between councils. Budget pressures mean some Environmental Health teams have limited capacity, which may affect how quickly they can investigate complaints or take action.

If you feel the council has not taken your complaint seriously or has failed to act when it should have, you can make a formal complaint through the council's own complaints procedure. Should that not resolve matters, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can investigate complaints about councils in England.

For detailed information about the HHSRS and housing standards, the GOV.UK website provides official guidance. Shelter and Citizens Advice also offer free help and advice on housing repair problems and tenant rights.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Council Complaint Letter Builder lets you generate a complaint letter to your council about a neighbour issue. Takes 2 minutes. Try it now →

Showing 20 of 58 questions

Ask Problem Neighbours a Question

arjun 28/09/2022 at 1:15 pm

Hi

We noticed a leak in our ceiling and promptly informed our insurance company and managing agent. We had a specilist come in who determined that the source was from a shared pipe. The leak is a brown water that is coming from a falty stack pipe.

Our agent is being very unhelpful about the situation and is leaving the burden on me when in fact the source of the leak isnt even accessible from my flat.

I read online that the EHO would help get this sorted asap as there may be an environmental health risk involved can anyone suggest how i should proceed?

Jade Allmond 06/07/2021 at 7:30 am

Hi been waiting for a roof repair since the 19th May half the ceiling is soaked and is now dripping onto the carpet. I am in the highest escalation of complaint and still nothing my daughter is 13 and living with me in my room plus I have asthma

Helen 27/02/2021 at 7:31 pm

The electrics have blown in the house I have 3 children and can’t cook them dinner because of the electrics

Helen 27/02/2021 at 7:29 pm

I need to speak to someone as soon as possible

Storm 03/10/2020 at 12:50 am

I have been helping Tennant's within my area for the past 4 months trying to sort out problems on there properties by helping them contact the landlord over and over again with the concerns such as mould on walls fire safety checks which have been done and he has been notified to fix problems such as double plug sockets by sink that has to run a extension lead off it to run a washing machine and a fridge freezer which he has been told need to be on there own sockets, after this not being done and also numerous amounts of jobs we've contacted environmental health who have said they will come and inspect the property after he caught wind of this happening he decided to confront a lady who lives in one of the flats who suffers with depression and anxiety and intimidate her and tell her she will be given her notice after I stepped in and started recording he withdrew this statement, police were called due to the nature of this as she felt like because she is a woman he thought he could be threatening by telling her she shouldn't tell anyone about the problems in her property he had also done this to numerous tenants who Livin the block of flats which there are 14, he has also tried to tell me because I am helping these people I'm not allowed near the block of flats or near these tenants which are my friends, after speaking to shelter cymru the Tennant's have been advised to speak to the council to get a harrasment order put against him but he's intimidated them so much it makes them query weather they should keep the complaint up or get away with it. Within this situation I think it's just generally cruel the way he is being as if the properties were in good order he shouldn't have a problem with them being checked by environmental health

Kath 05/09/2020 at 9:50 am

i live every day with my to next door neighbours who use there water but i'm the one who is stuck hearing it and they won't stop i have told them over and over again to stop or get it fixed and all i get is no answer from the man in unit 3 and called names from the man in unit 2 i have been nice about it at first but they are just upsetting me now i'm stuck inside cause of the virus and have no peace cause i'm having to hear the pounding in my walls they just don't seem to get it then man in unit 2 has history of being disrespectful to women the housing office won't do anything about it even though they have also been told i'm a single women who has health problems and i have the right to live in peace and quiet just like anyone else and it's not doing my health any good i stuck having to sleep when they go out cause it's the only time i can get quite long enough it's an ongoing problem and i feel that it's falling on def ears

AJ 04/09/2019 at 8:18 pm

I own a property and rent to tenants my downfall is I have neighbours who rent to but the landlord has left his work to letting agents which for personal client confidentiality can not let me or anyone else know who or how to make contact with as his tenants have down right have fly tripped my back yard entrance which is split three ways so it’s a back ally which always three properties to use but it’s completely blocked infested and a full full n health hazard I never get tenants long enough to stay once they realise they blockage if hazardous and a cause of health I’ve tried the council many of times and it’s a very stressful and tense situation to be in as I am a pensioner because the property is mine and the ally way is three way I may have to take the fall as there is no response from the three party as there’s no way anyone can help us it’s been over 3 years the tenants keep changing and the pile is getting bigger and bigger and it’s ridiculous as I’m am not responsible for someone else junk and the council begs to state if the court can’t find pure evidence that it is my neighbour and I can prove it in court I can will still have to pay half disputes it not being me I am the end of tether and I really need help this is very upsetting and distressing my wife who is suffering a great deal with her health and she has been warned she is not to take anymore stress as her heart is extremely weak and friagle and I am really in need of help can someone out there please help me

Dee 30/06/2019 at 7:04 pm

Environmental health don't do anything. They let landlords get away with a hell of a lot. They don't do anything about antisocial behaviour either if the antisocial person is a home owner.

I've been trying to get them to help me with both for 20 years. Even the police take the side of the home owner.

I have had all manner of disrepair in my home for 20 years. No hot water for years and due to a long-term leak the baths going to come through the ceiling any day now. It's been leaking through a light fitting. My housing manager knows and so does head of environmental health in Hampshire. Had black and yellow mold whole of my tenancy

eg03xta 09/05/2019 at 9:18 pm

Private renting on a 2 year tenency one year completed .3/01/2019 my partner and I reported paint bubbling on the outer wall of the house and dining room . Paint is now peeling off in dining room and my sons room 8 yr old .
App letting agent have had 2 company evaluate issue and both advise the outer rendering needs to be removed And replaced . The walls are damp and cold to touch along with the sash wooden window which have been erected with plastic for draft excluder . Georgian door that internally is damp and wood soft to touch .
We have been advised 5 months after reporting the ongoing damp house conditions that the landlord is ignoring letting agents correspondence but letting agent advised us the tenet and landlord may be looking into his building insurance for the work which is causing the delays ?
I’m waking during the night with the cold and dampness of the environment causing considerable pain in my shoulder causing then pins and needles in my hands , .

Horsefan 27/03/2019 at 9:43 am

8 Months ago i reported rotten wooden window frames in my home (Hole in corner of one just bigger than a 50 pence piece) 4x Blown glass
Workmen came out and said the job was bigger than they were told as the whole frame is rotten so will all need replacing, i havent heard anything since! After 3-4 phone calls asking what is going on they tell me someone will call me back and i hear nothing! What am i to do?

Crive 05/07/2018 at 10:32 am

A EHO instructed by my lawyer inspected my council property and identified a number of issues during the visit. However, i did not include most of the works he identified during his visit in his report to my lawyer. My lawyer gave me a list of works to be carried out by my landlord which do not include the works required to prevent the issues from reoccurring the EHO outlined during his visit. I recorded the EHO visit and can prove that what is written in his report is in contrast to what he stated during his inspection. Is there a Code of Conduct the EHO must adhere to or an organisation i can contact to report him? Thank you.

Dizzy 17/04/2018 at 5:43 pm

My kitchen cupboards are rotting inside and get little bugs in which I find inside my bags of flour. When I told landlord about they did an inspection and decided they'd replace the doors and worktops ONLY . That was in 2014. Now I find all my neighbours are getting new kitchens as they've been in for over 20 yrs. But they said I'm not eligible as we had new doors and tops in 2014. Yes we did have these but that didn't fix the problems of rot and bugs which I mentioned the first time I reported it . Are they allowed to fob me off like this? Or do they have to replace the carcasses? Thanks

Julie 17/03/2018 at 7:46 pm

I currently live in a tenement block in Glasgow in an affluent area. My Land Lady has told me she wants to sell. The property may be worth £135,000 plus. However there is a slight structural problem with the west bay window. Not my bay, the bay next to mine.
There was a flat sold in 2013 for £50,000 due to this structural issue. A full structural report has been done stating that the work should be carried out before it gets too extensive. However, there are 12 owners, and only 5 are willing to pay their share. The government has offered a grant if 10 owners pay £5,000 each. As you can imagine this is an issue as most owners rent. The question is, what can be done legally in order to get all owners to pay their share? I want to buy this flat as I know it can be sold for a lot more once the work is done! Can it be pushed by the council? Please help. Thanks

Rii 21/01/2018 at 10:56 pm

Hi, I’ve lived at my house for almost 1 year, there is damp so bad by my back door that when you touch the wall the paint comes off onto your hand, I could have my heating on for 4-5 hours and the house is still so cold you see their cold air coming off your breath, I have reported this to the estate agents, they told me they don’t deal with the coldness of the house, the landlord comes by at least every month to”look at the wall” nothing has still been done, since this I have now noticed damp in my bedroom, I’m now struggling to breath in my sleep, what should I do?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 02/08/2017 at 12:12 pm

WE hope the above article helps you with the next steps you need to take.

Billong 30/07/2017 at 12:39 pm

Me & partner moved in flat needed repairs 2 years later still nothing he sed it would be done all the landlord what money every month we are getting slug in all the time we shall report him

stevew2 28/01/2017 at 1:41 am

15 years ago an two storey wharehouse was demolised and a 5 story office was built on it's footprint and extended upwards behnd my home. There is about 40 feet between my building and that one. The work was masssive, desruptive, noisey and went on for two years. The buiding has a very large glass atrium on top of the roof.
A pathway (for emergency exits) runs the length of the roof. The terrace is directly opposite my living room roof and kitchen windows. On the rare occassions workmen use this roof pathway and they have an unrestriced view into my living area. It seldom happens and I can live with that. Last summer a garden table and chairs appeared and office staff began to use it. My partner told me, "as part of the planning permission they were not suppose to do that". I have no memory of this but I do remember that we were assured that the office lights would be put out out night. They were to begin with, then my family and I moved over seas for several years overseas. When we returned the Atrium was lit up all night. The light shines directly into our bedrooms. We can use blinds of course but in the summer it makes it impossible to open the windows. I contacted the loacal authority and an inspector came and told me that the light would have to be bright enough to read a newspaper by. So nothing has been done. I am am concerned that if I don't complain about the table and chairs there will be further developments. Can anyone advise me. Who does one contact? Do we have any rights?

Lee Suzanne 01/12/2016 at 10:09 pm

Myself and my family have lived at an address in Bournemouth now for 3 years. We have always paid our rent on time. We have 4 children aged 13, 7, 2 and a baby. We have a property that we rent for just under £1000 a month. Our windows are still wooden framed, most of which are rotten. Our front door, again wooden, does not shut properly, My house is so cold that my younger children are always ill! My little baby girl ended up in hospital at 4 months with pneumonia for 5 days!!! My landlady has refused to do anything about any of my concerns! Do i have a legal leg to stand on?? If anyone has any advice i'd be very grateful x Lee

ProblemNeighbours Editor 29/11/2016 at 11:11 am

Have other tenants had the same problem? What were the results of the Water Board's tests? If you're unhappy about the actions of either organisation you could try the Ombudsman.

mrrealrealm 28/11/2016 at 5:15 am

I have been a long term tenant of Kent County Council. for almost ten years. and I have had to endure tap water which has a strong taste and smell of domestic bleach plus yellow covered skin after taking a bath. complained to the council after. having my tap water tested. the water board says any probelm must be with me. and suggested that I rent private accomadation. by why should I have to do this???

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