Broken Heating & Hot Water
No heating or hot water for weeks? A cold home is a disrepair claim — and often an urgent one.
Going without heating or hot water isn't something you should have to put up with, especially in winter or with children or elderly relatives at home. Your landlord must keep the heating and hot water in working order and fix breakdowns within a reasonable time. When weeks go by with no real action, you can claim — and if it's an emergency, we can push for urgent repairs.
Reviewed by Sannah Khatoon, Litigation & Housing Disrepair Solicitor · SRA #654258 · Admitted 2018
Heating and hot water are covered by section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which requires the landlord to keep in repair and proper working order the installations for space heating and heating water — the boiler, radiators and hot-water system. A landlord who leaves you without heating or hot water for an unreasonable time is in breach of that duty.
A home that can't be kept warm can also be unfit under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, and 'excess cold' is one of the most serious hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System — the risk rises sharply for older people, young children and anyone with a health condition. Where a gas boiler or appliance is unsafe, the landlord's duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 also apply, including annual gas safety checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
A total loss of heating or hot water is usually treated as urgent, so the timescale a landlord is given to act is short. If the landlord still doesn't respond, a solicitor can push for emergency repairs and start a claim under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims (England). If you ever smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, treat it as an emergency and contact the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999.
Compensation reflects how long you were without heating or hot water, the time of year and the impact on your household — assessed on the facts, so no fixed amount is stated here. A regulated solicitor will give you an honest, case-specific view.
How we can help
- Broken or unsafe boilers and central heating
- No hot water for extended periods
- Faulty radiators and dangerous gas appliances
- Urgent action where vulnerable people are at risk
These claims are run on a no-win, no-fee basis by SRA-regulated solicitors, so in suitable cases it costs you nothing up front to find out where you stand. Start your claim using the form and a regulated solicitor will review your situation. We connect you with a regulated firm — we are not a firm of solicitors ourselves.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a landlord leave me without heating or hot water?
The landlord must repair heating and hot water within a 'reasonable' time under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and a total loss — especially in cold weather or where children or older people live in the home — is normally treated as urgent, so that reasonable time is short. Weeks without action is very likely a breach.
Is no heating really grounds for a claim?
Yes. A home that can't be kept warm can be unfit under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, and 'excess cold' is a recognised serious hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. If you reported the problem and it wasn't fixed within a reasonable time, you may have a disrepair claim.
What if the boiler might be dangerous?
Treat a suspected gas leak or carbon monoxide risk as an emergency — call the national gas emergency line on 0800 111 999. Landlords must keep gas appliances safe and arrange annual checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. A solicitor can act urgently where an appliance has been left unsafe.
Can I be evicted for complaining about the heating?
Retaliatory eviction is restricted by section 33 of the Deregulation Act 2015, which limits a landlord's ability to use a section 21 notice after a genuine complaint about conditions. Don't let the threat stop you getting advice — a regulated solicitor can explain the protection that applies.
How much compensation can I get for no heating?
It depends on how long you were without heating or hot water, the time of year and the effect on your household, so amounts are assessed case by case and we don't quote fixed figures. A solicitor will give you an honest estimate once they've seen the evidence.
Will it cost me anything to claim?
Usually not up front. These claims are generally run under a Conditional Fee Agreement (no win, no fee), often with After the Event insurance covering the other side's costs if the claim fails — so in suitable cases you pay nothing unless the claim succeeds. Your solicitor explains the funding before starting.
Sources & further reading
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11 (repairing obligations) — legislation.gov.uk ↗
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 — legislation.gov.uk ↗
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) — GOV.UK ↗
- Repairs if you're a private tenant — GOV.UK ↗
This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Every housing-disrepair case turns on its own facts — speak to a solicitor about your situation. UK Housing Disrepair Solicitors is a connector service: we put tenants in touch with SRA-regulated solicitors, and we are not a firm of solicitors ourselves.