Trusted organisations offering housing, legal, mental health, and financial advice for council and housing association tenants in England and Wales. This free guide for council and housing association tenants in England, with a separate section covering Wales-specific contacts is published by Council Repair Claims, a regulated claims management company, not a law firm.
Where to get help with housing problems
Key Points
- Several organisations can help you with housing disrepair problems for free. You do not need to use a paid service to get advice or support
- The Housing Ombudsman is the right route if you have already complained to your landlord and are not satisfied with the response
- Shelter and Citizens Advice are both good starting points if you are unsure what your rights are or which route to take
- If the disrepair has caused or worsened a health condition, your GP and organisations like Asthma + Lung UK may be relevant alongside your legal options
- If you are in financial difficulty on top of housing problems, StepChange and MoneyHelper offer free debt and budgeting advice
- If you are struggling emotionally with your housing situation, Samaritans (116 123) and Shout (text SHOUT to 85258) offer free, confidential support around the clock
If your landlord has ignored a repair you reported in writing, it is worth finding out where you stand.
Our free eligibility check takes two minutes and carries no obligation to proceed.
Where to get help with housing problems
A guide to the organisations that can help, and when to contact each one.
Dealing with a housing disrepair problem can be stressful, time-consuming, and isolating, particularly if your landlord is unresponsive and you are not sure who to turn to. One of the most common questions tenants have is not just who can help, but which organisation handles which type of problem, and in what order.
The services listed here are not interchangeable. They exist at different points in the process and serve different purposes. The Housing Ombudsman, for example, cannot investigate your complaint if you have not first exhausted your landlord's own complaints procedure. Shelter can advise you on your rights but cannot take legal action on your behalf. A solicitor can pursue a legal claim but is most useful once earlier steps have been tried. Understanding which service fits which stage means you get useful help rather than being told to start somewhere else.
This directory explains what each organisation does, what to have ready before you contact them, and when each one is most likely to be useful. It covers council and housing association tenants in England, with a separate section below for Wales-specific contacts.
If you live in Wales
The information in this guide applies to council and housing association tenants in England. If you rent in Wales, different laws apply and different bodies handle complaints. See our full guide: Housing Disrepair in Wales — Your Rights and How the System Works
Not Sure Where to Start? Use This Guide
| Your situation | Who to contact first |
|---|---|
| You don't know if you have a valid complaint | Shelter, Citizens Advice, or Council Repair Claims |
| Your landlord has ignored your written reports | Your landlord's formal complaints process, then Housing Ombudsman |
| You want free independent advice on legal options | Law Centres Network or Legal Aid Agency |
| Your health has been affected by the disrepair | Your GP, then seek legal advice about a disrepair claim |
| You have breathing problems linked to damp or mould | Asthma + Lung UK, and separately seek legal advice |
| You are in debt or financial difficulty as well | StepChange or MoneyHelper |
| You are struggling emotionally with the situation | Samaritans (116 123) or Shout (text SHOUT to 85258) |
| You need emergency help right now | 999 (emergency) or 111 (urgent medical advice) |
How These Services Fit Together
The organisations in this directory do not work in isolation. In most housing disrepair cases, the services form a natural sequence rather than a list of alternatives to choose between.
Most situations start with your landlord's own repairs and complaints process. This is usually required before any other service will become involved, and it creates the documented record that every subsequent route depends on.
If your landlord's complaints process fails to resolve the issue, the Housing Ombudsman is the free next step. It looks at how your landlord handled the situation, not just whether the repair was needed. It can order remedies, but it works on its own timescale and is better suited to resolving complaints than to forcing urgent repairs.
Where the disrepair is serious, has affected health, or has continued despite the complaints process, legal advice through a solicitor becomes relevant. This is where organisations like Law Centres and the Legal Aid Agency become important, alongside no-win no-fee solicitors accessed through a claims management company.
Throughout all of these stages, organisations like Shelter and Citizens Advice can provide advice and signposting. Health organisations like Asthma + Lung UK are relevant at any stage if the disrepair has caused or worsened a physical condition. Financial and mental health support services exist independently of the disrepair process and should be used whenever they are needed. You do not have to wait until your claim is resolved.
Housing Advice and Legal Support
Shelter
Shelter covers England only. Free housing advice for council and housing association tenants, with advisers who understand social housing law and can tell you quickly whether your complaint has merit and what your options are.
Before you call Shelter, it helps to have a brief summary of the problem ready: what the disrepair is, when you first reported it, and whether you have had any response from your landlord. Calls are answered by trained advisers, not automated systems, and are typically 15 to 30 minutes. Shelter can tell you whether you have grounds to escalate and which route makes most sense for your situation. They will not manage your case on an ongoing basis, but they can give you a clear direction.
If you are in Wales, contact Shelter Cymru instead — see the Wales section below.
Citizens Advice
Offers free, impartial advice on housing, legal rights, benefits, and financial matters. Local branches also offer face-to-face appointments.
Housing Ombudsman Service
The free, independent body that investigates complaints from social housing tenants about their landlord. You generally need to have exhausted your landlord's own complaints process before the Ombudsman will investigate.
Before contacting the Ombudsman, you need to have completed your landlord's formal complaints procedure and received a final response, or eight weeks must have passed since you made a formal complaint without receiving one. You will need your landlord's final response letter, your original complaint, and a summary of what happened in between. The Ombudsman will assign a case officer who will contact both you and your landlord. Investigations typically take three to six months. The Ombudsman can order repairs, require an apology, and award compensation, but they cannot compel a landlord to act as quickly as a court can. If speed is critical, for example if the disrepair is affecting health, legal action may be a faster route.
In Wales: The Housing Ombudsman does not cover Wales. Contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales instead — see the Wales section below.
For a full explanation of when and how to use the Housing Ombudsman: Housing Ombudsman Explained
Law Centres Network
Law Centres provide free legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford solicitors. Many have housing specialists. Find your nearest Law Centre on their website.
Law Centres are the most accessible route to free face-to-face legal advice and are particularly useful for tenants who find written processes difficult or who need help understanding a legal letter they have received. Availability varies by location and demand. Check the Law Centres Network website to find your nearest centre and confirm current wait times. If you qualify for Legal Aid, a Law Centre solicitor can also represent you, which is free and means-tested.
Legal Aid Agency
If you are on a low income or receiving certain benefits, you may be eligible for government-funded legal help. Legal Aid for housing cases is means-tested and not available for all claim types, but worth checking.
Legal Aid for housing disrepair cases is means-tested. To check eligibility, you will need information about your income, savings, and benefits. Legal Aid is more commonly available for urgent cases, for example where an injunction is needed to force emergency repairs, than for straightforward compensation claims. Use the government's Find a Legal Aid Adviser tool at gov.uk/find-legal-advice/find-legal-adviser to locate a housing solicitor with a Legal Aid contract near you.
Health Support
Your GP
If the disrepair in your home has caused or worsened a health problem, respiratory conditions, skin complaints, anxiety, or sleep problems, your GP is an important first point of contact. A letter from your GP linking your health condition to your housing is one of the most valuable pieces of evidence in a housing disrepair claim.
Ask your GP to note in your records when you first reported symptoms, and to include the housing conditions as a potential contributing factor.
If your symptoms are affecting sleep, work, or daily life, do not wait to see whether they improve. Ask your GP specifically to note that your housing conditions may be a contributing factor to your symptoms. This is a short request that most GPs can accommodate, and it creates a medical record that directly supports a housing disrepair claim. If you have children in the household who have been affected, ensure their GP records also reflect this. A letter from your GP specifically linking health conditions to the housing environment, rather than simply recording the symptoms, carries the most evidential weight.
Asthma + Lung UK
If you or a family member has developed or worsened a breathing condition, particularly asthma or a chest infection, that you believe is linked to damp or mould in your home, Asthma + Lung UK can provide support, information, and guidance.
Asthma + Lung UK can also provide a letter confirming the known health risks of damp and mould exposure, which can be useful supporting material in a disrepair case. Their helpline advisers are trained nurses and health professionals, not administrators.
Financial Support
StepChange Debt Charity
If housing problems have led to financial difficulties, arrears, debt, inability to meet costs, StepChange offers free, confidential debt advice and practical plans.
MoneyHelper
The government-backed free money advice service, covering budgeting, benefits, debt, and financial planning. Replaced the Money Advice Service in 2021.
Turn2Us
Helps people find grants and financial support they may not know they are entitled to. Particularly useful if a health condition related to your housing has affected your ability to work.
Mental Health and Emotional Support
Living in poor housing is genuinely distressing. The stress of being ignored by a landlord, living with damp or cold, and navigating a complaint process can affect your mental health significantly. These services are available at no cost.
Samaritans
Confidential emotional support at any time, for anyone who is struggling.
Shout
Text-based crisis support, useful if you are unable to make a voice call.
Mind
Information and support for mental health problems, including advice on managing anxiety and stress linked to difficult circumstances.
For practical guidance on managing the stress of poor housing conditions: Dealing With Stress From Poor Housing Conditions
Wales-Specific Resources
If you rent from a council or housing association in Wales, the following organisations apply to your situation. The organisations listed earlier in this directory — including Shelter and the Housing Ombudsman — cover England only.
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW)
The free, independent body that investigates complaints from social housing tenants in Wales about their landlord. The Welsh equivalent of the Housing Ombudsman.
When submitting a complaint to the PSOW, providing supporting documents upfront is particularly important. The Ombudsman's guidance notes that failure to provide documents delays the process. Have your original repair reports, your landlord's responses, and a brief timeline ready before you submit.
Shelter Cymru
Free housing advice for people in Wales. The Welsh equivalent of Shelter.
Citizens Advice Wales
Free, impartial advice on housing, legal rights, and benefits for people in Wales.
For a full explanation of the Welsh legal framework and how housing disrepair works differently in Wales, see our guide: Housing Disrepair in Wales — Your Rights and How the System Works
Contact details and service hours are correct as of August 2026 but may change. Always check the relevant organisation's website for the most current information.
If your landlord has ignored a repair you reported in writing, it is worth finding out where you stand.
Our free eligibility check takes two minutes and carries no obligation to proceed.
Related guides
Dealing with stress from poor housing conditions
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Making a housing disrepair claim
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Honest overview of housing disrepair claim routes for council tenants: landlord complaints, Ombudsman, solicitors, Legal Aid, or a claims company.
Read guideNeed Help With Your Housing Situation?
Council Repair Claims can help you understand your rights and connect you with a regulated solicitor. You are not required to use our service, you can complain directly to your landlord or to the Housing Ombudsman for free.
Contact us on 03330 111104 or email info@councilrepairclaims.co.uk
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
Content correct as of Aug 2026.