You may be able to claim compensation
If heating or hot water has broken down and has not been properly fixed, you may be able to claim repairs and compensation from your council or housing association.
No heating or hot water compensation claims for council and housing association tenants
If you rent from a council or housing association and your heating or hot water has broken down and has not been properly fixed, you may be able to make a no heating compensation claim for repairs and compensation. Here is how heating systems fail, what your landlord must do, how the seasons and Awaab's Law come into it, and what evidence helps.
No heating or hot water at a glance
Heating and hot water are your landlord's job
Council and housing association landlords must keep the installations for heating and hot water in repair: the boiler, pipes, radiators and controls.
Weeks without heat matter
The longer it goes on, and the colder the weather, the more it can affect a claim. Report early and keep records.
Say who is vulnerable
Children, older people and anyone with a health condition are more at risk in a cold home. Tell your landlord in writing.
What counts as broken heating or no hot water?
A broken boiler is the classic case, but heating problems come in many forms. The pattern of failure can tell you a lot about the cause.
| Problem | What you might notice | What it can mean | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| No heating at all | The boiler will not start, radiators stay cold, or the display shows a fault code | A boiler fault, a failed pump or controls, or a problem with the gas or power supply | Your landlord |
| Heating in some rooms only | Some radiators stay cold, or the home never warms up | Air or sludge in the system, faulty valves, or a system too small for the home | Your landlord for the system; you can bleed radiators if you are comfortable doing so |
| No hot water | Taps run cold or only lukewarm | A boiler or cylinder fault, a failed immersion heater or a diverter valve fault | Your landlord |
| Repeated breakdowns | It works for a few days, then fails again | An underlying fault that was never fixed, or an ageing boiler | Your landlord. Ask whether a replacement is planned |
| Communal heating outage | A whole block or street loses heat and hot water | A fault at the shared plant or pipework | Your landlord, or its managing agent or contractor |
Different heating systems, different problems
What fails, and who deals with it, depends on the kind of system in your home.
Gas boilers
Combi boilers heat water on demand, so a failure usually means no heating and no hot water. System and regular boilers have a hot water cylinder, which may have an electric immersion heater as a back-up.
Electric storage heaters
Common in flats without gas. They charge overnight and release heat through the day. If they are not charging or giving out heat, report it. Fixed heaters are your landlord's responsibility.
Communal and district heating
One plant heats many homes, so an outage can affect a whole block and may take longer to fix. Report it even if neighbours have. Each household should log its own report.
Heat pumps
Increasingly common in newer and retrofitted homes. Controls and settings differ from a boiler, so ask for a proper explanation, and report faults as you would with any heating.
Oil, LPG and solid fuel
Less common, but the duty applies to the installation. Running out of fuel is different from a fault, but failed burners, tanks and flues are repair issues.
Portable and plug-in heaters
Temporary heaters supplied by a landlord are a stopgap. They are not a replacement for a working heating system.
Living without heating or hot water?
Find out in minutes if you could claim compensation for no heating or no hot water. It costs you nothing to check.
We are a claims management company, not a law firm. You don't have to use us: you can complain to your landlord, then the relevant ombudsman*.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Servicing and safety checks: why they matter to a claim
Records of servicing, and of repeated call-outs, help show what your landlord knew and what it did about it.
The annual gas safety check
Landlords must have gas appliances and flues checked every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and give you a copy of the record within 28 days of the check. It is a safety check, not a full service.
Servicing and maintenance
Regular servicing helps catch faults before winter. A landlord that skips servicing, or keeps patching an ageing boiler, may be relevant to a claim.
Giving access
Landlords need access for checks and repairs. Keep appointments, or rearrange them in writing. Repeatedly refusing access can weaken a claim.
Should you try to fix it yourself?
A few checks are safe. Anything involving gas, the boiler casing or the flue is not.
Smell gas, or think it might be carbon monoxide?
Open doors and windows, do not use flames or switches, leave the property, and call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999. In an emergency call 999.
Safe checks
Thermostat and programmer
Check the settings, the timer and the batteries.
The boiler display
Note any fault code and take a photo. Your landlord will want it.
Cold radiators
If a radiator is cold at the top, you may be able to bleed it, if you are comfortable and your landlord allows it.
Boiler pressure
Check the gauge, but only top it up if the manual and your landlord say you may.
Frozen condensate pipe
In freezing weather this can stop some boilers. Follow the manufacturer's guidance, and only if you can reach it safely.
Do not
Don't open the boiler or touch gas pipes
Leave the casing, gas pipework and flue to a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Don't use an unregistered engineer
Gas work must be done by someone on the Gas Safe Register.
Don't heat with a gas oven, hob or barbecue
It can produce carbon monoxide, which is dangerous.
Don't ignore a carbon monoxide alarm
Treat every alarm as real, and act on it straight away.
Don't pay for a repair without telling your landlord
If you must in an emergency, tell them straight away and keep the invoice.
Keeping warm and safe while you wait
Ask for temporary heating
Many landlords will supply heaters. Ask in writing and note what you were given, and when.
Heat one room
Concentrate on the room you use most, and keep doors closed to hold the warmth.
Sort hot water another way
Boil a kettle for washing and washing-up, and ask your landlord about alternatives if you have small children.
Look after people at risk
Check on children, older relatives and neighbours. If anyone is unwell, get medical advice.
How the seasons affect heating problems
Winter is when heating breaks down, and when landlords are busiest. The time of year can also shape a claim.
Autumn: test it early
Try your heating when the weather first turns, and report faults straight away. Landlords get busy as soon as it turns cold.
Winter: act fast
Breakdowns matter most now. Use the emergency repairs line and ask for temporary heating. A fault in a cold snap can carry more weight in a claim.
Spring: follow up
Ask what caused any winter failure, whether it was only patched, and whether a replacement is planned.
Summer: still need hot water
Faults often go unnoticed until the heating is switched on again. Ask for a check now, so it works when you need it.
Awaab's Law and heating
Awaab's Law is being phased in for council and housing association landlords in England. Heating is brought in from the second phase.
Phase 1
Damp and mould hazards, and all emergency hazards, must be dealt with within fixed time limits.
Phase 2
Extends to a wider range of significant hazards, including excess cold and excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical safety and hygiene.
Phase 3
Expected to cover almost all remaining hazards, apart from overcrowding.
The impact of a heating failure
A cold home with no hot water affects health, money and day-to-day life.
Health
Cold homes are linked to breathing problems, heart problems and low mood. Children, older people and people with health conditions are most at risk.
Damp and mould
Cold walls collect condensation, and mould follows. See our damp and mould guide.
Washing, cooking and cleaning
No hot water makes washing, bathing children, laundry and cooking harder.
Extra costs
Electric heaters, launderettes and takeaway meals add up quickly.
Frozen and burst pipes
In freezing weather, an unheated home is at risk of frozen pipes.
Stress and sleep
Living in the cold wears people down, especially with children or health conditions in the home.
What your landlord must do
These duties apply to your tenancy automatically, and your landlord can't contract out of them.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Section 11 requires your landlord to keep the installations for space heating and heating water in repair and working order. That covers boilers, pipes, radiators and controls.
Read the guideHomes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Your home must be fit to live in. A home that is too cold, or has no hot water, may not be.
Read the guideGas safety rules
An annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy of the record given to you.
Awaab's Law (England)
Emergency hazards and damp and mould are covered now. Excess cold is due to be added from 30 November 2026.
Read the guideWhat a proper fix looks like
- Diagnoses the whole fault, not just the symptom
- Repairs or replaces a boiler that keeps failing
- Provides temporary heating and hot water while you wait
- Keeps you informed, and checks the fix has worked
Broken boiler in a council house or housing association home: claiming compensation
Council and housing association landlords owe the same core repair duties. The route for complaining differs slightly, depending on who your landlord is.
Broken boiler in a council house: claiming from your council
If you rent from your council, or from an organisation it has set up to manage its homes, that landlord owes the repair duties above. Follow its complaints process first, then take it to the relevant ombudsman*. With communal heating, your landlord usually remains responsible to you, even if a contractor or managing agent runs the system.
Broken boiler in a housing association home: claiming from your housing association
Housing association tenants have the same core repair rights, whether the landlord is a large national association or a small local one. Complain to your housing association first, then take it to the relevant ombudsman*.
Not sure who your landlord is? We can help check.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Evidence you need for a no heating claim
- A heating diary: each day, whether heating and hot water worked
- Room temperatures, morning and evening, with a photo of the thermometer
- Photos of the boiler display, error codes and cold radiators
- Every report: emails, portal messages, call dates and reference numbers
- Engineer visit notes, job tickets and missed appointments, theirs and yours
- Gas safety records, service records and repair history
- Receipts for heaters, extra electricity, launderettes or meals out
- GP letters, and details of anyone vulnerable in the household
A heating diary, set out simply
| Date | Heating | Hot water | Room temp | Reported and reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [date] | None | None | [°C, room] | Called [time], ref [number] |
| [date] | None | Cold only | [°C, room] | Emailed; told engineer due [date] |
| [date] | Working | Working | [°C, room] | Engineer visited, part ordered |
An example layout. Keep it up to date every day.
Heating repair compensation: what could a claim include?
No heating compensation and no hot water compensation are not fixed amounts. They depend on the factors below, and there are no guarantees.
Repairs and temporary heating
The heating or hot water fixed properly, and temporary heating while you wait.
No heating compensation
For the discomfort and disruption of living in the cold, especially in winter.
No hot water compensation
For the disruption to washing, cooking, laundry and family life.
Extra costs and health impact
Provable extra costs, and any effect on your health.
How much compensation could I receive?
There is no set figure. What a claim could be worth depends on the facts. These are the things that usually matter:
- How long you were without heating or hot water
- The time of year, and how cold it was
- Whether it affected the whole home or only part
- Whether you lost heating, hot water, or both
- Who lives there: children, older people, health conditions
- How your landlord responded, including any temporary heating
- Your evidence, and any extra costs
Your solicitor can explain what your circumstances may support once your case has been assessed.
How to make a no heating compensation claim
- 1
Report it straight away
Use the emergency repairs line and follow up in writing. Say who is vulnerable, and ask for temporary heating and a reference number.
- 2
Keep a heating diary
Note each day heating and hot water are off, room temperatures, and every call, visit and reply.
- 3
Make a formal complaint
If it is not fixed in a reasonable time, use your landlord's complaints process.
- 4
Go to the relevant ombudsman*
It is free. If your landlord has not resolved the complaint, you can take it further.
- 5
Find out whether you could make a claim
You are not required to use us, but a free check takes a few minutes.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Living without heating or hot water?
Find out in minutes if you could claim compensation for no heating or no hot water. It costs you nothing to check.
We are a claims management company, not a law firm. You don't have to use us: you can complain to your landlord, then the relevant ombudsman*.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Who can make a claim?
You may be able to claim if:
- You rent your home from a council or housing association
- You've reported the problem and they've had a fair chance to fix it
- It has affected your health, safety or quality of life
- The problems are ongoing, or repairs came too late
You may not be able to claim if:
- You own your home, even part of it (such as shared ownership)
- You rent from a private landlord as your repair rights may be different
- You haven't reported the problem to your landlord yet
- You have moved out of the affected property
Not sure who your landlord is? We can help check.
How it works
Tell us what's wrong
Answer a few quick questions about your home and what you've already reported.
What evidence helps your claimWe review your details
We review what you tell us to see if a solicitor may be able to help.
A solicitor takes over
If it looks suitable, we refer you to a specialist solicitor, who explains what happens next.
If your case is referred to a solicitor, we receive a referral fee from them. This is not charged to you.
No heating and no hot water: common questions
Related
Other types of disrepair
Damp and mouldLeaking roofHeating and hot waterLeaks and water damageFaulty electricsStructural problemsPests and infestationsBroken windows, doors or locks
Guides
Heating complaints: your rightsAwaab's Law (England)Housing disrepair in WalesLandlord responsibilitiesWhat evidence do you need?Seasonal housing issues
About this guide
This is general information, not legal advice. Government guidance, Housing Ombudsman reports, and Awaab's Law guidance may be updated. Check the date on linked resources.
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Remember
You don't have to use a claims management company. There is no guarantee that using a claims management company will make your claim quicker or get you a better outcome. You can complain to your landlord, then the relevant ombudsman*, for free.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman