What to Do If Your Rental Property Is Unsafe?

If your rental property feels more like a health hazard than a home, it’s time to take action. If your rental property has conditions that make it unsafe or unfit to live in, you have clear rights and a clear path to getting them resolved. Here’s what to do, in order.

Step 1: Identify and assess the issue

Start by making a clear list of everything that poses a risk or makes the property unfit to live in. Issues can range from obvious structural problems to less visible health hazards.

Common unsafe conditions include:

• Structural problems: sagging ceilings, broken stairs, unstable flooring
• Damp and mould, particularly where it’s affecting air quality or health
• Faulty electrical wiring, exposed cables, or non-functioning smoke alarms
• Gas leaks or faulty heating systems
• Pest infestations
• Inadequate hot water or heating
• Broken locks or windows that compromise security

If you’re in shared accommodation, speak to your flatmates about whether they’ve noticed anything else. Our guide on can condensation cause mould covers one of the most common issues in rented properties.

Step 2: Document everything

Before contacting anyone, build a clear record of the problem. This protects you at every subsequent stage.

• Take clear photos and videos of all unsafe conditions, including close-up shots and wider context shots showing where in the property the issue is
• Note the date and time you first noticed each problem
• Keep copies of all correspondence with your landlord or letting agent
• Write down any verbal conversations with dates and what was said

Step 3: Contact your landlord in writing

Report the issue to your landlord or letting agent in writing as soon as possible. Email is preferable to a phone call as it creates a timestamp and a paper trail.

Your message should include:

• A clear description of each unsafe condition
• Photos or video as attachments
• The date you first noticed the problem
• A reasonable deadline for a response, typically 14 days for non-urgent issues and 24 hours for anything that makes the property immediately unsafe

Be direct and factual. You don’t need to be confrontational, but be clear about what you expect and by when. Our guide on how long landlords have to fix problems explains the timeframes landlords are expected to work within.

Step 4: Escalate to Environmental Health

If your landlord doesn’t respond or fails to carry out the necessary repairs within a reasonable time, contact your local council’s Environmental Health department.

Environmental Health officers can:

• Inspect the property and assess the severity of the conditions
• Issue an improvement notice requiring your landlord to carry out specific repairs within a set timeframe
• In serious cases, issue a prohibition order restricting use of part or all of the property
• Take further enforcement action against landlords who fail to comply

To make a report, find your local council’s Environmental Health contact details on their website. Bring your documentation, including photos, a timeline of the issue, and copies of any correspondence with your landlord.

Step 5: Know your rights

As a private tenant in England, you’re protected under several pieces of legislation:

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018: Your landlord is legally required to ensure the property is fit to live in at the start of the tenancy and throughout. If they fail to meet this standard, you can take them to court and may be entitled to compensation.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): Local councils use this framework to assess hazards in rented properties. Environmental Health officers use it when deciding whether to take enforcement action.

Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Your landlord cannot evict you in retaliation for reporting unsafe conditions or contacting Environmental Health. This would constitute illegal retaliatory eviction, which is a criminal offence.

For free advice specific to your situation:

• Citizens Advice provides free guidance on repairs and tenant rights
• Shelter offers detailed guides on what landlords are legally required to do
• Legal aid may be available if your rights have been seriously breached

Does contents insurance help?

If unsafe conditions in the property have damaged your belongings, such as damp causing damage to furniture, or a fire or water leak affecting your possessions, your contents insurance may cover the cost of repair or replacement.

With Lemonade’s contents insurance, damage to your belongings from covered events such as fire, flooding, or escape of water is included.

Before we go

If your rental property is unsafe, act quickly and systematically. Document the conditions, report them to your landlord in writing, and escalate to Environmental Health if nothing changes. You have clear legal protections, and help is available through Citizens Advice and Shelter if you need guidance at any stage.

And make sure your contents insurance is in place to protect your belongings whatever happens with the property itself.

Frequently Asked Questions