Help for private tenants

If your landlord is not making the repairs you ask for, we have legal powers to make sure they do. Before we can help, you will need to follow the steps below.       

1. Speak to your landlord first about repairs and give them time to do these.
2. Write to your landlord to request repairs or inform them about hazards in your home. You can use Shelter's repair request letter template. Your landlord must respond within 14 days and tell you how and when they’ll solve the problems you wrote to them about.
3. If your landlord does not respond properly or fails to make repairs, contact the Private Rented Housing team on 0113 378 4699 or email prs.housing@leeds.gov.uk.

What happens next

We’ll talk through your options when you contact us. A member of the team might come and inspect your property. If we find hazards due to disrepair, we can ask your landlord to make the repairs and serve legal notices to get these done. For non urgent repairs, we usually give your landlord an opportunity to sort things out before we inspect.

Your landlord is legally required to make sure that:       

• your home has at least one smoke alarm on every floor which must be tested on the first day of the tenancy
• they provide safety certificates so you can see when gas and electrical supplies were last checked
• your gas appliances are checked by a Gas Safe registered gas fitter every year
• any furnishings included with the property are fire resistant and meet safety regulations
• there is a carbon monoxide alarm in all rooms with a solid fuel burning appliance, for example a working open fire

No gas safety certificate? Report it       

If you are worried your landlord is not doing enough to make your home safe, you can get advice from the Private Rented Housing team. Call 0113 378 4699 or email prs.housing@leeds.gov.uk.

First, check what is causing the damp or mould. It's often caused by condensation that happens when there's not enough ventilation or heating.       

To help you find the cause, read Shelter's guide to damp and mould in rented homes.       

We may be able to help if the mould or damp is caused by your landlord not making repairs to things like leaks or damp proofing. You can contact the Private Rented Housing team on 0113 378 4699 or email prs.housing@leeds.gov.uk.       

Reclaim rent

You (as the occupier or tenant) can apply for a rent repayment order (RRO) if your landlord has committed one of the following offences:       

• failure to comply with improvement notice (under section 30 Housing Act 2004)
• failure to comply with prohibition order (under section 32 Housing Act 2004)
• having control of, or managing, an unlicensed property (under section 95 Housing Act 2004)
• having control of, or managing, an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (under section 72 Housing Act 2004)
• using or threatening violence for securing entry into premises (under section 6 Criminal Law Act 1977)
• illegal eviction or harassment (under section 1 Protection from Eviction Act 1977)
• breach of banning order (under section 21 Housing and Planning Act 2016)

More information can be found on the Shelter website.       

Apply for a rent repayment order (RRO)

You can apply even if your landlord has not been convicted as long as you can prove to a tribunal, beyond reasonable doubt, that they committed that offence.       

Find out how to apply for a rent repayment order.       

Deposits

The council cannot help with deposit disputes, but you can get help from your Tenancy Deposit Scheme. It should have been put into a deposit scheme when you paid it. Check if your tenancy deposit is protected.       

If your landlord has served you with a notice to leave the property, it must follow certain rules before it will be valid. Find out the eviction rules landlords must follow.

We can check your notice to see if it is valid and give advice if you think you’ve been illegally evicted. Contact the Leeds Housing Options team at housing.options@leeds.gov.uk or call 0113 222 4412.       

If you're worried about becoming homeless, there's support available. Find out how we can help you avoid homelessness.       

Harassment can be anything a landlord does, or fails to do, that makes you feel unsafe in the property or forces you to leave. It is a crime for your landlord to harass you.

Harassment can include:       

• stopping services like electricity
• withholding keys
• refusing to carry out repairs
• anti-social behaviour by someone the landlord knows, for example a friend of the landlord moves in next door and causes you problems
• opening your post or throwing out your belongings
• threats and physical violence

If you think you are being harassed, talk to the Leeds Housing Options team on 0113 222 4412 or email housing.options@leeds.gov.uk.       

The council may be able to take legal action if there is enough evidence of harassment.       

More help for harassment

You could also contact a legal adviser, the Citizens Advice Bureau or Shelter. If you experience physical violence, contact the police immediately.