As a private tenant, you have the legal right to live in a property that is safe and in a good state of repair. All repairs must be reported to your landlord or letting agent in the first instance before contacting the council.
You can visit Shelter (external link) or GOV.UK (external link) for further information on the rights and responsibilities of private renting and how to deal with landlords and letting agents.
Please note, we do not provide reports to support applications for re-housing, claims for compensation or advice on rental agreements, contracts, deposits or harassment and we do not deal with issues related to overgrown or untidy gardens.
How do I report a repair issue?
As part of the Landlord and Tenant Act, tenants of rented properties have to complain in writing to their landlord / letting agent of any disrepair within their rented property.
Our role is ensuring the landlord/letting agent carries out necessary major repairs to your property (which affect your health and safety). It does not extend to resolving minor issues.
We will NOT be able to intervene in ANY disrepair cases unless you have complained to your landlord / letting agent in writing first.
Step 1 - Tell your landlord or letting agent in writing
- Report your repair in writing to your landlord/letting agent explaining the problem as soon as possible - see sample letter (external link). It is your landlord’s responsibility to give you their contact details or the details of their agent. If this information isn't on your tenancy agreement or you don’t have one, contact Shelter (external link) about your rights or use the Land Registry (external link) (subject to a small fee) to request your landlord’s details.
- You must keep a record of any contact you've had with your landlord about the repair problem. This includes:
- Copies of letters and emails you have sent to or received from your landlord/letting agent - You can use Royal Mail's signed for service (external link) to prove your landlord/letting agent got your letter
- Dates of any visits to your home from your landlord/letting agent
- Dates and times of any phone calls made to your landlord/letting agent, and what was said
- Collect evidence about the issue, such as photographs, receipts, reports or bills from professionals who have looked at the problem, or a note from a doctor if the problem is affecting your health
- If after a further 14 days your landlord/letting agent hasn’t responded or won’t do the repairs, then you can report the issue to Wigan Council - see step 2 below to find out what to do.
Step 2 - Tell Wigan Council (privately rented properties only)
Please note this is for privately rented residential properties only. This does NOT apply to business properties.
Before reporting a repair issue that has not been dealt with, you must ensure you have completed step 1 above and can provide us with the necessary evidence/information. We will not be able to deal with your report if step 1 has not been fully completed.
After informing us, we may carry out a visit to inspect the condition of your home, contact the landlord/letting agent on your behalf or offer help and advice.
Please be aware that our role is limited to ensuring the landlord/letting agent carries out necessary major repairs to your property. It does not extend to resolving minor issues - see tenant responsibilities.