No hot water: tenant rights and what your landlord must do
Direct answer
Heating and hot water installations are normally landlord repair responsibilities under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Report the problem immediately, keep evidence, and escalate to the council if the landlord does not act within a reasonable time for the urgency.
Copy a free hot-water repair request
Keep a hot-water repair record
Use one record for the fault, reports, appointments and replies. The download includes an editable repair-request template; replace its placeholders before sending it yourself.
Worksheet content updated . This is not a legal review date.
For private renters in England. Record only what you know; mark missing information as unknown. These worksheets organize facts for advice and do not decide your legal rights.
Free hot-water repair request letter
Before sending: replace every placeholder, remove anything that is not true and keep a copy. This is a factual repair request, not a legal assessment.
Download repair record and letter (.txt)Read the repair request template
Subject: Repair request — hot water at [property address] Hello [landlord or agent], I am reporting [describe the fault]. I first noticed it on [date and time]. It affects [taps, rooms or heating systems]. I previously reported this on [date and method, or remove this sentence]. The current effect on use of the home is [facts you want to share]. Please confirm receipt and tell me the proposed inspection and repair arrangements. I can discuss access at [contact method / available times]. I have attached [list evidence, or remove this sentence]. Thank you, [name]
- Record when you first noticed the fault and which taps or heating systems are affected. Say whether the problem is continuous or intermittent.
- Keep dated photographs or other evidence you already have. Do not dismantle appliances to gather evidence.
- Record when and how you reported the problem, who received the report and any reference number.
- Keep the landlord's replies, promised attendance dates, access arrangements and what happened at each appointment.
- Record the effect on ordinary use of your home and keep receipts for temporary measures. Share sensitive personal information only with the adviser who needs it.
A phone call is useful, but written evidence matters. Email or message the landlord or agent with the date, what is not working, who is affected, and any health or vulnerability issue.
There is no fixed statutory number of days for every private-rental repair. The landlord must act within a reasonable time after being told, and that time becomes shorter where heating is also affected, the weather is cold, or children, disability, illness, or another vulnerability increases the risk.
Ask for an inspection date, a repair date, and safe temporary measures if the permanent repair cannot be completed quickly. Keep each promise and missed appointment in writing.
Do not withhold rent or arrange expensive works without advice. Emergency action may be justified in some cases, but tenants should keep the landlord informed and preserve evidence.
The first written report should be short but specific. Say whether there is no hot water, no heating, or both; whether the boiler shows an error code; whether children, older people, or disabled people are affected; and whether any temporary workaround exists.
Keep updating your repair record with replies, promised visits and what happened. Use the repairs checker and council escalation guide if you need help deciding the next step.
A landlord may offer temporary heaters, access to washing facilities, or a short-term workaround. That can reduce immediate risk, but it should not become a substitute for repairing the hot water or heating installation. Ask for both the temporary measure and the repair timetable in writing.
Legal information scope
This is legal information for private renters in England, not legal advice. Court outcomes depend on the documents, dates, evidence, and any procedural steps actually taken.
Related next steps
- Repairs checker
Check repair duty and escalation options. - Landlord won't fix boiler
Read the boiler-specific Q&A. - Council environmental health
Escalate serious repair failures. - How long landlords have to make repairs
Compare urgency, evidence, and safe escalation for other repair types.
Related guidance inside this topic
- If your next step turns on landlord repair duties, read section 11 repair duties guide.
- For the dates, forms, and evidence behind landlord repair duties, see damp and mould repair escalation guide before you respond.
- If this issue overlaps with landlord repair duties, check Black mould in rented property: tenant rights to compare the legal tests.
- For a fuller breakdown of landlord repair duties, use repairs checker for the underlying rule set.
- If you need the route-specific rules on landlord repair duties, start with council environmental health landlord repairs so you can check the dates and documents against your own case.
Sources used for this guide
These are primary legislation and public guidance sources that support the legal-information framework used on this page.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Primary statute for core landlord repair duties, including structure, exterior, installations, heating, water, gas, and sanitation. - GOV.UK: repairs in private renting
Government guidance on landlord repair responsibilities and what tenants can do when repairs are not carried out. - Shelter Legal: heating and hot water problems
Shelter Legal guidance on landlord responsibility for heating, hot water, and power problems. - Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Primary statute adding a fitness-for-human-habitation duty for rented homes in England.
Related articles
- Landlord repair obligations in England
Section 11 duties for heating, hot water, structure, sanitation, reasonable time, escalation, damages, and council Environmental Health routes. - How long does a landlord have to fix heating?
How long landlords have to fix heating in England: reasonable time, urgent winter loss, section 11 duties, evidence, and escalation routes. - Council environmental health and landlord repairs
When to contact council environmental health about landlord repairs, damp, hazards, HHSRS inspections, evidence, and what the council can do. - Landlord repair obligations under section 11
Section 11 landlord repair obligations in England: structure, exterior, heating, hot water, sanitation, utilities, reasonable time, and tenant evidence. - Damp and mould: your rights as a tenant
The repair, fitness, hazard, and evidence framework for damp and mould disputes in England.
Common questions
- Is no hot water an emergency repair?
- It can be urgent, especially where heating is also affected or vulnerable people live in the property. Report it immediately and ask for a timescale.
- Can I buy heaters or arrange a plumber and bill the landlord?
- Get advice first unless there is immediate risk. Keep receipts and written messages if temporary measures are needed.
- How long can a landlord leave a tenant with no hot water?
- There is no fixed statutory number of days for every case. The landlord must act within a reasonable time, which is shorter where heating is also affected, the weather is cold, or vulnerable people live in the property.
- Should I contact the council?
- Yes, if the landlord does not act and the lack of hot water or heating could affect health or safety.
Use the interactive checker on getrentersrights.com for the full step-by-step result.
