What counts as an emergency repair in a rented home?

• A smell of gas, or a suspected carbon monoxide leak.
• Exposed live wiring, burning smells from sockets, or a total loss of power.
• An uncontrolled leak or burst pipe, or water coming through a ceiling.
• Total loss of heating or hot water, particularly in cold weather or a vulnerable household.
• A blocked or overflowing soil pipe, or the only toilet in the property being unusable.
• The property being insecure — a broken front door, lock or ground-floor window after a break-in.
• Structural danger, such as a collapsing ceiling or unsafe stairs.

For gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 before anything else. For fire or an immediate danger to life, call 999.

• Partial loss of heating or hot water.
• A contained leak that is not causing damage yet.
• A faulty extractor fan or persistent condensation causing damp and mould.
• A failed appliance the landlord supplied, such as an oven or fridge.

• A dripping tap or slow-draining sink.
• A sticking window or door, worn seals, minor cosmetic damage.
• A single blown light fitting where other lighting works.

A good report gets fixed faster because the tradesperson arrives with the right parts. Include a photo or short video, where in the property it is, when it started, whether it is getting worse, and the times you can realistically give access. If it affects a vulnerable person in the household, say so — that changes the priority.

Put the report in writing and keep a copy. If a reasonable time passes with no action, contact your local council's environmental health team, who can inspect the property and require the landlord to act. Shelter and Citizens Advice both publish free guidance on disrepair.

Tenants report in about thirty seconds — a photo, a short description and the access times that suit their shifts. The report is triaged by urgency automatically, so an active leak at 2am jumps the queue instead of sitting in an inbox until Monday. You can then see live status: reported, approved, trade assigned, ETA — without chasing anyone. Mainto is free for tenants.