Your local council may be able to help with problems in buildings containing leasehold flats if there’s a health and safety risk or an environmental health nuisance. There are steps you can take to report a problem.
If the local council is your landlord, see our guide on resolving disputes with landlords or managing agents.
What the local council can help with
Your local council may be able to help with serious health and safety or environmental health problems or nuisances in the communal areas of your building that your landlord is responsible for. This includes problems such as:
- severe damp and mould
- dangerous structural problems
- dangerous electrics
- asbestos that’s been damaged
- serious drainage problems
- smoke, fumes or smells
- noise problems
- build-up of rubbish
- pests such as rats or mice
They may also be able to help with antisocial behaviour, such as harassment. Citizens Advice has information on dealing with harassment or anti-social behaviour from neighbours.
If your building has fire safety risks you can report the issue to your local fire and rescue service.
The local council cannot help with other types of leasehold dispute, such as service charges, breaches of a lease or most repairs. You’ll need to try other ways of resolving the dispute.
How to report a problem
It’s usually best to try to resolve the issue directly with your landlord first.
If this has not worked, contact your local council. Check their website to find out how to report a problem, or call and ask to speak to the relevant team, such as environmental health.
You can find your local council on GOV.UK.
Explain to them:
- what the problem is
- how it’s affecting you and why you think it’s a health risk or nuisance
- what you have done to try to resolve it – such as details of any correspondence with the landlord or managing agent
Ask them when you can expect a response.
You can ask them to keep your complaint confidential if you do not want the landlord to know that it’s you who contacted them.
Keep records of the issues, including dates and times, and photos or videos if relevant. This may help if the problem continues or gets worse.
What to expect
Local councils will usually only be able to help if the problem is serious and there’s a risk of someone being harmed. They have limited resources and usually mainly help with rented properties rather than privately owned leasehold flats. However they have a duty to take action if the problem counts as:
- a high-risk health and safety issue (a “category 1 hazard” under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System)
- a “statutory nuisance” under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 – this includes building conditions that are likely to affect health or quality of life
They will usually start by working with the landlord informally to try to resolve the problem. For example, they might agree a schedule of works with the landlord to repair the building. They will usually only consider formal action if this approach has not worked.
Depending on what the issue is, their powers may include:
- inspecting the building
- serving an abatement notice, requiring someone to stop or put right a nuisance
- serving an improvement notice, requiring the landlord to carry out certain works within a set timeframe
- making a prohibition order preventing anyone living in the property, in extreme cases if the building is unsafe
Failure to comply with a notice or order is a criminal offence.
If the local council is also your landlord (they own the building), they cannot take enforcement action against themselves. Instead, you would need to use the council’s complaints process. Find out how to complain to your landlord.
If the local council does not take action
If the local council does not help and you think they have a duty to deal with the problem, you could make a complaint.
If the council explains that the problem is not their responsibility, you’ll need to try other ways of resolving the issue with the landlord, such as legal action.
Make a formal complaint to the council
If you’re unhappy with how the local council has dealt with the issue you can make a formal complaint.
Look for details of the local council’s complaints process on its website.
You’ll need to go through all the stages of the complaints process and give them a chance to fix the problem.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has advice about making a complaint.
Complain to the Ombudsman
If you’re not satisfied after using the local council’s complaints process, you can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Find out how to complain to the Ombudsman.
Consider legal action against the landlord
If the local council cannot help, you may be able to take legal action in court to force your landlord to fix the problem. But this can be complex and expensive, and should be a last resort.
Find out more about taking legal action in court.
You could also consider alternative dispute resolution, if your landlord is willing to try to reach an agreement without going to court.
Other ways to get help
You may also want to:
They may be able to look into the issue on your behalf, particularly if there is a pattern of serious problems with your building.
- Last updated:
- 18 August 2026
- Next review:
- 14 February 2027
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