Is there a standard repair request form?

There is no legally prescribed form. Most landlords have their own portal or form, and using it is usually the fastest route, but you are not obliged to — a written report by email is equally valid as long as it says what the problem is, where it is and when it started. Our repair letter templates give you wording to start from.

What should I write in an email to my landlord about repairs?

Say what the problem is and exactly where, what it is doing now, when it started, whether it is worsening, and whether anyone in the household is vulnerable. Offer two or three windows when you can give access, attach dated photographs, and ask for a repair reference number in reply.

Should I report repairs by phone or in writing?

Do both where you can. Ring or use the portal so the job is raised quickly, then send a short email the same day recording what you reported and the reference number. The call gets it moving; the email gives you a dated copy that does not depend on the landlord’s system.

How long should I wait before chasing?

It depends on severity. A total loss of heating, hot water or power, or anything unsafe, should be treated as an emergency and chased the same day. For other repairs, most landlords publish target timescales in a repairs policy — ask for it, or find it on their website, and chase in writing once the target has passed.

What if my landlord says I refused access?

This is why appointment offers should be answered in writing even when the slot does not suit you, always proposing alternatives. If a contractor did not attend, email the same day noting the date and the window you waited in. A documented history of offers, replies and missed visits is what answers a claim that the delay was yours.

Can I report a repair to the council instead of my landlord?

If you rent privately and your landlord will not act on a serious hazard, your council’s environmental health team can inspect and has enforcement powers. That is a route for hazards rather than routine repairs, and you would normally be expected to have reported the problem to the landlord first.

Reporting repairs to your landlord

Written by The RemedyBridge editorial team · Updated 19 August 2026 · How we write

Quick answer

Report repairs in writing wherever possible — by email, letter or your landlord’s repair portal — describing the problem, the rooms affected, and when it started. Keep a copy and any reference number. Written reports create the record that matters most if the problem is not fixed.

Key points

Report in writing and keep a copy.
Describe the problem, affected rooms and the date it started.
Ask for a repair reference number.
Follow up if you do not get a response.

A simple reporting routine

Write to your landlord or use their repair portal.
Take dated photographs at the same time.
Note the reference number you are given.
Chase in writing if nothing happens within a reasonable time.

What to put in the report

A repair report does two jobs at once. It tells your landlord what needs fixing, and it becomes the record of what you told them and when. Reports that are vague on either count are the ones that get logged as a lower priority than they deserve, or disputed later.

Where the problem is — the specific room, and where in the room. "Damp on the north wall of the back bedroom, behind the wardrobe" gets a different response from "damp upstairs".
What it is doing now, not only what it looks like. Water coming through when it rains, a boiler that fires and cuts out within a minute, a socket that sparks.
When it started, and when you first noticed it. An approximate date is far better than none.
Whether it is getting worse, and how fast.
Who is affected. If anyone in the household is a child, pregnant, elderly, disabled or has a respiratory or heart condition, say so plainly — vulnerability changes how urgently a hazard should be treated.
What you have already tried, if anything, and what happened.
The access you can offer, with two or three windows of availability.

Attach dated photographs. A photograph with a visible date, or an email that carries its own timestamp, is worth more later than a description written from memory months afterwards.

Which channel to use, and why writing wins

Many landlords prefer a phone line or a portal, and using their preferred route is sensible — it usually gets the job raised faster. The problem with a phone call alone is that it leaves no copy in your hands. If the call is the only record, you are relying on the landlord’s own system to have logged it accurately, and that is precisely what tends to be disputed when a repair has dragged on.

The practical answer is to do both. Use the portal or ring the repairs line, then send a short email the same day saying what you reported, when, and the reference number you were given. That single email converts a phone call into a dated record without slowing anything down.

If your landlord only accepts reports through a portal, take a screenshot of the submitted form and the confirmation screen. Portals routinely close old tickets, and a screenshot survives that.

Access appointments are where repairs stall

More repairs stall over access than over the work itself. A landlord who has offered appointments you could not make will say the delay was yours, and if there is no record of what was offered and what you replied, that is difficult to answer.

Reply to every appointment offer in writing, even to say a slot does not work, and always propose alternatives. If a contractor does not turn up, send a short email the same day noting the date, the window you waited in, and that nobody attended. Those notes cost a minute each and are the difference between "the tenant refused access" and a documented history of missed visits.

Templates you can copy

If it helps to start from something, our repair letter templates cover the three stages most problems go through: a first report, a chaser when nothing happens, and a formal complaint. Fill in your details and copy the text into an email or your landlord’s portal. It is free and nothing you type is stored.

You may not need us — free routes first

You can often resolve repairs for free. Depending on your situation you may be able to:

report repairs to your landlord in writing and keep a dated copy;
use your landlord’s formal complaints process;
take dated photos and keep a record of what you reported and when;
give your landlord a reasonable chance to put things right.

See all free help options

Frequently asked questions

Is there a standard repair request form?: There is no legally prescribed form. Most landlords have their own portal or form, and using it is usually the fastest route, but you are not obliged to — a written report by email is equally valid as long as it says what the problem is, where it is and when it started. Our repair letter templates give you wording to start from.
What should I write in an email to my landlord about repairs?: Say what the problem is and exactly where, what it is doing now, when it started, whether it is worsening, and whether anyone in the household is vulnerable. Offer two or three windows when you can give access, attach dated photographs, and ask for a repair reference number in reply.
Should I report repairs by phone or in writing?: Do both where you can. Ring or use the portal so the job is raised quickly, then send a short email the same day recording what you reported and the reference number. The call gets it moving; the email gives you a dated copy that does not depend on the landlord’s system.
How long should I wait before chasing?: It depends on severity. A total loss of heating, hot water or power, or anything unsafe, should be treated as an emergency and chased the same day. For other repairs, most landlords publish target timescales in a repairs policy — ask for it, or find it on their website, and chase in writing once the target has passed.
What if my landlord says I refused access?: This is why appointment offers should be answered in writing even when the slot does not suit you, always proposing alternatives. If a contractor did not attend, email the same day noting the date and the window you waited in. A documented history of offers, replies and missed visits is what answers a claim that the delay was yours.
Can I report a repair to the council instead of my landlord?: If you rent privately and your landlord will not act on a serious hazard, your council’s environmental health team can inspect and has enforcement powers. That is a route for hazards rather than routine repairs, and you would normally be expected to have reported the problem to the landlord first.

Sources

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