In a rental property, heating and hot water are considered to be essential services. They have a direct impact on whether a property is fit for habitation because they can affect the health and safety of a property and its tenants and can pose a serious risk if they are not operational. For this reason, landlords have to make the maintenance and provision of heating and hot water a high priority. In London, where data confirms the London boroughs provide the highest concentration of rental properties in the UK, this is a common concern for tenants, especially in social housing which is particularly prevalent in London.

Tenants can feel very vulnerable in rental properties, and in social housing situations where they are on a low-income, tenants often feel reluctant to raise housing disrepair issues for fear of eviction. Therefore, it is important that tenants understand their rights and what they have grounds to raise a complaint about. In the following article we explore what is considered an emergency with regards to heating and hot water in a rental property, and how a tenant should deal with having no heating or hot water.

What is an emergency when considering heating and hot water in a rental property?

It is considered to be an emergency situation if you report the following in your rental property in London:

• Total loss of heating or hot water.
• This becomes a higher priority emergency if reported between the beginning of November and the end of April.
• The heating or hot water systems are presenting a safety risk, such as gas or electrical issues.

What common problems would you encounter with heating and hot water in a rental property?

When you encounter a problem with no heating or hot water it can be immediately uncomfortable, particularly in winter. In such circumstances, you may be more interested in getting the problem fixed and not what the actual problem is, but it would be beneficial to know this when reporting the issue to the landlord. Therefore, common issues include:

• Leaking boiler pipes – usually caused by a failing component.
• Noises coming from pipes – air in the system or a broken component causing banging or creaking.
• Boiler switching off – a faulty thermostat or losing water pressure.
• Complete loss of both heating and hot water – usually a serious fault that requires immediate repair.

All these issues can lead to losing heating and hot water and therefore should be reported to your landlord straight away.

Rental properties in London

Data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in 2025 shows that London is a city of renters, not property owners. The five areas of the UK with the lowest percentage of property owners were all in London. These were Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Southwark, Islington and Lambeth. London also has the five areas with the highest percentage of private renters in the UK, in City of London, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

But in terms of housing disrepair issues, perhaps the most relevant data relates to social housing. The ONS figures state that the top five areas in the UK with the highest proportion of socially rented properties are, again, all in London. These are Islington, Southwark, Hackney, Lambeth and Camden.

If you live in social housing in London, you therefore need to be aware of your rights and how to respond if you have no heating or hot water in your rental property.

What should you do if you have no heating or hot water in your rental property?

Your landlord must react quickly to any housing disrepair reports relating to heating and hot water. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, they must maintain important installations such as water, gas, electricity and sanitation. This therefore includes heating and hot water. Further legislation in the form of the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 also states that a lack of hot water means a property can be considered unsafe.

Landlords are legally required to respond to and resolve these issues within ‘a reasonable time period’, or to provide suitable alternative accommodation if the issue can’t be resolved within this timeframe. So, if you are experiencing no heating or hot water in your rental property:

• Report the issue immediately to your landlord – Make sure the message is received by the right people and ideally make the report in writing so there is an evidential record.
• Document – Keep a record of when you reported the issue and who to, take photos of the problem and other issues it is causing and maintain these records as a timeline of the disrepair issue.
• Request alternative accommodation – If the issue cannot be resolved within 24-48 hours, you should request that the landlord provides alternative and suitable accommodation for you and your family.
• Local authority – If your landlord ignores your housing disrepair report, you should contact your local authority, who can intervene to arrange suitable alternative accommodation.
• Legal action – Contact a housing disrepair claim specialist solicitors, who can advise you on all your rights, support you in communications with your landlord and start a compensation claim on your behalf if the repair issue is not resolved.

How long can a landlord leave you without heating and hot water?

There is no specific time limit on this in UK law, just that the landlord should attend to repair issues within a ‘reasonable’ time frame. Clearly this is open to interpretation, but with a high priority issue such as heating and hot water, it can be assumed that this issue should be resolved within 24 hours, and if it hasn’t been resolved after 48 hours, the tenant is within their rights to take action, as outlined above.

In this respect, repair issues with heating and hot water are different to something like a curtain rail that has fallen down, for example. This is inconvenient but is not unsafe and therefore can wait a few days for a repair. The time of year also comes into the equation when assessing what is reasonable. A problem with no heating is obviously easier to live with outside of the winter months, and hence is less of an emergency issue.

If you find yourself without heating or hot water in your London rental property, this can be considered an emergency issue, and you should report it and expect action to be taken by your landlord within a reasonable timeframe, usually 24-48 hours. If the issue isn’t resolved within this timeframe, contact a housing disrepair claim specialist such as Legal HD.