Reporting poor conditions

We can assist to help resolve problems including;

• dampness from roof leaks
• pipe leaks
• rising damp
• condensation and mould and dry rot infestations and improving heating systems or ventilation
• not having heating or having poor heating which makes the home excessively cold due to poor insulation and heating that is inefficient and unaffordable
• not having smoke alarms, poor fire safety
• infestations of rats, mice, cockroaches, fleas and bedbugs
• uneven floors
• not having handrails on steps and stairs
• some types of disrepair where there is a risk to health and safety as the result of a hazard i.e. rotten or broken windows
• bathrooms, kitchens and toilets that are inadequate or in severe disrepair
• broken and blocked drainage
• poor security

Tell your landlord first

This may seem obvious but many people do not give their landlord enough information to be able to fix a problem. You must always contact your landlord first, explain the issue, and give them a chance to make it right.

This also applies if you are in temporary accommodation – it is the landlord who is responsible for making repairs.

If your landlord will not make the repairs then you should report poor conditions.

Once you have submitted your complaint you can send any photos of the issue you are complaining of to Residential.EnvH@islington.gov.uk adding the property address the photos relate to in the subject box of the email.

You will be contacted within three working days of sending your report.

A council officer will visit you as soon as possible. We aim to deal with very urgent issues within 24 hours.

They will identify the defects and decide what action they can take, if any.

The officer will contact your landlord or landlady to carry out the necessary action.

Emergency enforcement

If a repair is very urgent for example, it is a danger to health and safety or security you will need to report this urgently. We need to make sure this housing is in good condition and well managed. 

We have a responsibility to deal with housing that may be dangerous for the people living there. To make sure these homes are safe we carry out enforcement against landlords who do not follow the rules. The type of enforcement we decide to take is always considered on a case by case basis and will vary according to the law.

In some cases, the law tells us that we must take enforcement action such as serving legal notices or charging a penalty fine; and in other cases officers are able to help landlords and residents by providing information and advice.

Examples of sufficient dangerous that requires reporting:

• A leak - if the water cannot be turned off or the leak contained in the case of a severe leak or burst pipe and it is affecting the electrics or another property, dirty water back-surging from plug holes, toilets or other drainage
• if broken glass is a danger to anyone's health or safety
• if your home is insecure
• a total loss of electric supply
• an unsafe electrical fitting that is sparking or smoking
• bare wiring
• a complete loss of cold, clean drinking water.

If the situation is dangerous please call 020 7527 3083.

Protection against eviction

Since October 2014 it has been illegal to evict tenants where there is an investigation being conducted by environmental health. This is to protect tenants who have bad landlords and may be concerned about revenge evictions.