Chester • Council & housing association tenants

No heating & broken boiler claims for council & housing association tenants in Chester

Yes. Heating and hot water are a landlord’s legal responsibility. If your council or housing association left you with no heating or a broken boiler, especially in winter, and didn’t fix it in a reasonable time after you reported it, you can claim compensation and force the repair on a No Win, No Fee basis.

Free eligibility check • Takes 60 seconds

Free eligibility check Step 1 of 5
What's gone wrong at your home in Chester?

Select all that apply.

How long has it been a problem?
No Win, No Fee Secure & confidential No obligation
  • No Win, No Fee, pay nothing unless you win
  • It's illegal for your landlord to evict you for claiming
  • Covering council & housing association tenants across Chester

Renting in Chester should mean living in a comfortable, healthy home. But when landlords ignore reported leaks, damp or broken boilers, tenants suffer. We help people across Chester check if they can start a No Win, No Fee claim for compensation and get essential repairs done fast.

Chester features a mix of historic buildings, suburban developments and social housing properties. Older homes can easily trap moisture, leading to persistent damp and mould if maintenance is neglected. If your tenancy is with Cheshire West and Chester Council, you have rights. Don't let your landlord ignore urgent repairs any longer.

When a heating problem becomes a claim

  • A boiler that has broken down and not been repaired or replaced in a reasonable time
  • No hot water for washing, bathing or cleaning
  • Radiators that don’t heat, or a home you can’t keep warm in cold weather
  • Repeated breakdowns that the landlord keeps patching instead of fixing properly

What you can claim for no heating

Being left without heating or hot water, particularly over winter, is treated seriously by the courts. Compensation reflects how long you went without, the temperature you were left in, and the impact on you and your family (including any vulnerable or elderly residents or young children). You can also claim back the cost of electric heaters and the extra electricity used to stay warm, and the landlord is ordered to restore proper heating.

Your rights as a Chester tenant

Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 your landlord must keep the heating and hot-water installations in working order, and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires the home to be warm enough to live in.

Whether you rent from the council or a housing association in Chester, your landlord must keep your home safe and in repair. The key protections are the:

Signs you may have a claim

  • No heating or hot water for days or weeks after reporting it
  • A boiler that keeps breaking down and is never properly fixed
  • You’ve had to buy plug-in heaters or boil water to wash
  • Cold, condensation and mould appearing because the home can’t be heated

Check your Chester claim free

It takes about 60 seconds and there's no obligation. If you qualify, a specialist housing solicitor will be in touch.

Check my claim

No heating & broken boiler claims in Chester: your questions answered

How long can a landlord leave you without heating or hot water?
There’s no fixed number of hours in law, but heating and hot water are an “emergency” repair, and a landlord is expected to act within about 24 hours in winter, and a delay of days or weeks is usually unreasonable and can form the basis of a compensation claim.
Can I claim if my boiler keeps breaking down but gets patched each time?
Yes. If a boiler repeatedly fails and the landlord keeps applying temporary fixes rather than a proper repair or replacement, that pattern of disrepair can support a claim, especially where you’ve been left cold or without hot water more than once.
Can I get back the money I spent on electric heaters?
Usually yes. Reasonable costs you took on because of the landlord’s failure, such as electric heaters and the extra electricity to run them, can be claimed back as part of your compensation. Keep receipts and a note of the dates you had no heating.
Will checking my Chester claim cost anything?
No. Checking whether you have a valid housing claim is completely free. If you choose to go forward, service is provided on a No Win, No Fee basis.
What counts as evidence of damp and mould?
Photos of black mould, peeling wallpaper, water stains and damaged furniture are great evidence. Doctor reports about asthma or chest infections caused by damp also support your case.
How long must I wait for my landlord to fix things?
Landlords usually get twenty-one days to respond to formal repair requests. If they ignore your warnings after this time, you can check if you can claim compensation.

Last reviewed: August 2026. Information for council and housing association tenants in Chester.

Living with no heating or a broken boiler in Chester?

Check if you can claim compensation and force the repairs. Free, No Win No Fee, and it takes less than 60 seconds.

Start My Free Claim Check