To report a landlord to Enfield Council, write to the landlord or agent first. Then use the council's online form for reporting an issue with a privately rented property, or email its private rented housing team at prsh@enfield.gov.uk. The council can inspect the home and, if it finds a serious hazard, must take action, which can be as light as a hazard awareness notice. A court or tribunal decides compensation and rent refunds.
At a glance
- First: tell the landlord or agent in writing, with dated photos, and keep paying rent, unless the home is seriously dangerous.
- Then: use the Enfield form, which covers damp, repairs, unlicensed homes, harassment and Renters' Rights Act breaches.
- Penalties: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 for ignoring an improvement notice (conduct from 1 May 2026), or prosecution.
What should I do before I report my landlord?
GOV.UK's private renting guide says to contact your landlord straight away about faults that could damage health, such as faulty wiring, and keep paying rent. Its tenant guide to the rating system, updated 16 September 2026, adds these steps.
- Put the problem in writing and describe what is wrong, where, and since when.
- Add photos or video, and keep a record of every message.
- Allow a reasonable period. No source we read sets one for every repair, though Enfield's landlord page says urgent jobs, such as a blocked toilet, should be repaired within 24 hours.
- Do not withhold rent, which the guide says may put you at risk of eviction.
Our guide to repairs and problems covers who must fix what. A dated email and photos are useful evidence.
How do I report a landlord to Enfield Council?
- If you think the home needs a licence and has none, check the public register first, as Enfield asks.
- Open the council's online form. It asks for the address, the issue, whether a vulnerable person's health is affected, and details.
- Choose the closest issue. Options include condensation, damp and mould, repair problem, unsafe gas or electricity, fire risk, overcrowding, unlicensed property, breach of licence conditions, Renters' Rights Act 2025 and unlawful eviction or harassment.
- Or contact the team directly. Enfield's damp and mould page gives prsh@enfield.gov.uk and 020 3821 1761.
Enfield's tenant page says reports can be confidential and can cover a neighbouring property. The Greater London Authority's rogue landlord form passes a London report to the right council.
After you report. Enfield's pages give no response time. GOV.UK says the council assesses urgency and decides whether to inspect, and some councils start by email or phone. If it inspects, it looks at the whole home, including parts you did not mention. Section 239 of the Housing Act 2004 requires at least 24 hours' notice to the occupier unless you waive it, and our article on landlord access covers the exceptions.
What can Enfield Council do about a repair or safety problem?
The rating system scores 21 types of hazard, and a score of 1,000 or more is category 1. Under section 5 of the Housing Act 2004, a council that considers a category 1 hazard exists must take the appropriate enforcement action. For category 2 hazards the council has a power to act (section 7).
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hazard awareness notice | Tells the landlord about the hazard and how to deal with it. No action is required and it cannot be appealed. |
| Improvement notice | Requires works within a set period. Failing to comply is an offence under section 30. |
| Prohibition order | Bars use of all or part of the home until works are done. It takes effect 28 days after it is issued. |
| Emergency prohibition order, or emergency remedial action | Category 1 hazards only. The first bars use at once. In the second, the council does the work itself where harm is imminent. |
| Financial penalty or prosecution | A civil penalty of up to £40,000 for failing to comply with an improvement notice (conduct from 1 May 2026), or prosecution, where the court fine is unlimited, says GOV.UK's landlord guide, updated 16 September 2026. |
The same guide says a council may add a penalty of up to £7,000 when it first acts on a category 1 hazard, if the landlord could reasonably have removed it (section 6A, in force since 22 June 2026 for category 1 hazards). Enfield's landlord page lists a £577 cost-recovery charge for an improvement notice, and several other notices, and still gives £30,000 as the civil penalty maximum, which GOV.UK says applies only to offences before 1 May 2026. GOV.UK says these powers may be used at no cost to the tenant. An appeal against an improvement notice or an ordinary prohibition order holds enforcement back; emergency measures are not held back.
What can the council not do?
- Award compensation. A court can, under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, says GOV.UK's guide. It can also order repairs.
- Repay your rent. You can apply to the First-tier Tribunal yourself, but only for certain offences, such as ignoring an improvement notice or running an unlicensed home, and the cap is two years' rent for offences from 1 May 2026. The council only has to consider applying where Housing Benefit or Universal Credit pays the rent.
- Promise a visit. GOV.UK says some councils do not visit on receiving a complaint, which does not mean they will not act.
Which Renters' Rights Act breaches can I report?
Enfield's form has a Renters' Rights Act 2025 option. GOV.UK's civil penalties guidance, published 13 November 2025, covers unlawful eviction and harassment, no written statement of terms, fixed-term lets, ending a tenancy outside the section 8 process, and refusing tenants with children or benefits. The Housing Hub says fines of up to £7,000 apply to initial or minor non-compliance, and up to £40,000, or prosecution, to serious, persistent or repeat cases.
Can my landlord evict me for reporting a problem?
Section 21 "no fault" evictions ended on 1 May 2026, says Enfield's Renters' Rights Act page, so a landlord needs a section 8 ground. The old six-month bar on section 21 notices after a council notice was section 33 of the Deregulation Act 2015. Legislation.gov.uk shows sections 33 to 41 omitted from 1 May 2026 for specified purposes. GOV.UK withdrew its How to Rent guide on 1 May 2026, and its 2020 How to rent a safe home guide still describes that bar, so treat both as out of date. A section 21 notice given before 1 May can still run in claims already started, and the old bar may apply to those.
On our reading the Renters' Rights Act sets no new rule against retaliatory eviction, so a landlord with a valid ground can still seek possession, and a court decides. The rules on harassment and unlawful eviction, and on relying on a ground the landlord does not reasonably believe will succeed, sit alongside that.
Council action can itself give a landlord a ground. Ground 6B in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988, in force since 1 May 2026, applies where a prohibition order bars your use of the home, an improvement notice cites overcrowding, or a licence for an HMO or licensable house is refused or revoked. GOV.UK lists it as a mandatory ground with four months' notice, and the court may order the landlord to pay you compensation. If a notice arrives, ask Enfield's Housing Advisory Service for advice at once.
Report in writing, keep every reply, and do not ignore a possession notice because a report is open.
What if it is an emergency?
- Danger to life, or a crime: Enfield says call 999, or 101 to report a crime to the Metropolitan Police.
- Gas leak or carbon monoxide: GOV.UK's safe home guide says call the national gas emergency helpline on 0800 111 999.
- Harassment or lockout: email prsh@enfield.gov.uk. For immediate homelessness help Enfield lists 020 3821 1769 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or 020 8379 1000 out of hours.
Where else can I complain?
- Letting agent: every letting agent must belong to a redress scheme, either The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, says GOV.UK's tenant guide.
- Landlord: the Housing Ombudsman covers social housing. A private rented sector landlord ombudsman is planned, and the roadmap expects landlords to have to join in 2028.
- The council: its complaints process, then the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Awaab's Law is not in force for private lets, and a consultation closes on 18 December 2026 (see our Awaab's Law article).
If we manage your home, contact us first. Our tenant rights guide and Edmonton area guide have more.
Questions readers ask
How do I report my landlord to Enfield Council?
Use the council's online form for reporting an issue with a privately rented property, and choose the closest option, such as condensation, damp and mould, repair problem, or suspected renting of unlicensed property. Enfield's damp and mould page also gives the private rented housing team's email, prsh@enfield.gov.uk, and phone number, 020 3821 1761.
Do I have to contact my landlord before the council?
No form or law makes you, but Enfield and GOV.UK expect it for damp and repairs. Enfield's damp and mould page tells private tenants to contact the landlord first, and GOV.UK says to put concerns in writing and complain to the council if the matter is not resolved within a reasonable period. A tenant who thinks a home is seriously dangerous can tell the council.
Can I report a landlord anonymously in Enfield?
Enfield says you can report a private rented property confidentially and that it will only contact you if you give your details and confirm you are happy for it to do so. The Greater London Authority's rogue landlord form says an anonymous report is possible, though contact details help the investigation.
Can my landlord evict me for reporting a problem?
A landlord can no longer use a section 21 notice (apart from claims already started on a notice given before 1 May 2026), and now needs a section 8 ground and a court order. Council action can itself give a landlord a ground. Harassment and unlawful eviction are offences. On our reading the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has no separate bar on a possession claim because you complained, so take advice early if you receive a notice.
Should I stop paying rent until the repair is done?
No. GOV.UK's tenant guide to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System says you should not withhold rent because of disrepair, as it may place you at risk of eviction. GOV.UK's private renting page also says to keep paying rent while you wait for repairs.
Sources
- Enfield Council, Report an issue with a privately rented property (14 November 2024), Information for tenants (30 July 2026), Condensation, damp and mould (26 January 2026), Information for landlords (15 June 2026), Renters' Rights Act (23 June 2026) and What to do if your landlord asks you to leave (1 May 2026), read on 17 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Private renting, rating system tenant guide and landlord guide, both 16 September 2026, civil penalties guidance, 13 November 2025, and roadmap, 13 November 2025.
- GOV.UK, Fitness for Human Habitation guide, Assured periodic tenancies guide for tenants, Housing Act 1988 Schedule 2 Ground 6B, Grounds for possession guidance, How to rent a safe home, Housing Hub and the Ministry of Justice repairs checker, read on 17 October 2026.
- Greater London Authority, Report a rogue landlord or agent, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, read on 17 October 2026: Housing Act 2004 section 5, 7, 30 and 239; Deregulation Act 2015, section 33; Renters' Rights Act 2025.
