Free landlord repair request letter generator
Put the repair in writing, with a date. Verbal requests disappear.
Free. No account. We do not save your message.
The single most useful thing about a written repair request is the date on it. Months later, "I mentioned it in passing" and "I wrote on 3 February and again on 20 February" are very different positions to argue from.
Describe the problem, when it started, and whether you have reported it before. The message stays polite — you likely have to keep living there — while still being specific enough to act on.
An example
Damp patches spreading on bathroom ceiling since December, reported verbally in January, mould now appearing.
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about damp in the bathroom of my flat. Patches appeared on the ceiling in December and have spread since; mould is now growing along one edge. I mentioned this to the caretaker in January, but no inspection has taken place so far. Could someone come and assess it, and let me know when a repair can be scheduled? I am generally available in the mornings and can arrange access at another time if that is easier. Thank you for your help.
The date is the point
The most valuable thing about a written repair request is not the wording, it is the timestamp. Months later, “I mentioned it to someone” and “I wrote on 3 February and again on 20 February” are completely different positions, and only one of them can be checked.
That is also why it is worth writing even when you have already phoned and been promised someone will come. The call costs nothing to forget. The email does not.
Photograph it so the photo means something
Include something that gives scale — a hand, a coin, a door frame — and take the shot in enough light that the problem is visible rather than implied. A dark close-up of a stain proves almost nothing to someone deciding whether to send a contractor.
Then take a new photo every few weeks while it is unresolved. A dated series showing damp spreading is far more persuasive than any adjective, and it takes ten seconds a time.
Stay easy to say yes to
You probably have to keep living there, and the person reading your message usually is not the person who caused the problem. Naming when you are available for access, and offering alternatives, removes the most common practical excuse for another week of nothing.
If nothing happens after a polite follow-up, the useful next move is advice rather than escalation by instinct. Tenancy rules differ enormously by country and contract, and a tenants’ organisation or legal aid service can tell you where you actually stand before you do something that puts your tenancy at risk.
Common questions
+Should I threaten to withhold rent?
This tool will not write that, and you should get proper advice before doing it. Withholding rent incorrectly can put your tenancy at risk — a tenants’ union or legal aid service can tell you where you actually stand.
+Should I include photos?
Yes, for anything visible. Photograph it with something that shows scale, and take a new photo each time it worsens — a dated series is far more persuasive than a single image.
+What if nothing happens?
Send a short follow-up referring to this message and its date, and keep every reply. That paper trail is what any housing body, mediator or adviser will ask for first.