What we can assist with

• Repair or health and safety issues which are determined by an officer to be a Category 1 Hazard, or High Category 2 Hazard, under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
• Properties without sufficient fire detection or carbon monoxide alarms
• Properties where the landlord does not have a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or other valid certification for new installations.
• Licensing and standards in Houses in Multiple Occupation 
• Illegal eviction actions and acts of harassment to force you from your property
• Offences relating to the advertising of rental properties, including discrimination, rental bidding and unclear pricing
• Discriminatory letting practices, unclear costs and 'rental bidding'
• Failure of your landlord to provide the 'Information Sheet' explaining the rights of existing tenants under the Renters' Rights Act 2025
• Failure of a letting agent or property manager to be registered with a redress scheme
• Pest issues which are caused by a building defect
• Damage to your home caused by a defect in a neighbour's property (for example, a leak)
• Filthy and verminous properties 
• Overcrowding assessments
• Private renting advice

What we can't assist with

• Deposit disputes - see section on 'Renting a home'
• Compensation requests - The Council does not have any legal authority to direct your landlord to offer compensation. We advise you seek independent legal advice prior to action.
• Disrepair which is aesthetic or does not present a moderate to severe hazard
• Disrepair which is historical or has been rectified prior to visit by an officer
• Harassment by neighbours or fellow tenants
• Leasehold service charges or breaches of the lease, contact the Leasehold Advisory Service 
• Overgrown gardens, high hedges or overgrown trees. 
• Civil disputes. For example, boundary disputes, parking issues and fence repair

When you ask us to intervene, there are several stages to an enforcement investigation

1. Initial request for assistance 

The service request will be logged by our admin team and allocated to an officer, who will aim to contact you in 5 working days. In the event of a serious incident such as an illegal eviction, we will aim to respond to you within 1 working day. When you submit a service request, we will need your full name and contact details, the property address, your landlord's name and contact details, any relevant photos and a copy of the tenancy agreement. Officers will prioritise investigation of cases based on risk and the information provided. You will be asked to confirm the date your concern was reported to your landlord or agent so we can assess if they have been given reasonable time to take action.

2. Investigation 

When your allocated officer contacts you, they may schedule an inspection of the property to gather evidence. During the inspection you will be advised if we are able to assist you. After the inspection, your officer will risk assess the issue and decide a course of action and the legal basis for intervention. If no inspection is required, we may ask for additional evidence or the taking of witness statements.  

In the majority of disrepair cases, officers would usually write to the landlord with an informal 'schedule of work', which is set out in our Enforcement Policy. It is expected that landlords work with us to resolve issues in their properties, and providing an informal opportunity to do so is fair. Officers will, however, consider factors like harm to the occupier and the landlord's culpability. In severe cases we may proceed to enforcement first; this is based on the judgement of a professionally qualified officer and input from the wider enforcement team. Once the date issued on the 'Schedule of works' has lapsed, we will arrange to re-inspect the property to assess compliance. Where we have investigated and proved offences of illegal eviction or housing-related harassment, no informal opportunities to comply are provided.

3. Service Request Resolution

In cases where your landlord has complied

If all enforceable works have been completed, the case will be closed but will remain on file for up to 6 years.

This does not prevent you from taking your own legal action to seek compensation under the Homes Fitness for Habitation Act, Rent Repayment Orders, Redress Scheme Complaints or Small Claims Court process.

In cases of non-compliance

Where a landlord does not comply with informal intervention, we will consider the use of enforcement action. Your landlord or agent may be invited into the Council for an Interview Under Caution to discuss and document any reasons for the non-compliance. Enforcement action at this stage may result in a Civil Penalty of up to £40,000 depending on the offence.

If the non-compliance is persistent and considered a criminal offence (failure to license an HMO, failure to comply with an Improvement notice or illegal eviction), Warwick District Council and our legal Team may pursue a criminal prosecution which may result in criminal convictions, unlimited fines or a banning order. This course of action is reserved for the most serious cases.