Who this is for: All residents; responsibility for work inside a home depends on the tenancy or lease.
For a fire or immediate threat to life, call 999 and ask for the emergency service you need. Council repairs do not replace the emergency services. London Fire Brigade: calling 999.
For property repairs, identify whether the fault is inside your home or communal and whether it has already been reported.
What do I need to do?
- Emergency property repair: telephone Southwark on 0800 952 4444 or 020 7525 2600. Do not wait for an online response. If you smell gas or suspect a carbon-monoxide leak, call 0800 111 999. Emergency contacts.
- Leak from above, a roof, or communal area: call 0800 952 4444, choosing repairs, then the leaks-from-above option (published as option 1, then 3). Recurrent leaks can also be followed up at repairs@southwark.gov.uk. Leaks team.
- Non-emergency first report: use the appropriate category on Report a repair. Describe a broken communal entrance, entry system, or drain as a shared fault where appropriate; do not book private work on a shared system without authorisation.
Who handles this?
Council tenants should check tenant repair responsibilities. If you rent privately, tell your landlord about faults inside your home. Leaseholders generally handle their internal installations, while Southwark handles specified communal components, including pipes serving multiple properties; the lease determines the responsibility and costs. A pipe being inside your flat does not alone establish who maintains it. Leaseholder responsibilities.
What information will I need?
Provide the exact location privately, a clear description, when it started, photographs if safe, access arrangements, and previous references. Say whether a door cannot lock, a leak is spreading, or a drain is backing up. Ask what happens next and retain the response.
If there is a problem
Track the repair in MySouthwark, use “query a repair” to contact the contractor, then email repairs if unresolved. Do not assume the emergency visit completed permanent repairs. Escalate ongoing service failures using Make a complaint.
Estate details still to confirm: replacement fob and pram-store key process.