Improvement notice

The formal notice a council can serve on a landlord after finding a serious hazard — setting out exactly what must be fixed, and by when.

Does the council have to serve an improvement notice for every hazard it finds?

For a Category 1 hazard, the council must take action, though an improvement notice is only one of several options — it could instead make a prohibition order, take emergency remedial action itself, or serve a hazard awareness notice in limited circumstances. For a Category 2 hazard, action including an improvement notice is discretionary, not mandatory.

How much notice does an improvement notice give before works must start?

At least 28 days from when the notice becomes operative, unless the council has taken emergency remedial action instead because the hazard poses an imminent risk of serious harm. The notice must also specify what works are required and by what date they must be completed.

Can a landlord appeal an improvement notice?

Yes. A landlord (or other recipient, such as a managing agent named in the notice) can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) within 21 days of the notice being served, on grounds such as disputing the hazard assessment, the works required, or the timescale given.

What happens if the landlord ignores the notice?

Failing to comply with an improvement notice without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence. The council can prosecute, or impose a civil penalty as an alternative — the exact penalty regime has been strengthened in recent years, including a specific civil penalty power for serious hazard cases, alongside the council's power to carry out the works itself and recover the cost from the landlord.

Does an improvement notice help with a disrepair claim?

It can be strong supporting evidence. An improvement notice records an independent, professional assessment that a specific hazard exists and needs specific works — that is useful evidence in a disrepair claim or a fitness for human habitation claim, even though the notice itself is a regulatory tool aimed at the landlord, not a route to compensation for the tenant.

Is an improvement notice the same as a prohibition order?

No. An improvement notice requires the landlord to carry out specified works by a deadline while the property generally remains in use. A prohibition order restricts or bans use of all or part of the property until a hazard is addressed, which is a more drastic step usually reserved for hazards that make continued occupation genuinely unsafe.

Where an improvement notice fits among the council's powers

When a council inspects a property and identifies a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, it has a menu of enforcement options, not just one. An improvement notice is usually the proportionate middle option: it keeps the property in use but legally compels specific works within a specific timeframe, rather than banning occupation (a prohibition order) or merely flagging a concern with no legal force (a hazard awareness notice).

For a Category 1 hazard — the more serious tier under the rating system — the council must take some form of action, though it can choose which tool fits the situation. For a Category 2 hazard, taking action, including serving an improvement notice, is discretionary rather than compulsory.

What the notice must contain and how it is enforced

• The hazard and the works required.
• The notice must identify the specific hazard found and the remedial works needed to address it.
• Works generally cannot be required to start less than 28 days after the notice takes effect, giving the landlord a fair opportunity to arrange them.
• The recipient can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal within 21 days, disputing the hazard finding, the works specified, or the timescale.
• Enforcement if ignored.
• Non-compliance is a criminal offence, with prosecution or a civil penalty available, and the council can also carry out the works itself and recover the cost from the landlord.

A council environmental health officer inspects a flat after a tenant complains about a broken extractor fan feeding recurring damp and mould in a bathroom with no window. The officer assesses the hazard as Category 1 given a young child in the household, and serves an improvement notice requiring a working extraction system within 28 days.

Notice period before works must start

Appeal window for the landlord

The landlord does not appeal and does not carry out the works. The council can now prosecute, impose a civil penalty, or arrange the repair itself and bill the landlord — and the tenant has an independent, professional record of the hazard to support any separate disrepair or fitness for human habitation claim.

Fitness for human habitation

Housing Act 2004, Part 1

HHSRS guidance collection

Improvement Notice — Renters' Rights Glossary

What an improvement notice is, how long a landlord has to act, and what happens if they ignore it.