What Should You Do After a Missed Repair Appointment?
Contractor did not arrive? Keep a clear appointment record, ask for the next repair plan and understand how to raise concerns about repeated missed visits.
If a contractor misses a repair appointment, record the agreed slot, contact your landlord and ask what happens next. Keep the missed visit connected to the original repair, especially if the problem remains urgent or another appointment has already failed.
A missed appointment can mean time away from work, rearranged childcare or another day with an unresolved problem. A clear record helps explain that effect without having to reconstruct every call later.
This guide focuses on rented homes in England. Processes depend on your landlord and tenancy.
Confirm what the appointment was for
Check the booking message or repair portal. Note the date, time window, repair reference and whether the visit was for inspection or repair work.
If the slot has not ended, use the contact details provided to ask for an update. If the contractor says someone attended, ask the landlord to check the attendance record and any attempt to contact you.
There may be conflicting accounts. Record what you know and ask for the discrepancy to be investigated rather than treating an uncertain explanation as fact.
Keep a short appointment record
Useful details include:
- The agreed date and arrival window.
- How the booking was confirmed.
- Whether you received a cancellation or delay message.
- When you contacted the landlord and what you were told.
- Any rearranged appointment or promised callback.
- The practical effect on your household.
Save the booking message alongside your note. If there is no written confirmation, record when the arrangement was made and who you spoke to, where known.
Our repair evidence guide explains how dates, messages and references work together.
Ask for the next plan, not just another reference
Tell the landlord that the original repair remains outstanding. Ask whether the next visit needs the same trade, a different contractor, a part or an inspection first.
The Housing Ombudsman's repairs expectations emphasise keeping residents updated when appointments need rescheduling and maintaining accessible repair records.
Ask for the new arrangement in writing where possible. If you are given a fresh reference, keep it linked to the earlier one so the repair history remains understandable.
A message you can adapt
“An appointment was agreed for [date and time window] for [repair], reference [number]. Nobody attended during that slot, and [describe any message received]. The repair remains outstanding. Please check the attendance record, confirm the next action and let me know when the appointment will be rearranged.”
Add any change in urgency or effect on your household. Keep the message factual, and replace the brackets with your own information.
This is suggested wording, not a formal legal notice or a guarantee of a particular response.
What if conditions are unsafe?
A missed appointment does not make a hazardous condition less urgent. Report any worsening problem through the appropriate repairs channel and explain why it needs attention now.
Do not wait for a compensation decision or a complaint response before reporting an immediate safety concern.
For the distinction between ordinary repair targets and specific legal requirements, read how long a landlord has to fix a repair.
Can you ask for compensation?
You can ask your landlord to explain its compensation or missed-appointment policy and whether it applies.
There is no single payment that every renter automatically receives for every missed appointment. Relevant policies, circumstances and complaint findings can differ.
The Housing Ombudsman's remedies guidance recognises that repeated missed or ineffective visits can cause inconvenience. It does not treat reimbursement of lost earnings for routine appointments as automatic.
Keep evidence of any impact or expense you want considered. Explain what happened rather than assuming that recording a cost establishes an entitlement.
What if appointments keep being missed?
Bring the pattern together: agreed visits, cancellations, actual attendance and the repair that remains unresolved.
If you are dissatisfied with the service, use the landlord's complaints procedure. Social housing residents can check the Housing Ombudsman's guidance on getting help; private renters may need different advice routes.
When somebody does attend, note the work and any follow-up required. Our post-repair recording guide explains how to record the outcome.
Keep the visit and the repair together
House Krowd can help you organise appointment messages, observations and repair updates as one history.
Continue reporting through your landlord's usual channels. A home record supports communication, but it does not confirm that a contractor has received an update or that work has been booked.
Sources and review date
Sources checked on 2 November 2026. This is general information; check your landlord's current policies.