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What is Improvement notice?
Last verified 23 October 2026
An improvement notice is a formal notice from a council in England or Wales that requires a landlord to carry out specified work to remove or reduce a hazard in a home. It is served under the Housing Act 2004 after the council assesses the property using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
Why it matters to landlords
For a Category 1 hazard, the work must at least make sure the hazard stops being Category 1, though the notice can require more. One notice can cover several hazards in the same building, and it can include work to common parts of a block where that is needed to protect the occupiers.
In England, a landlord can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) within 21 days, and an appeal suspends the notice until it is decided or withdrawn. Failing to comply with an improvement notice is an offence. It can lead to a civil penalty, and it is one of the offences that can result in a rent repayment order or a banning order. Acting quickly and keeping evidence of the work is the safest response.
Example
A council serves an improvement notice for a leaking roof that is causing damp in a bedroom. The landlord books a roofer within the period the notice sets, keeps the invoice and before and after photos, and tells the council when the work is finished.
Keep evidence of repairs and checks →
Related terms
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
- Category 1 hazard
- Rent repayment order
- Banning order
- Damp and mould