What is housing disrepair?

If you are living in a council home, social housing or housing association property your landlord is required to ensure that your home is fit for human habitation and in proper working order.

Housing disrepair is when a rented property deteriorates or requires repairs so that it is safe and suitable to live in, it is your landlord’s responsibility to ensure a reasonable living standard is met.

Housing disrepair usually consists of the following issues:

  • Mould or damp problems
  • Pest infestations
  • Leaks & water damage
  • Broken heating systems
  • Faulty electrical wiring
  • Internal deterioration
  • Gutters, drains, pipes & structural
  • Broken kitchen & bathroom fittings
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Testimonials 

Ashley Y

Council Tenant

We had been waiting for 12 months for the damp to be repaired by the council but got nowhere. We were told by a friend that this company could help and within 6 months we received compensation for damages & all the damp and mould was removed.

Liam M

Council Tenant

My flat was repaired in time for my child’s birth and I received rent refunds and compensation. The team were very helpful and understanding of my dangerous situation.

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Wayne B

Housing Association Tenant

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Couldn’t leave any clothes in any of the bedrooms due to dampness and mould, our clothes, possessions & electronics were ruined and not to mention the huge amounts of stress this caused over the years. I am so grateful for your help with getting my property repaired for me & the financial compensation awarded to me has changed my life. Thank you so much

What are landlords responsible for?

As part of their duty to ensure that your property is safe and liveable, landlords are always responsible for repairs in a reasonable period of time to the following:

  • Your property’s structure and exterior, such as the roof, walls and windows
  • Sanitary fittings such as baths, sinks and basins, this also includes pipes and drains
  • Heating and water systems
  • Gas appliances
  • Ventilation
  • Electrical wiring

Your landlord cannot charge you for any of the repair work listed above and they are responsible for these repairs irrespective of what your tenancy agreement says. However, if your landlord agrees they may also be responsible for additional repairs too, this depends on your tenancy agreement.

When can I make a housing disrepair claim?

If your landlord refuses to make repairs to a property with housing disrepair issues that they are responsible for then you may be able to make a claim against them.

To be eligible to make a no win no fee claim you must have informed your landlord about the disrepair, you will need to provide evidence and we can assist you with this process. If your landlord has failed to make a repair within reasonable time limits then you can claim against them.

In the UK Housing disrepair claims can be made either during your tenancy or after your tenancy, however, you must make the claim within 6 years of the date that you provided notice to your landlord about the disrepair. Personal injury claims must be made within 3 years of received notice.

It’s important to note that your landlord may not be responsible for repairs including repair faults if they are a result of you either not taking care of the property properly or doing something unreasonable. We currently do not accept private landlord claims, as a rule of thumb if you have used a letting agent or your landlord is an individual we may not be able to assist you.

Find out if you’re eligible to file a NO WIN, NO FEE disrepair claim today.

What can I claim for?

When you make a disrepair claim the court can order your landlord to carry out the repairs. As well as this, you can also be awarded compensation for several reasons, including:

Damage to belongings – compensation for any belongings that have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the poor condition of the property. You can also claim for damage to belongings that were caused during repairs that your landlord made.

Financial loss – If you have suffered financial loss as a result of your landlord failing to carry out repairs then you can claim for this. Note if you are in rent arrears this will impact your outcome.

Personal injury – If you have been injured as a result of your landlord’s negligence then you could make a personal injury claim. This could include respiratory problems as a result of damp or mould, injuries as a result of slipping or tripping hazards, carbon monoxide poisoning and other types of injuries. We can assist you with medical reports, expert evidence and court action proceedings.

Inconvenience – compensation for inconveniences such as general disruption to your daily life, not being able to use your home or having to wait for repairs to be carried out.

How do I make a claim for housing disrepair?

We currently specialise in claims against your local council, local authority, social housing & housing associations, unfortunately we can not accept claims from tenants against private landlords

The process of making a claim against your landlord is difficult, which is why you will need the help of a legal expert. If you wish to make a claim then the first thing that you should do is speak with a professional about your situation to find out whether your case meets the criteria for a claim.

Before you can make a claim, you must follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. The pre-action protocol outlines a number of steps that you must follow before you can make your claim. If you fail to follow these steps then you could face sanctions at a later point during proceedings. The steps include attempting to find an Alternative Dispute Resolution, submitting a letter of claim to your landlord and requesting necessary documents from your landlord.

If your landlord fails to respond you your letter of claim or the response is not satisfactory then you can issue proceedings by applying to the county court.

How can we help with housing disrepair claims?

Our housing disrepair solicitors know that living with housing disrepair can be a stressful and frustrating experience that can put the health and safety of you and your family at risk, that’s why we are here to support you. Our team of lawyers specialise in housing law and are experts when it comes to dealing with disrepair cases as well as personal injury claims. With their expertise, you can get the help and compensation that you deserve.

Housing disrepair cases are very complex, this is why it is highly recommended that you seek the assistance of a legal professional to help you with your case. As specialist housing disrepair lawyers, we know exactly what it takes to make a successful claim based on the repair issues.

We can do an initial assessment of your case to find out the details and determine whether you are eligible to make a housing disrepair claim. From here we can provide you with reliable legal advice about what your next steps should be. If you decide that you would like to go ahead with your claim then our team will assist you throughout the process, this includes ensuring that you follow the pre-action protocol, submitting your claim, helping you to gather all of the required evidence and representing you at your hearing.

Our solicitors will be there for you throughout the entire process. For more information about the services that we offer, contact our team today on 0333 050 9030 

How much does it cost to claim for housing disrepair?

Filing a claim can be a costly process. Depending on the severity of your case you could be entitled to Legal Aid to help you with these costs, however, Legal Aid funding is only available in cases where there is a serious risk to the health and safety of the tenants living in the property.

If Legal Aid is not available then you will need to cover the costs yourself, the cost varies depending on the court route you take. There are three court routes available, they are known as small claims, fast track and multi-track.

If your claim for compensation is under £10,000 then your case could be heard in small claims court. However, if you are seeking an order for repairs to be made then the case can only be heard in small claims if the cost of repair work is under £1000 and the damages are under £1000. If your case is not eligible for small claims then it will usually be allocated to the fast-track court.

If you win your case then your landlord can be ordered to cover your costs for you.

Court proceedings & fees can vary from case to case, our lawyers can tell you more about the fees that you will need to pay, call us on 0333 050 9030  to claim today.

Find out if you’re eligible to file a NO WIN, NO FEE disrepair claim today.

Our no win, no fee policy

It doesn’t matter whether your landlord is the local authority council, housing association, or social housing if they fail to uphold their responsibility of ensuring that you are safe and comfortable in your home then you can sue them because of your poor living conditions which include damages for personal injury and we would generally look to file a personal injury claim at the same time.

We believe that everyone should be able to access reliable and professional assistance with their housing disrepair issues, this is why we work on a no-win, no-fee basis however we can not assist you if you are a private tenant, you still have rights and we would advise you to review the tenant act before you instruct legal action or seek advice from a firm that caters for private tenants with the legal costs covered on a no win no fee basis.

This means that if you lose your case, you won’t be charged legal costs for our housing lawyers services. You won’t need to pay any up-front costs, instead, if your case is successful the payment will simply be deducted from the financial compensation that you receive.  A ‘no win no fee basis, is formally known as a conditional fee agreement. We are regulated by the solicitors regulation authority, we are not middlemen nor are we a claims management company so by working with us directly you will receive the best possible service.

How much compensation can you get for housing disrepair?

The compensation that you could be entitled to depends on how severe your housing disrepair issue is and how long the poor conditions in the property have persisted. In most housing disrepair cases tenants could receive between 25 – 50% of the rent you have paid. Our experienced team of housing solicitors can let you know how much compensation you could receive due to landlord negligence, get in touch with our housing disrepair claims team today.

Housing disrepair claims solicitors for tenants

A housing disrepair solicitor is an experienced legal professional who specialises in providing advice and representation to tenants in relation claiming compensation for poor standards of maintenance in privately rented or housing association properties.

When it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of your home your landlord has certain responsibilities.

If they fail to fulfil them, your property may fall into disrepair, which can negatively impact on your well-being and standard of living. You don’t have to put up with this and london housing disrepair can help, so contact us today for a swift resolution to your situation.

Frequently asked questions

All tenants have the right to a safe home. If your landlord fails to make repairs that they are responsible for you could be eligible to file a legal aid compensation claim for damage, personal injury, financial loss or nuisance. Our housing team will need to see a copy of the tenancy agreement including the tenancy conditions upon instruction. We cover the whole of the UK for housing disrepairs and have a national office based in Liverpool, offering liverpool housing disrepair claims and nationwide.

The compensation that you could be entitled to depends on how severe your london housing disrepair issue is and how long the poor conditions in the property have persisted. In most housing disrepair cases tenants could receive between 25 – 50% of the rent you have paid. Our experienced team of housing solicitors can let you know how much compensation you could receive due to landlord negligence, get in touch with our housing disrepair claims team today.

Yes. Mould can cause many issues including damage to your belongings as well serious health issues that you can seek restitution for. If the mould in your rental property has occurred because of a repair issue then you can make a claim for disrepair. Our housing disrepair lawyers can help you to take legal action to get the compensation that you deserve.

The disrepair protocol is a series of steps that you must take before you make a claim against your landlord. They include attempting to find an Alternative Dispute Resolution, sending a letter of claim to your landlord and waiting a reasonable amount of time for a response from your landlord. It is very important that you follow the protocol correctly, our housing solicitors will ensure that all the pre court action steps for your potential claim are completed.

Yes, it is possible to sue your landlord for damp issues that continue to create poor housing conditions in your property. For example, if the damp has damaged your belongings, disrupted your daily life or has made you ill.

Yes, housing disrepair London can assist you with housing disrepair claims in any part of the country our head office is in London but we regularly work remotely in all UK cities and towns, our housing disrepair lawyers and specialist housing disrepair solicitors secure compensation for council tenants and people living in a social housing or a housing association property. Contact our specialist housing solicitors today to discuss your disrepair issue.

We cover the whole of London including key areas such as:

Housing disrepair camden
Housing disrepair hounslow 
Housing disrepair hackney
Housing disrepair barking 
Housing disrepair barnet
Housing disrepair ealing
Housing disrepair greenwich
Housing disrepair lewisham
Housing disrepair newham
Housing disrepair camden

Yes, housing association tenants and tenants of local authorities can contact our legal team to discuss their housing disrepair matter and be confident that there are no fees to pay. Our specialist solicitors work on a NO Win NO Fee basis.

Yes, in most tenancies repairing obligations are implied into the terms of the tenancy. The repairing obligations require a landlord to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the property and keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the property for the supply of water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating, and heating water.

It is not possible for a landlord to contract out of their repairing obligations.

If you own a leasehold property the freeholder’s repairing obligations will be contained in the terms of your lease.

Depending upon the cause of the problems in your home we may be able to bring a claim in the County Court seeking an order for repairs to be complete, as well as seeking financial compensation. Alternatively, in some situations proceedings can be brought in the Magistrates Court in relation to housing disrepair claims.

Our team of specialist disrepair solicitors excel in helping people who are living in unsatisfactory housing conditions to bring a claim for housing disrepair. We have successfully brought claims against local authorities, housing associations and private landlords.

Our housing disrepair lawyers are part of a limited number of firms in London and England who are solicitors regulation authority regulated specialising in disrepair.

When you contact us we will ask you for details of the housing disrepair issues that you are dealing with. We will also ask you for details of your tenancy. In some instances we may ask you to take pictures of the damage in your home. Once we have gathered the relevant initial information we will be able to let you know whether you can bring a claim for disrepair. We will also discuss funding options available to you.

It is your legal right to live without constant leaks, damp, rotting windows, a broken boiler, a rodent or cockroach infestation.

If you’ve reported any of these problems to your landlord, and they have not been fixed in a timely manner, you may be eligible to file a claim.

Your landlord is legally responsible for maintaining your property to an acceptable standard, which includes:

  • Carrying out repairs
  • Replacing broken or faulty appliances
  • Ensuring the boiler is working and meets all health and safety regulations
  • Repairing any gas or water leaks
  • Ensuring that your home is free of mould or damp
  • Electrical issues

Failure to meet these legal obligations means that your landlord is in breach of his or her repairing duties which can put you and other tenants at risk in any number of ways including:

  • Asthma and other respiratory conditions caused by damp and mould.
  • Injuries such as cuts, bruises and fractures caused by falling due to poorly maintained floors and walls.
  • Fatalities due to gas leaks and electrical issues.

It is imperative that if you or a loved one has suffered any health problems due to a poorly maintained property that you take legal immediate advice. We take issues such as this extremely seriously and will not let you down in your pursuit for justice and compensation.

If you spot a fault or problem in your property you need to report it to your landlord as soon as possible.

  • Make the report in writing by letter or email so that you have proof that you have reported the issue and the date it took place.
  • Give your landlord 21 days to respond.
  • Following their response you must give them a reasonable amount of time to carry out the required repairs.

If your landlord has failed to respond to your reports of disrepair, please contact us so that we can advise you on the next steps and help you secure a positive outcome.

We have a wealth of experience dealing with unresponsive landlords and will act on your behalf to reach a resolution as soon as possible.

When your home has fallen into disrepair through no fault of your own it can be frustrating and a source of emotional stress, especially when your health and safety is put at risk. Our specialist team of legal experts can act on your behalf to not only come to an agreement with your landlord to ensure work is completed on your property but to also help you secure the financial recompense to which you are entitled.

You are able to make a claim fir the legal matters to have the initial disrepair fixed as well as any resulting problems including dampness, mould, lack of heating etc.

If your health has been adversely affected because your landlord failed you by failing to fulfil repairing obligations or if you have been injured due to the disrepair in your home we can help you claim.

We’ve successfully claimed up to £11,500 for tenants in the UK. How much could you be awarded? Typically the amount of compensation awarded is between 20% and 50% of the annual rent being paid on your home.

The calculation depends on the severity of the problem and the length of time you’ve been affected. Compensation pay-outs are higher if the poor condition of your home led to illness or injury.

Legal fees are often unexpected but you may qualify for legal aid, which would relieve the financial burden. We can advise you on your eligibility and will help with the application process to ensure you have the best possible chance of success.

By choosing to work our housing disrepair lawyers you will have an exceptional team on your side and one that is renowned across the industry for providing the highest standards of legal representation. For landlord & tenant dispute matters, we act for clients both privately and through the provision of legal aid funding.

We are proud of the Housing Disrepair Claims service we provide and the positive difference we make for our clients. Our panel of solicitors, authorised and regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority in England and Wales, are experts in their fields.

We build lasting relationships with our clients. Most of our work comes from existing clients, referrals and recommendations.

We regularly provide expert legal advice for housing disrepair claims for clients from across the country.

Call our housing disrepair lawyers today or complete the enquiry form and we will get back in touch with you quickly.

Our housing team always respond promptly, and we will be happy to help.