What we can help you with

If you’re a tenant renting a council or a housing association home, then you may be eligible to make a claim if you fit the following criteria:

• Your home is currently in a state of disrepair.
• You have made at least one complaint to the council or housing association (landlord) more than 3 months ago regarding the disrepair.
• Your landlord has then failed to carry out adequate repairs to your property within a reasonable period.

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that your landlord has a legal responsibility to you as the tenant to:

• Ensure that the property meets necessary fire safety regulations.
• Keep in repair and maintain gas, electricity, water and sanitation installations.
• Handle mould and damp problems.
• Keep in repair the roof and plasterwork.
• Maintain the structure and exterior of rental property, including external pipes and drains.
• Provide efficient security i.e. windows and doors that lock properly.
• Fix defective central heating and wiring.
• Under The Homes (Fitness for Habitation) Act, your home must be “fit for human habitation”. Your home therefore must be free from damp and have adequate ventilation too.

When a landlord fails in their responsibility to maintain the property that they rent out to tenants, the tenant may be able to make a housing disrepair claim for:

• Damp and mould.
• Gas and water leaks.
• Defective central heating.
• Broken door, windows, fence or gate.
• Vermin or pest infestation.
• Blocked or broken drains and gutters.
• Damaged or broken toilet basin and sink.

Once you’ve contacted us, we will establish who was at fault (whether that be a Local Authority (council) or Housing Association) and submit a claim on your behalf. If you haven’t already made a complaint to your landlord, you may be asked to do so.

We gather the evidence. If your landlord fails to fix the issues you’ve raised, we’ll collect all of the evidence needed to prove your claim, including damages incurred to your property and your health.