Housing Disrepair

Thousands of people throughout England and Wales are living in properties which are not fit for purpose. Landlords have a legal obligation to maintain their properties that they rent out, however Local Authority and Housing Association tenants can be left living in homes that are unsafe.

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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.

What damages can I claim for?

If your landlord fails to fix issues in the home within a reasonable time period, you are legally entitled to bring a claim against the local authority or housing association responsible. This will force the landlord to complete the necessary works and compensate you for various damages, including:

Your rent for the period the property was in disrepair
Claims are valued based from the first date the disrepair was notified to the landlord. Claims are valued at 5-10% of the rent paid since notifying the landlord of the disrepair.
Damages to personal property
Personal belongings such as clothes, shoes and bags can be claimed for. Additionally, any damages to soft furnishings such as curtains, carpet and bedding would also be taken into consideration.
Personal injury
Once proven, you can claim for any personal injury or illness the disrepair in question has caused yourself or other tenants. The amount of compensation received depends on factors including severity, duration, and financial loss. If you require further information about personal injury claims, click here.
Inconvenience
Any psychological distress or inconvenience can be claimed for. For example, if you’ve had to sleep in another room due to damp or continuous cleaning of mould or damp in your bedroom.

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.

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Housing Disrepair

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Contact us today to speak with our solicitors and legal executives who are highly experienced in handling personal injury claims, clinical negligence cases, residential conveyancing, credit hire and housing disrepair claims.

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Housing Disrepair

Thousands of people throughout England and Wales are living in properties which are not fit for purpose. Landlords have a legal obligation to maintain their properties that they rent out, however Local Authority and Housing Association tenants can be left living in homes that are unsafe.

Housing Disrepair

What we can help you with

What damages can I claim for?

advice hub

Severe Housing Disrepair Case

Housing disrepair client reports issues more than 200 times

13 disrepair issues

Unacceptable living conditions

Housing Disrepair compensation of £6,000

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Aaron Turner

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Ben Adley

Ben Robinson

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