What is housing disrepair?

If you live in a council house, social housing, or a property owned by a housing association, your landlord is responsible for ensuring that your home is fit for human habitation and in good operating condition.

When a rented home deteriorates or needs repair so that it is safe and acceptable to live in, it is the landlord’s obligation to ensure that a decent standard of living is maintained.

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 

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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

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.

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.

What are landlords responsible for?

Landlords are always responsible for repairs in a reasonable time frame 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 is not allowed to charge you for any of the items listed above, and they are responsible for these repairs, regardless of what your tenancy agreement says. Your landlord may also be held responsible for other upkeep if you live in a rental property.

How our housing disrepair lawyers can help.

Landlords are responsible for maintaining the properties they rent to their tenants. On its most basic meaning, disrepair implies that the condition of the property has deteriorated in some manner since it was leased to the tenant. It has fallen out of repair in some manner.

Claims for housing disrepair may include compensation for the property’s repairs, inconvenience due to the landlord’s lack of repair and any disruption caused by the work, as well as any personal injury conditions such as asthma that result from problems like damp or mold.

We’re here to assist our clients with disrepair problems. We have a specialized staff that assists Council and Housing association tenants who are experiencing distressing, inconvenient, or health issues as a result of substandard conditions.

 

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.

Housing disrepair claim solicitors for council and housing association tenants

A Housing Disrepair Solicitors is a qualified lawyer who specializes in advising and defending renters seeking compensation for substandard maintenance in privately leased or housing association properties. Your landlord has certain obligations when it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of your house. If they fail to fulfil them, your property may fall into disrepair, which can negatively impact on your well-being and standard of living.

In most tenancies, repairing responsibilities are part of the lease conditions. The landlord must keep the property’s structure and exterior in good working order and maintain the installations in use for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating, and hot water supply in good operating condition.

Specialist housing disrepair lawyers & solicitors

We specialise in helping people who are living in unsatisfactory housing conditions bring a claim for housing disrepair. We have successfully brought claims against local authorities, housing associations and private landlords

There are several compelling reasons to choose our housing disrepair lawyers as your disrepair claim lawyer. The first is our outstanding reputation in the field, with 5-star client ratings and all of our clients who’ve utilized our services for Housing disrepair claims solicitors stating that they’d recommend us to others.

Our housing disrepair solicitors take a holistic, personalised approach to each and every case. We know that facing disrepair can be a very distressing experience and mounting a credible case without expert help is extremely difficult if not impossible.

Our solicitors will listen to you and give their advice in an honest, upfront manner, explaining your alternatives clearly. They’ll keep you informed on the progress of your case and work hard to obtain the finest outcome possible for you.

How much does it cost to claim for housing disrepair?

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 less than £10,000, it will be heard in small claims court. If you want an order for repairs to be carried out, the case can only be heard in small claims court if the cost of repair work is under £1,000 and the damages are under £1,000. If your matter isn’t suitable for small claims court, it will generally be transferred to the fast-track system.

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 090 3068 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

We provide funding as part of a “Conditional Fee Agreement” (No win, no fee agreement) to assist you. This implies that if your case is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay our charges. If you win your case, your landlord will generally cover the cost of your legal representation.

When your case is settled and you receive compensation, you may be required to pay fees that will be subtracted from your payment. We’ll tell you what these fees are. The amount that will be deducted will be determined in agreement with you ahead of time.

Insurance premiums are the most important expenditure associated with submitting an insurance claim. Insuring your claim will protect you if things go sour, allowing you to avoid paying your landlord’s expenses should something go wrong.

How much compensation can you get for housing disrepair?

The compensation awarded for housing disrepair claims varies from case to case. Compensation is calculated based on several factors including:

  • How much your rent costs
  • The severity of the disrepair
  • How long the issues have persisted since you informed your landlord

In some cases, if your property is completely uninhabitable, you could be awarded 100% of the cost of your rent for the duration of time that the issue has persisted, however, this is unusual. Generally, you can expect to receive between 25% to 50% of your rent in compensation.

Frequently asked questions

We will write a Letter of Claim on your behalf to your landlord, stating that we want copies of all necessary paperwork and for our professional Surveyor to come inspect your property. This letter describes all the problems you are having with the property’s outstanding repairs.

If your Landlord is found to be responsible for repairs in your property, but has neglected to correct the same when you have complained about it, you may be able to claim compensation. There are two types of compensation available.

• ‘General Damages’

This is to compensate you for the time that you lived with and the extent of the disrepair with reference to your rent over this period.

• ‘Special Damages’

This is to reimburse you for any belongings destroyed by the disrepair [e.g. mouldy mattress or carpets] as well as any reasonable expenditures incurred as a result of the disrepair.[e.g. higher heating bills or extra cleaning supplies]. It’s tough to establish these things without concrete evidence, such as receipts or photographs. The Courts and your landlord’s attorneys may only be prepared to pay minimal compensation if anything at all in the absence of these documents.

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is one of the most important legal methods for landlords to incur a repairing duty; but it does not require your landlord to repair or correct inherent design flaws.

We are National Housing Disrepair experts.

We cover the whole of the UK, contact us via email, telephone or live chat.