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Housing Disrepair

CAN I MAKE A HOUSING DISREPAIR CLAIM?

If you are a tenant living in a council home, social housing or rented accommodation, it is your landlord’s legal duty to ensure that your home is fit for human habitation and generally in a state of good repair. If you have told your landlord about any defects or disrepair in your accommodation and your landlord has failed to do anything about it within 21 days of you reporting the issue, we can force your Landlord to complete any necessary repairs and pay you compensation for the stress and discomfort you have experienced!

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY HOUSE IS IN DISREPAIR?

Housing disrepairs can affect the exterior or interior of the property and can even include common areas such as stairwells in apartment blocks.

Essentially, it is any defect that makes a property unfit or unsafe for a tenant to live in. It is more than just basic maintenance or cosmetic issues. For example, a broken door handle or small tea stain on a carpet will most probably not give rise to a housing disrepair claim.

The most common types of housing disrepair are:

  • Mould and damp.
  • Pest infestation e.g. rats or insects.
  • Asbestos in the property.
  • Damaged interiors such as wallpaper.
  • Damaged or worn brickwork.
  • Broken or rotten windows and doors.
  • Broken or faulty roof, guttering, downpipes and drains.
  • Leaking water or gas pipes.
  • Broken boiler/ central heating systems.
  • Faulty electrical wiring.
  • Unsafe flooring and staircases.
  • Faulty heaters, cookers or other electrical appliances, such as dishwashers, that the landlord agreed to provide.
  • Unsafe fixtures and fittings.
  • Structural and external defects.
  • Broken basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings including pipes and drains.
  • Vegetation growth/build-up.
  • Anything else relating to the proper working order of water, gas, electricity, sanitation or heating.

SHOULD I JUST PUT UP WITH IT?

Absolutely not! Living in poor housing conditions can negatively affect your health and that of your family. As a tenant, it is your legal right to live in a safe and well-maintained home.

For example, imagine that your rental property is damp, meaning mould grows on the walls. You might think you can put up with it and go about your daily life. But living in such conditions can be extremely bad for your health, especially in young and elderly people. It can cause respiratory illnesses and damage your belongings if the mould extends to your clothes, furniture and other possessions. A rental property that contains damp and mould is unfit for human habitation and should not be tolerated.

Or what about a faulty boiler or central heating system? Again, you can technically live without hot water and heating, however, the laws in England and Wales state that all tenants must have access to the basic needs of heating and hot water. A rental property that does not provide these basic utilities is in breach of this legislation.

HOW MUCH COULD I BE OWED IN COMPENSATION?

If your housing disrepair claim is successful:

  • Your landlord will be forced to fix the issue by the court. A landlord who fails to comply with a court order could be fined or imprisoned; AND
  • You will be financially compensated for any damage to your health, your belongings and/or the inconvenience/discomfort and stress you have endured as a result of the ongoing disrepair. The amount of compensation owed will depend on the severity of the disrepair, how long you have had to live with it and its effect on you as an individual. This is likely to run into hundreds or thousands of pounds!

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK I HAVE A HOUSING DISREPAIR CLAIM?

  1. Complete the form below.
  2. We will contact you for a quick chat to see if you qualify for a claim.
  3. Sit back and leave the rest to us!

DO I HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING UPFRONT?

No. We work on a No Win No Fee basis. If for any reason we’re unsuccessful, you won’t pay a penny.

GET IN TOUCH

Fill in the form and our team will get back to you within 2 working days.

Call us

0333 011 5105*
*9am-5pm (Mon-Fri)






    WE ARE NO WIN NO FEE. IF YOU SUCCEED, WE SUCCEED. WE DON’T GET PAID UNLESS YOU GET PAID.

    SIMPLY OUTSTANDING! KEPT ME UPDATED THROUGHOUT AND DELIVERED A GREAT RESULT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

    Derek Watson

    THE TEAM AT LIBERAY ARE SPECIAL AND VERY DIFFERENT TO YOUR TYPICAL LAWYERS. THEY GAVE MY HUSBAND AND I DOWN TO EARTH LEGAL ADVICE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND AND WE WERE DELIGHTED WITH THE OUTCOME. THANK YOU GUYS!

    Susan Holme

    INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND VERY FAST-COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE

    David Atkins

    I HONESTLY CAN'T THANK JULIE ENOUGH…SHE DIDN'T STOP UNTIL IT WAS SORTED AND NOW MY SHABBY WORN DOWN HOUSE CAN NOW BE MADE INTO A HOME…I’VE BEEN LIVING WITH THESE CONDITIONS FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS AND I'M NOW SO RELIEVED THAT I’VE HAD JULIE HERE TO HELP ME TO GET IT ALL SORTED. THANK YOU JULIE ADAMS XX

    Rebecca Brooks

    AFTER EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT WATER INGRESS AND DAMP/MOULD FOR WELL OVER 6 YEARS AND WITH THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION FOBBING ME OFF FOR ALL OF THOSE YEARS, I FINALLY DECIDED TO TAKE MATTERS FURTHER. I INSTRUCTED JULIE ADAMS OF LIBERAY TO DEAL WITH MY DISREPAIR CLAIM. NOT ONLY WAS SHE EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL BUT SHE WAS FRIENDLY AND APPROACHABLE TOO. SHE ALWAYS GAVE ME HER HELP AND ADVICE WHEN I NEEDED IT. I CAN FINALLY SAY THE MATTER IS NOW SORTED AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR HER HELP. I HONESTLY THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN FOBBED OFF FOR MANY MORE YEARS IF I HAD NOT INSTRUCTED LIBERAY TO DEAL WITH MY CLAIM. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND JULIE ADAMS AND LIBERAY.

    Lisa Edge

    I CAN’T THANK LIBERAY LEGAL ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE FOR ME. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE WHO HAS ISSUES WITH THEIR LANDLORD.

    Celeste Smith