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!
CAN I MAKE A HOUSING DISREPAIR CLAIM?


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?
- Complete the form below.
- We will contact you for a quick chat to see if you qualify for a claim.
- 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)
Email
hello@liberaylegal.co.uk

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

