If you live in social housing and your home is in a state of disrepair, you can claim for repairs. This could be with the local authority council or housing association. There are also circumstances where you can claim compensation for any physical or financial problems as a result of the disrepair. If your landlord has neglected to perform his or her duties and you have sustained damage to your possessions, been injured or contracted an illness due to their negligence, you may be able to claim with the help of a housing disrepair solicitor. A housing disrepair solicitor can help you get compensation for the damage to your home and belongings, injuries that you’ve sustained as a result of poor maintenance, and any illness that has resulted from the conditions in your home. In this guide, we explain how to find a housing disrepair solicitor and how they can help you put forward a claim.

What is a housing disrepair claim?

If you’re a tenant in the UK and have reported a disrepair issue to your landlord, but they have ignored your request or refused to carry out repairs, you may be able to take legal action against them. A housing disrepair claim is when the tenant of a property has reported a disrepair issue to the landlord, has given them sufficient time to carry out the repairs, and they haven’t carried out the repairs or ignored or refused to do so. It involves the tenant taking legal action against the landlord to make them fix the issue and pay you any compensation deemed necessary. No tenant deserves to live in an unsafe house with dangerous living conditions, which is where a housing disrepair claim comes in. Putting a claim forward helps give the power back to the tenant and holds the landlord accountable.

What classes as housing disrepair?

Many different issues can class as housing disrepair negligence by your landlord. Some of which include:

Damp and mould

Disrepair claims regarding damp and mould inside the property are one of the most common causes of a claim. Both damp and mould can cause serious health issues to anyone living inside the property due to the exposure of mould spores in the air that you can breathe in. Mould and damp complaints should never be ignored by a landlord due to the seriousness of the health problems they can cause.

Gas and water leaks

Gas and water leaks are serious issues that are commonly reported in a housing disrepair claim. This is especially the case if there have been persistent leaks within the property and the landlord has failed to carry out any repairs to fix the issue. Gas leaks can particularly be harmful to your health and water leaks can encourage mould growth and result in damp within the property.

Structural defects

Structural defects to the interior or exterior of a property can be extremely dangerous if not dealt with sufficiently. Structural defects can cause other disrepairs to develop and have the possibility of threatening your health and damaging any of your belongings that are in the property.

Lack of hot water

If you have experienced a lack of hot water for an extended period, this can also be used in a housing disrepair claim. This itself can lead to serious health issues and is illegal as hot water is classed as a basic necessity that a landlord should provide.

How much compensation can you receive for housing disrepair?

The rent of the property is used as a basis to calculate the compensation award, but this can vary depending on how long the disrepair has lasted and how serious it was at its worst point. It needs to be proven that the landlord knew about the disrepair but did not try to rectify it themselves or instruct another contractor as soon as possible after being informed of it (or even before). Even if your rent is paid with a form of housing benefit, such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, you can still make a claim for compensation for your time living in the property. The amount of compensation you can receive for housing disrepair depends on the severity of the disrepair. If your property is uninhabitable, this should result in 100% compensation. However, this is very unlikely. Compensation tends to range between 25%-50% of the rent of the property however every circumstance will be different with different factors affecting the rate.

How long does a housing disrepair claim take?

The amount of time it takes to complete a housing disrepair claim depends on several factors, including the complexity of the case and how long it takes for all parties to reach an agreement. In general, a claim can take anywhere from several months to several years. Most solicitors will advise you not to carry out any repairs while the claim is ongoing; however, if there is some kind of immediate danger that needs addressing, you should contact your solicitor immediately before taking any action yourself.

How to find the best housing disrepair solicitors

You may now be wondering how you can find the best housing disrepair solicitor near you. Many solicitors offer housing disrepair claims however you want to find the most reputable solicitor to deal with your property. At Claims Bible, we can help you get the compensation you deserve. You can find out more about housing disrepair claims here. Alternatively, check out our blog page to read articles about similar claims. If you’re ready to submit a housing disrepair claim, visit our enquiry page today.