Housing Disrepair Leeds

Claim Housing Disrepair from Leeds City Council

If you live in a rented building that has fallen into serious disrepair and your landlord has refused to repair faults or keep the house in good condition, you can file a disrepair claim. Every landlord has a legal obligation to have their property’s interior and exterior maintained to a reasonable standard of repair.

Thousands of people in Leeds are living as tenants yet unaware of their rights. If you have paid for rent, your landlord is legally obligated to carry out necessary repairs to the property. It can be very stressful when your landlord refuses to do this, and we understand that living in safe conditions is the minimum anyone should expect.

So, if you have asked your landlord to fix your apartment and they have refused to do so, you may be eligible to be compensated for housing disrepair in Leeds. You can also get a court order forcing them to fix the problems. At Claims Bible, we can help you calculate how much you’re entitled to.

Why can I claim Housing Disrepair compensation in Leeds?

Trying to get a house disrepair claim means you fully understand what housing disrepair means. Housing disrepair is when the physical conditions of a rented property, either through a private landlord or social housing, had severely deteriorated or changed negatively from the state it was when you began living there.

As a tenant living in a rented accommodation, your landlord is obligated by law to ensure that:

• The house you are in is structurally in a good state of repair.
• The house is free from damp and mould.
• You have safe access to gas, water, and electricity.
• You have good working sanitation facilities such as sinks, toilets, and basins.
• Your home is completely free from insect infestation or vermin.

In addition, the landlord is obligated to ensure that the property for lease is fit and safe for human habitation. The landlord must also ensure that the floorboards, skirtings, doors, plaster, and windows are maintained and repaired to a reasonable standard. The lease outlines the person responsible for maintaining the property, and refusal to do so can result in a housing disrepair claim.

So, if the interior or exterior is damaged, the landlord must fix it immediately and make the building fit for habitation. Also, Leeds housing disrepair cases are not limited to only physical damages. It could also be a broken boiler, gutter or plumbing issue. Ultimately, housing disrepair prevents an occupant from living normally and comfortably in their home.

Furthermore, there could be an element of personal injury in a housing disrepair claim, especially if the occupant of the property has suffered or sustained any injury due to the deterioration. Note that your landlord must fix the housing problem within a reasonable timeframe. Failure to do so means they are liable to answer for housing disrepair.

When Can I Ask My Landlord to Make Repairs?

Landlord’s obligations are laid out under several legislation pieces, such as the Landlord and Tenant Act (LTA) 1985 . These rules apply to tenancies entered into after 1961, and section 11 ensures that the landlord will do the following:

• Keep in good repair the structure and exterior structure of the property, including gutters, external pipes, and drains.
• Keep proper working and repair all installations in the building for the supply of electricity, gas, and water and for sanitation, including baths, sinks, sanitary conveniences, and basins.
• Keep in proper working and repair the installation in the building for heating water and space heating.

In many instances, landlords agree to the repairing obligation even beyond the statutory minimum, but this is becoming rare these days. To ask your landlord to make any repairs, you have to ensure that it is stated in the tenancy agreement or any relevant supporting document. Therefore, it is very important that you check your tenancy agreement to confirm if your landlord has accepted any repairing obligations.

Common Types of Housing Disrepair Claims in Leeds

Over the years, there have been several types of housing disrepair claims. However, the primary cases relate to the following:

Damp and Mould

Damp and mould occur when a landlord refuses to deal with excessive moisture. This housing disrepair can cause several health issues, affecting breathing, especially for older people and kids. If your landlord refuses to fix the cause of damp and mould in your rented property or denies that it exists, you can file a claim, and we can help calculate the compensation you will receive.

Unsafe Staircases and Flooring

Most times, problems relating to floorboards or even faulty staircases can lead to serious personal injuries. So, if you have pointed out the problem with the stairs or flooring and your landlord is contesting or refusing to fix the problem, you can file for a claim as well.

Faulty Electrics

Having faulty electric outlets in your building can cause severe and dangerous injuries, especially with children around. Your landlord is responsible for ensuring that your apartment passes an electrical safety certificate inspection. In addition, your landlord must ensure that any dodgy outlets or loose wires are fixed as quickly as possible to avoid injuries to you and other tenants and damage to the building.

Gas and Water Leaks

Everyone deserves a safe watertight roof in their homes. While some landlords ensure that their property’s roofs are watertight, others do not. So, if you have a leaking roof, you should inform your landlord as soon as possible to avoid further damage and injuries.
Gas leakage can also cause severe problems for you or anyone else living in the house with you. It is detrimental to your health. So, again, if your landlord refuses to attend to this problem, you can file a claim.

Unsafe Heating System

In the UK, having heat and hot water in your home is required by law. So, if you have a faulty heating and boiling system, it is important that you call the attention of your landlord. However, if your landlord fails to fix it, you may have a chance for compensation.

Infestation – Insects, Rats, etc.

Refusal to deal with infestations such as insects or rats can lead to serious discomfort for you. In addition, this infestation can also affect your health, which constitutes housing disrepair.

What Can I Get Compensated For?

If you report housing disrepair to your landlord and they refuse to fix the issues, you can compel them to do the repairs by law. However, you can file a compensation claim when the property’s disrepair affects your comfort and health. There are different types of compensation available to you.
You can get compensation for the following:

Damages to Personal Belongings

When claiming compensation, you can include the value of damages to your personal belongings. For example, you can include your mould-affected bedding and clothing, carpets damaged by water leakage or any electrical appliance damaged by electrical problems.

The compensation for damages to personal belongings will cover only the cost of replacing or repairing the damaged items. This means that you may get less than the cost of the item as you would be expected to get second-hand items to replace the damaged ones. Also, you will need evidence, such as receipts and photographs, to show that you had to repair or purchase a replacement for the damaged item.

Personal Injury

Aside from getting compensation for damaged items, you can also claim for ill health that the housing disrepair may have caused you or anyone living with you. However, the amount of compensation you will receive will depend on some factors.

This includes the seriousness of your illness, medical bills, and how long the illness lasted. You might also be able to recover financial losses that you may have incurred due to your illness, such as lost wages.

Furthermore, you will get compensated for any discomfort you may have encountered by the housing disrepair. This may be miscellaneous cash or even a partial rebate of your rent for the affected belongings during the disrepair. For example, if you were unable to sleep or cook in your house due to the infestation of rats and insects, you can claim the effect that this infestation had on being unable to use your home.

However, it is important that you always notify your landlord of the problems of the property as quickly as possible in a recorded format. You should also track the state of disrepair and note your landlord’s response each time you complain. Note that not notifying your landlord of the disrepair on time might harm your compensation claim.

We Can Help You Determine the Worth of Your Claim

At Claims Bible, we help housing disrepair victims calculate the amount of compensation they can receive from their landlord. We are experts with experience in helping housing disrepair victims in Leeds, and we have a team of legal experts available to help you throughout the claims process.
This way, you will be able to get every single penny you deserve. Therefore, if you believe you are entitled to compensation from your landlord, we will help you calculate your average settlement. 

Read more about Housing Disrepair claims on our Housing Disrepair page or read more articles about Housing Disrepair claims.

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