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Council & housing association tenants

Living with damp, mould or repairs your landlord won't fix?

If you've reported a problem and your landlord hasn't put it right, you may be owed compensation — and they can be made to do the repairs.

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FCA authorised
Forces Compare Ltd, FRN 785329
No upfront cost
No win, no fee through our legal partner
Six years to claim
Three years where health is affected
You're never obliged
Complaining direct is always free

In this guide

Do you have a housing disrepair claim?

You're likely to have a claim if all of these are true.

You rent from a council or housing association

We're not currently able to take claims against private or military landlords.

You told your landlord about the problem

In writing ideally. Their duty to repair generally begins once they know, or ought to know, about it.

They've had a reasonable time to fix it

What's reasonable depends on the problem. A dangerous electrical fault is days; a roof repair may be weeks.

It's still not properly fixed

Or it was patched up and came straight back.

How far back can you claim? Disrepair is a breach of your tenancy agreement, so you generally have six years. If the disrepair has made someone ill, that part of the claim has a three year limit from when you knew about it. You do not lose your claim by moving out.

How much compensation could you get?

There's no fixed tariff. Courts award a proportion of the rent you paid while the property was in disrepair, following Wallace v Manchester City Council [1998]. The worse the effect on your use of your home, the higher the proportion — from around 5–15% for a minor problem in one room, up to 50–100% where a home is substantially uninhabitable.

On top of that you can claim for damaged belongings, higher heating bills, and the cost of staying elsewhere if you had to. For a fuller explanation see our guide to council house damp compensation.

Work out what your claim could be worth

Our calculator uses the same percentage-of-rent method the courts apply.

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What you can claim for

Discomfort and inconvenience

Living with damp, mould, cold, damp smells, or rooms you can't use.

Damaged belongings

Clothing, bedding, carpets, furniture and electricals ruined by damp or leaks.

Higher bills

Heating and drying costs above what you'd normally pay.

Ill health

Respiratory problems and similar, where there's medical evidence. This part has a three year limit.

Alternative accommodation

If the property became unfit and you had to stay somewhere else.

The repairs themselves

A claim can require your landlord to actually carry out the work, not just pay you.

How it works

  1. Answer a few questions. About a minute. We ask what's wrong, how long it's gone on and whether you've reported it.
  2. We pass you to a regulated law firm. Claims Bible doesn't handle claims itself — we introduce you to a solicitor who does, and they'll confirm whether you have a case.
  3. They gather the evidence. Photographs, your correspondence with the landlord, medical records if health is affected, and a survey if one is needed.
  4. They put the claim to your landlord. Most disrepair claims settle without ever reaching court.

You don't have to use us. You can complain to your landlord yourself for free, and if you're not satisfied you can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman free of charge. Most people prefer to hand it over — but the choice is genuinely yours. Our guide on how to claim compensation from your landlord explains the DIY route.

What counts as disrepair

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires your landlord to keep the structure and exterior in repair, along with the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 goes further and requires the home to be fit to live in. Our guide to what housing disrepair means covers this in more detail.

Damp and mould

Including where the cause is a structural defect or the home can't reasonably be heated.

Leaks and water damage

Roofs, pipes, gutters, drains and external pipework.

No heating or hot water

Boilers, radiators and the installations that serve them.

Electrical faults

Unsafe wiring, sockets or landlord-supplied appliances.

Structural problems

Walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, windows and staircases.

Pests and infestation

Where they're getting in because of a defect the landlord should have fixed.

John writes Claims Bible's guidance on housing, financial and consumer claims. He focuses on explaining what the law actually says and what a claim realistically involves, so people can decide for themselves whether to pursue one.

How this page is kept accurate. Compensation guidance on this page follows Wallace v Manchester City Council [1998] and the repairing obligations in section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It is reviewed when the law or our panel arrangements change.

Published 16 February 2022 Last reviewed 30 July 2026 About Claims Bible

Common questions

How far back can I claim?

Generally six years, because disrepair is a breach of your tenancy agreement. If part of your claim is for ill health caused by the disrepair, that element has a three year limit running from when you knew about it. Act sooner rather than later either way — evidence degrades and memories fade.

Can I claim if I've moved out?

Yes. Moving out doesn't end a claim, provided you're within the time limits. What you lose is the ability to make your landlord carry out the repairs — you'd be claiming damages for the period you lived there in disrepair.

What if I never reported it in writing?

It's harder, because your landlord's duty generally starts once they know about the problem. If you only ever reported it verbally, report it again in writing now — that starts the clock even if the damp has been there for years.

My landlord says the damp is my fault. Is it?

Landlords very often blame condensation on drying clothes indoors or not opening windows. But if the underlying cause is a structural defect, failed damp proofing, inadequate ventilation or a property that can't reasonably be heated, that's disrepair. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 also requires a home to be fit to live in regardless of who created the moisture.

Will I be evicted for complaining?

Retaliatory eviction protections exist, and a notice served shortly after a legitimate disrepair complaint may be invalid. If you're worried, say so when the solicitor calls — but fear of eviction shouldn't stop you reporting a home that's making you ill.

What will it cost me?

Nothing upfront. Claims are handled by a regulated law firm on a no win, no fee basis, and a success fee is deducted from any compensation if the claim succeeds. The firm will set out their fee in writing before you agree to anything. You can also complain to your landlord and the Housing Ombudsman without paying anyone.

Do I need evidence?

Yes, and the strongest cases have plenty. Dated photographs of the damp, mould or damage; every email, letter and text to your landlord; records of missed or failed repair visits; GP records if anyone's health has suffered; and receipts for anything you've had to replace.

How long does a claim take?

It varies considerably with the severity of the disrepair and how the landlord responds. Straightforward claims can settle in a matter of months; contested or complex ones take longer. The solicitor will give you a realistic timescale once they've seen the evidence.

How much could your claim be worth?

Try our damp & mould compensation calculator — free, takes under a minute, and uses the official figures for this claim type.

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Calculators and tools

Free tools that estimate what a claim could be worth — a starting point, not a valuation.

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