If you’re living in a housing association or a private landlord’s property and repairs are not being made to damages, you have the right to file a housing disrepair claim. When landlords neglect necessary repairs, making your home uninhabitable, tenants can seek compensation through housing disrepair claims against council houses, housing associations, or private landlords.
Are you experiencing problems like structural problems, mould, heating problems, or pest infestation? These are the challenges that we know cause mental stress and even can impact a person’s health. Well, our disrepair compensation lawyers are here to help. They will teach you in how to handle such problems and, if the problems remain unresolved, to report directly to a lawyer and take legal action against your landlord.
Also, our practice of no win, no fee means that you do not pay for a service that was not successful. Call us today and allow us to help you exercise your rights and get a home that is safe and free from the mentioned defects.
Responsibilities Of My Landlord
Your landlord is responsible for providing you with a good, habitable living space where the tenants can live without any fear. Responsibilities include:
- Proper security
- Gas, Electricity, Water, and sanitation maintenance
- Damp and Mould problems
- Broken windows and doors
- Garden maintenance
- Broken flooring or exposed nails
If you notice any of the above problems in your home, it is your duty to inform your landlord. You can inform the landlord through written mail. The landlord should consider your complaint, visit the property to check the damage, and send an engineer to fix the damage so that you do not have to face issues living in your home. These issues can affect your peace, so they must be resolved on an early basis.
What if I do not pay rent?
No, you have to pay rent even if you are thinking of making a claim, even if it’s not up to the mark for a living. You still have to pay rent because if you dont pay rent and when you make a claim, the landlord can counterclaim that you have not paid the rent, so, in this case, you can be evicted from the home and also maybe you have to pay rent back. So just pay the rent on time so things go smoother when you claim compensation for housing disrepair.
Can I claim if I no longer live in the house?
No, you can not claim if you moved out of the home because your landlord is now free of his duties. After all, the contract is over, and you have moved out. If you want to make a claim, you have to claim it while you are living there. In this way, you can get the compensation you deserved.
How do I file a Housing Disrepair Claim?
- You need to notify the landlord in writing that the property is in disrepair and allow them the time to schedule workers to fix the issue(s)
- Make copious notes and photos along with copies of your requests to prove the timeline and that the landlord is not fixing the issue.
- Next, seek legal help, whether it is aid or at your own expense. The process is expensive and time-consuming.
- Once you have hired a lawyer, either legal aid or private, the process can begin.
- Do not attempt to file a disrepair claim on your own unless you are a lawyer by profession.
Who is eligible to claim for housing disrepair in the UK?
Anyone living in housing in the UK (renting from the council or a housing association) is eligible to make council disrepair claims if the disrepair is being ignored. Disrepair can include a range of different issues, such as dampness and mould, broken plumbing, and structural issues. Unfortunately, housing disrepair is a very common issue. However, solicitors who specialise in housing disrepair can help housing tenants get compensation and make the much-needed repairs.
How can I make a complaint to my landlord about the condition of my apartment?
- File a complaint in writing and hand it to your landlord if possible. If that is not possible, mail the letter to your landlord and tell the post office window clerk that you need a return receipt giving the date and proof of delivery to the landlord’s address.
- Retain a copy of the exact letter you have either handed to or mailed to your landlord.
- Remember that doing everything in writing and maintaining copies of correspondence and proof of delivery receipts protects one’s legal rights.
Hopefully, your landlord will be cooperative and will make appropriate repairs or upgrades without needing an attorney or the courts. Still, if you ever need to go the legal route, you have the exact details of the tenant/landlord correspondence.
What should you do if a property is uninhabitable?
If the condition affects health or safety or makes the apartment or house uninhabitable, report it to the Housing or Property Maintenance authorities where you live. If the apartment is uninhabitable, he will have to relocate you until the repairs have been made. This could be a lack of heat or hot water, holes in the ceiling or floors, plumbing outages, broken locks, etc.
If it’s a less serious issue, such as cosmetic requirements, paint, blinds, or a dripping faucet, talk with the landlord and ask him to cooperate. Play on his sympathies. Or ask him if you can have the repair made and deduct the cost from your rent.
What is the purpose of claiming compensation for housing disrepair?
The main purpose of a claim for disrepair is to have all the issues in the Property repaired. This can lead to your landlord being willing and able to do the required repairs or the court ordering your landlord to do the required repairs. Normally, apart from getting repairs done, one is entitled to sue for the time the person has been living with those defects in the property. This compensation addresses the nuisance and inconvenience that you have been subjected to in dealing with the problems on the property.
Last but not least, you can qualify for compensation for any property or item that is damaged by the state of the property. It could comprise spoilt furniture due to water leakage, electrical appliances affected by water, and even decorations that are affected by the disrepair. If you decide to approach housing disrepair solicitors, they will assist you in determining and assessing a claim.
How much time you can take to make a council disrepair claim?
You have three years from the time of damage in which you can claim for housing disrepair. If you are not sure whether you can claim it or not, contact our housing disrepair solicitor, and they will figure out whether your claim is valid or not. One more thing is that the timescale depends on the complexity of the case. If you want to claim compensation for housing disrepair, contact our housing disrepair solicitor today we will update you on every step of your compensation process.
