Suffering from Housing Disrepair? Get the Compensation You Deserve
OTS Solicitors help tenants take legal action when landlords fail to fix serious property issues.
Housing disrepair claims encompass a wide range of repair issues, including persistent mould, water leaks, or unsafe electrics that your landlord has failed to repair despite repeated complaints. Our Landlord and Tenant Solicitors can support you with a housing disrepair claim to get compensation for poor housing conditions.
Claim Your Disrepair Compensation Today – Speak to our Expert Solicitors.
What counts as a housing disrepair claim?
Housing disrepair occurs when a landlord fails to maintain and repair a rental property to the standards required by law or as specified in the tenancy agreement.
Minimum housing standards are contained in housing law. Rented homes must be habitable and safe. A landlord cannot negotiate lower standards in a tenancy agreement, but a landlord can be held to a higher standard if that is what was agreed upon in the tenancy agreement.
Examples of housing disrepair claims
Our Housing Disrepair Solicitors London have encountered numerous disrepair problems that affect the daily lives of tenants and their families.
Examples of common housing disrepair claims include:
- Broken boiler or faulty heating system.
- Damp and mould due to structural or condensation issues.
- Dangerous electrics.
- Plumbing issues causing leaks or water damage.
- Mice, rats and other pest infestations.
- Insecure doors or windows leading to safety issues.
- Drain issues leading to unsanitary conditions.
If your problem is not on our list, then it doesn’t mean you don’t have a housing disrepair claim.
A tenant can claim compensation for any housing disrepair that creates an unsafe and uninhabitable living environment and does not meet the minimum housing standards in Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
Claiming compensation for housing disrepair
You can claim compensation for housing disrepair if:
- Your rental property is in disrepair and your landlord will not carry out repairs to make it habitable, or
- Repairs have been carried out, but they are of poor quality, and the standard of the property remains poor.
If an issue is reported to a landlord and there is a short delay in resolving the problem, you probably do not have a claim. For example, reporting a faulty boiler may result in a brief delay while an emergency plumber is dispatched to fix the issue.
Sometimes, complaints about disrepair are not straightforward. If you are unsure whether you have a good housing disrepair claim, it's best to speak to a Housing Disrepair Solicitor rather than simply accepting your landlord's or letting agent's assertion that there is nothing to be done to speed up the repairs or to improve the quality of the work undertaken in your home.
First steps in a housing disrepair claim
When you are living in a rental property that requires urgent repair, it can be hard to focus on what you need to do to get out of the situation you are in.
Our Landlord and Tenant Solicitors recommend these first steps in a housing disrepair claim:
- Report – any report must be made in writing so there is a record of it. If you speak to your landlord or letting agent, then follow up the conversation with an email or text to confirm the repair issue you flagged and what the landlord or agent promised to do about it.
- Record – to make sure you have evidence of the disrepair. This could be photos, a video, or a diary of how the disrepair or uninhabitable housing conditions are affecting you and your family.
- React – if your landlord or agent makes excuses or says that repairs are not covered in the tenancy agreement, then you need to take things further. The next step is to speak to a London Disrepair Lawyer to understand your landlord’s legal obligations, your rights as a tenant, and how you can claim compensation and get your rights enforced.
Legal action for housing disrepair
If you bring a housing disrepair claim, you can ask the court to:
- Make a repair order requiring your landlord to put the property into a habitable state.
- Order a compensation payment for poor housing conditions and the inconvenience and expenses incurred because of the housing disrepair.
- Order damages if the disrepair has caused personal injuries, such as mould growth exacerbating your asthma.
Our Landlord and Tenant Lawyers resolve many disrepair claims without tenants having to make a formal court claim.
Letters before action and housing disrepair claims
A Housing Disrepair Claim Lawyer will talk to you to understand what you have been through and are going through so they can fully argue your disrepair case. They can then follow up the consultation with a letter before action. The letter details:
- The repair issues.
- Why your landlord is in breach of the housing law and/or the tenancy agreement.
- The impact of the disrepair on you as the tenant and your family.
- The redress you are seeking.
A carefully worded and well-prepared letter before action before you sue landlord for disrepair, can show your landlord that you are serious and knowledgeable about your tenant rights. Your Disrepair Solicitors will follow through if they do not address the repairs and resolve your requests for redress and compensation.
Claim Your Disrepair Compensation Today – Speak to our Expert Solicitors.
Frequently Asked Questions on Housing Disrepair Claims
What counts as a housing disrepair claim?
There are no definitive rules on what constitutes housing disrepair. It can be anything that renders the property uninhabitable or unsafe. At OTS Solicitors, we welcome enquiries to see if we can help you resolve the disrepair issues.
Can I claim compensation if my landlord hasn’t made repairs?
You may be able to claim compensation if your landlord has not made repairs. Our specialists will discuss the extent of the repairs, their impact on you and advise if the delay is unreasonable and warrants the start of a claim with a letter before action.
How long does my landlord have to fix serious issues?
How long your landlord has to fix a problem depends on the issue. For example, a minor leak or dripping tap may not necessitate an emergency plumber at the weekend, but a faulty boiler in winter with a baby in the house should do so. If you think your landlord has taken too long to sort out a serious issue, our experts can assess your case and bring a claim on your behalf.
Can my landlord evict me for complaining about the property?
Your landlord cannot evict you because you asserted your rights as a tenant and sued your landlord for disrepair. The law makes revenge eviction illegal. A Housing Disrepair Solicitor London can help you assert your rights as a tenant and get compensation for poor housing conditions.
Contact our Housing Disrepair Solicitors London Today to Discuss a Disrepair Claim.
Appointments are available at our offices in central London, by phone, and online.
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