What is housing disrepair?

WE DON’T DO DISREPAIR CLAIMS ANYMORE.

What is housing disrepair? Do you have a claim for housing disrepair against your landlord or housing association?

In simple terms, housing disrepair is when the condition of a rented house or flat, either through social housing or a private landlord, has deteriorated or changed negatively in comparison to the state of the dwelling at the time you moved in.

This can be damage or deterioration to the exterior that is connected to or forms part of the actual dwelling or interior of the house or flat, their structure and common parts in case of a building divided into flats.

The lease outlines whose responsibility it is to maintain the place and failure to do can result in a housing disrepair claim being made.

Housing disrepair is not limited to just physical deterioration. It can be an infestation, mould problems, broken boiler, plumbing or gutter issues; anything that prevents a tenant from being able to live normally in their home.

There can also be an element of personal injury in a disrepair claim if the people residing in the house have suffered from an injury or sickness as a result of the issues in their home.

What are you entitled to for your housing disrepair claim?

There are three things that can be awarded to the tenant in a housing disrepair claim, these are:

  • repairs;
  • compensation;
  • and legal costs

A lot of factors influence the compensation that you might receive. Compensation will factor ‘pain, suffering and loss of amenity’ caused by residing in a house with a disrepair issue or having to vacate it. The rent of the property is also used as a basis to calculate the compensation as is any costs you have incurred to restore the property.

However in these claims it is a must that you notify the landlord of the disrepair as soon as possible ideally in a recorded format before instructing Solicitors.

Generally, compensation may range between £1000 to £10,000 or even more in cases where you have been injured.

To speak to our team, you can call us on 020 7790 7311 or email contact@freemanharris.co.uk.

Contact our legal team

If you would like to discuss this matter, please get in touch with our team for a consultation.