Housing Disrepair
Housing disrepair claim solicitors
If you live in social housing and your home is in a state of disrepair, our solicitors can help you claim for the necessary repairs to be carried out. We could also help you claim compensation for any physical or financial problems you have suffered as a result of the disrepair in your home.
Your local council or housing association has a duty to look after the property you are living in and to make sure it meets and maintains certain standards. If those duties have been neglected, our solicitors can help you claim for the repairs to be carried out. In addition to getting you the repairs you need we can help you claim for compensation for damage to your possessions, illness and injury.
Our no win, no fee solicitors will provide you with a free assessment, before taking on your claim on a no win, no fee basis.
What is a ‘state of disrepair’?
We would generally say that you are living in a ‘state of disrepair’ if your house or flat has not been maintained properly by your landlord, to the extent that repairs are needed urgently. There might be significant damage to just one room, or to multiple rooms in your home. You may even be completely unable to use rooms in your property because of the disrepair. You might have suffered damage to your personal belongings, such as your clothes or furniture, or your health.
Disrepair covers a lot of issues, including most structural defects, mould and damp, gas or water leaks, vermin or pest problems, faulty central heating and a lack of hot water. Many of these disrepair issues are linked, so can occur as a result of one another. They can also cause health issues, destroy your possessions and ultimately make your home unfit to live in.
Our housing solicitors are here to help anyone living in council and social housing that is facing these kind of issues with neglect and disrepair in their home.
How Can We Help You?
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation 01274 744899
Housing disrepair and health and safety
Structural damage, mould and damp, water and gas leaks, vermin control issues and no heating or hot water can all make your property dangerous and uncomfortable to live in. In theory none of these problems should ever occur because your landlord has a responsibility to take care of serious issues when they start to develop. However, unfortunately some landlords neglect their duties and leave tenants living in unfit conditions for long periods of time.
Your landlord is responsible for making sure:
- The boiler is safe and working properly
- All structural repairs are carried out in a timely manner
- The roof and plaster-work are maintained
- Leaks are repaired swiftly
- Areas of damp and mould are treated and the cause is dealt with
- Wet and dry rot are removed
- Subsidence is dealt with
- Broken sewers are fixed swiftly
- Damaged or exposed wiring is replaced
- Gas and water leaks are quickly handled
- Defective central heating is repaired or replaced
- You have sufficient security
If your landlord fails to fulfil any of these responsibilities, we could help you make a claim for them to carry out the necessary repairs. We want you to be comfortable and happy in your home, without having to worry about disrepair creating health issues for you and your family.
Taking action against your landlord
If the condition of your home gets a lot worse because your social landlord hasn’t repaired disrepair or damage, you may need to take legal action. Note: you should always report issues to your landlord as soon as you notice them, which gives them a chance to carry out repairs quickly. However, if your landlord fails to fix what needs repairing, doesn’t respond to you, ignores the issue, or carries out the repair to a low standard then legal action against them is the appropriate next step.
No one should have to put up with unhealthy and degrading living conditions. Disrepair in a rented property caused by your landlord’s negligence is unacceptable and could be harmful to you and your family.
Our housing solicitors are specialists in handling cases which deal with disrepair in social housing. We can help you claim for the necessary repairs to be carried out by your landlord and even claim compensation for the damage and harm you have had to endure.
If your council or social property is in a poor condition and your landlord is not acting on it, contact our housing solicitors today. We’ll give you specialist advice and guidance, and support you throughout your disrepair claim. We want to help you live in comfort without having to worry about disrepair issues and the effects they may have on you and your family.
Housing disrepair compensation
Damp and mould
In many disrepair cases we deal with, our client’s housing association or council has failed to take care of mould and damp.
Mould and damp can cause serious health issues, especially in children, and should never be ignored. Our housing disrepair specialists will assess your situation and help you claim compensation for any resulting damage and health conditions.
Gas and water leaks
We can help social housing tenants who have experienced persistent gas and/or water leaks and whose landlord has failed to carry out the necessary repairs.
Water and gas leaks have the potential to be dangerous and harmful to your health and wellbeing. They should be resolved urgently by your landlord. Our housing disrepair team may be able to help you if you are suffering following a gas or water leak.
Structural defects claims
We see many disrepair cases in which our client’s social housing landlord has failed to resolve structural issues, which has led to further problems arising.
Structural defects can be dangerous and can also cause other disrepair to develop which can be threatening to your health. Your landlord is highly likely responsible for repairing structural defects, so if they don’t and this causes you or your belongings harm our housing disrepair specialists could help you.
Subsidence claims
Subsidence in a house or apartment block can be a sign of potentially dangerous problems which could cause you harm. It occurs when all or just part of a property begins to slowly sink into the ground. It can cause many other types of disrepair issues to develop if repairs aren’t carried out.
Your social landlord should take action if you notice signs of subsidence. If they don’t, our housing disrepair team could help you make a claim so that you can live in a safe home.
Pest and vermin control claims
Our housing disrepair team have often helped client’s with pest and vermin control problems caused by other unresolved disrepair in their social housing home.
Vermin and pests should never live in your home, so your landlord has a duty to prevent this from happening as a result of poor maintenance by making sure all disrepair is fixed in a timely manner. Our housing disrepair solicitors will be able to help you claim for the necessary repairs to be carried out if your landlord has neglected to do so and it has damaged your health and/or your belongings.
Claims for a lack of hot water
Here at AWH we have helped many clients whose social landlords have left them without hot water for a prolonged period of time. This can often lead to health issues, which is unacceptable and illegal on their landlord’s part.
Our housing team may be able to help you make a claim if your landlord has failed to resolve issues with hot water in your home.
Claims for a lack of central heating
Unfortunately, many social landlords break the law and leave their tenants without central heating or any other type of heating in their home. It is your landlord’s duty to repair broken heating systems and to provide alternative, temporary solutions while repairs are carried out.
Our team of housing specialists may be able to help you if you have suffered due to a lack of central heating for an extended period of time and it has caused other disrepair and health issues to develop.
Broken window and door claims
We deal with many cases where our client’s social housing landlord has neglected to fix broken windows and doors causing safety issues and other disrepair issues arising. Broken doors and windows may seem like small problems but when left for a long time they can cause problems such as damp, mould, and even pest infestations.
Your landlord is generally responsible for repairing and replacing broken windows or doors. Our housing team can assess your situation and could help you claim for the repair work to be completed and for you to be compensated for your suffering.
Housing disrepair action and support
Handling housing disrepair as a council or social housing tenant
We understand that it can be intimidating to speak up against a social housing association, maybe because of their size and authority, or because you’re worried about losing money or being evicted. However, asking for safe living conditions is not unreasonable and is important for your health and general wellbeing.
Housing disrepair issues never simply go away. In fact, they often worsen over time, causing more harm as a result.
Some examples of health issues which can arise as a result of a poorly maintained home include:
- Aggravated asthma
- Pneumonia
- Upper respiratory tract infections
- Anxiety and depression
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Trips and falls on poorly maintained stairs and carpets
- Electrocution
If you or members of your family have suffered from any of these health issues as a direct result of the poor conditions in your home, we want to help you.
You deserve to be happy and healthy in the place that you live, and we can make that happen by helping you claim the compensation you need.
If you have suffered from illness or injury as a result of disrepair, our personal injury solicitors can help you make a claim for compensation even if the housing disrepair issues have been dealt with.
Our disrepair solicitors can help
Our housing solicitors have handled many cases where tenants have been treated unfairly and misinformed of their rights by their social landlord.
Our housing solicitors do more than just help you claim compensation for disrepair. They can guide and support you when you have suffered, and get you the justice you deserve.
