HOUSING DISREPAIR CLAIMS

Across England and Wales, hundreds of thousands of rented homes suffer from serious disrepair. As a tenant, you have a legal right to live in a property that meets certain standards and it is the responsibility of your landlord, whether they are a local authority council, a housing association, or a private individual, to ensure that their properties meet and maintain these standards and are free from disrepair and structural damage. However, if your landlord has neglected their duties and your living conditions are substandard, Charles Lyndon’s team of housing condition lawyers are here to help.

Housing disrepair encompasses any condition that falls below the legal standard required for a rented property, making it unsafe and unfit for habitation. This can include, but is not limited to, issues such as damp or mould, leaks, faulty electrics or heating, and structural damage. A property can be considered to be in a state of disrepair if it lacks basic amenities such as hot water or functioning toilet facilities.

What is your landlord responsible for? 

While your tenancy agreement will outline your and your landlord’s responsibilities, your landlord is generally responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

• Ensuring that the boiler is safe and operational.
• Carrying out structural repairs. 
• Maintaining the roof and plasterwork.
• Repairing leaks.
• Treating areas of damp and mould.
• Managing subsidence.
• Fixing broken sewers.
• Replacing damaged or exposed wiring.
• Addressing gas and water leaks.
• Repairing or replacing defective central heating.
• Ensuring that appropriate safety measures are in place. 

If you are affected by a disrepair issue, it is important to take action as soon as possible. Issues must be reported to your landlord immediately in writing, and you should keep a record of all correspondence. If your landlord has not responded to your complaints and has not carried out repairs within a reasonable period of time, you may be eligible to bring a disrepair claim to require your landlord to carry out the necessary work and to claim for compensation. 

How Can Charles Lyndon help?

If your home is in a state of disrepair and your landlord has failed to carry out repairs, or if you would like to discuss how we can help you make a claim, please contact us. Charles Lyndon’s team of housing disrepair lawyers can provide a free assessment of your claim, assess the extent of the disrepair and advise you on how to proceed.

We never charge for initial conversations and if we think we can help, we will take your case on a ‘no win no fee’ basis, which means you will not have to pay legal fees if the case is lost. We also work with an insurance company that offers ‘After the Event Insurance’, which helps protect you from the risk of costs orders being made against you should your claim be unsuccessful.