A rented home should be safe, secure and properly maintained. When repairs are ignored or delayed, the impact can quickly become more than an inconvenience. Damp, mould, leaks, broken heating, faulty plumbing or unsafe conditions can affect your health, damage your belongings and make everyday life difficult.
If your landlord has been told about a repair problem and has failed to deal with it within a reasonable time, you may be able to bring a housing disrepair claim.
Havard Law helps tenants take practical steps to resolve serious repair problems. That may include pushing the landlord to complete the necessary works, seeking compensation where appropriate, and helping you understand what evidence is needed to support your claim.
What is housing disrepair?
Housing disrepair is where a rented property has fallen into poor condition because the landlord has not carried out repairs they are responsible for.
This can include problems with the structure of the property, the roof, walls, windows, doors, heating, hot water, plumbing, drainage, electrics, sanitation or communal areas. It may also include damp and mould where this has been caused by an issue the landlord should have repaired, such as leaks, defective brickwork, poor insulation, broken guttering or inadequate ventilation systems.
Not every repair issue will lead to a claim. In most cases, the landlord must have been told about the problem and given a reasonable opportunity to put it right. If the problem has been ignored, delayed, temporarily patched up or allowed to keep returning, legal action may be possible.
When might you need help?
Many tenants contact us after they have already complained several times and feel they are getting nowhere. Sometimes a landlord or housing association sends contractors out repeatedly, but the underlying problem is never properly investigated. In other cases, tenants are passed between departments, blamed for the issue, or left living in conditions that are unsafe or unhealthy.
Housing disrepair claims may involve problems such as damp and mould, leaking roofs or pipes, blocked drains, sewage leaks, broken heating or hot water, faulty electrics, damaged flooring, rotten windows and doors, pest infestations caused by defects, unsafe stairs, or damage to communal areas.
These issues can be particularly serious where children, elderly residents, disabled tenants or people with health conditions are affected. Poor housing conditions can also lead to damaged furniture, ruined carpets, higher heating costs, stress, inconvenience and loss of use of parts of the home.
What can a housing disrepair claim achieve?
The aim of a housing disrepair claim is usually practical. The first priority is often to get the landlord to take the problem seriously and complete the repairs properly.
Depending on the circumstances, a claim may also include compensation. This could relate to inconvenience, distress, damage to personal belongings, extra costs caused by the disrepair, health problems linked to the condition of the property, or the loss of use of part of the home.
The value of a claim will depend on the seriousness of the disrepair, how long the problem has continued, how it has affected you and what evidence is available.
How Havard Law can help
Havard Law can review your situation and explain whether you may have a claim. We can advise on the evidence you need, contact the landlord or housing association on your behalf, arrange expert evidence where appropriate, and pursue repairs and compensation where there are grounds to do so.
We understand that many tenants feel ignored or overwhelmed by the time they seek legal advice. Our role is to make the process clearer, help you understand your options and take practical steps to move the matter forward.
Where a housing issue overlaps with another legal problem, we can also consider the wider picture. This may include concerns about unlawful eviction, landlord harassment, possession proceedings, deposit disputes, personal injury linked to poor housing conditions, or damage to belongings caused by leaks, damp or structural problems.
Case study: drainage failure and property damage
Havard Law acted for a social housing tenant who had experienced a serious and ongoing drainage problem at their home.
The issue began with a repeatedly blocked toilet, which was reported to the housing association several times. Contractors attended on multiple occasions, but each visit only cleared the immediate blockage. The root cause of the problem was not properly investigated.
The situation eventually escalated. Sewage and water overflowed into the property, damaging flooring, carpets and other areas of the home. The client also suffered health consequences, including a worsening of a pre-existing respiratory condition.
The case involved several challenges. The appointed contractor initially disputed liability and suggested the blockage had been caused deliberately. This was challenged and was ultimately rejected by the housing association. It was later discovered that a significant blockage in a neighbouring property’s drainage system had contributed to the problem.
The housing association had also made a partial offer to the client before the legal process was fully under way. This needed careful handling to ensure it did not prevent the client from continuing with the legal claim.
Havard Law assisted the client by taking full instructions, reviewing the housing disrepair issues, advising on a related personal injury claim, gathering evidence and corresponding with the housing association and its insurers. Evidence included photographs, videos, medical records and receipts for damaged items.
The housing association upheld the complaint and acknowledged clear service failings. The root cause of the drainage issue was identified and cleared, further remedial works were agreed, and the client ultimately received compensation.
Evidence that can help your claim
Evidence is important in housing disrepair claims, but you do not need to have everything before asking for advice.
Useful evidence can include photographs or videos of the disrepair, copies of emails or messages sent to the landlord, repair reference numbers, records of phone calls, medical records, receipts for damaged belongings, utility bills showing increased heating costs, and a diary of how the problem has affected daily life.
The most important point is to show what the problem is, when the landlord was told, how they responded, and how the issue has affected you.
Speak to our housing disrepair team
If your rented home is affected by damp, mould, leaks, broken heating, drainage problems, unsafe conditions or other serious repair issues, contact Havard Law to discuss your situation.
Please call 0151 556 1234 or email info@havardlaw.co.uk with details of the problem, including your property address, the type of disrepair, how long it has been ongoing and what has already been reported to your landlord.
A member of the team can review the information and explain the next steps in clear, simple terms.
Housing Disrepair FAQs
To start reviewing a claim, it is helpful to provide your name, contact details, property address, landlord’s name, a description of the repair problems, when the issues started, when and how the landlord was told, and any photographs or videos you have.
You should also mention whether anyone’s health has been affected, whether belongings have been damaged, whether you have had extra costs, and whether the landlord or housing association has already offered any compensation. Do not worry if you do not have everything. Havard Law can explain what evidence may be needed and what steps can be taken next.
Tenants have legal rights and should not be treated unfairly for reporting genuine repair problems. If a landlord threatens eviction, refuses to carry out repairs, harasses you or behaves improperly after you complain, this may raise additional legal issues.
Many tenants worry about complaining because they do not want to make the situation worse. Speaking to a solicitor can help you understand your rights, the risks and the best way to approach the matter.
Landlords sometimes argue that the tenant caused or contributed to the disrepair. This does not automatically mean you do not have a claim. The issue will depend on the evidence.
Photographs, inspection reports, repair records, contractor notes, communication history and expert evidence can all help establish what caused the problem. If a landlord is unfairly blaming you or refusing to investigate properly, it is worth getting advice before accepting their position.
Compensation may be available where a landlord has failed to carry out repairs within a reasonable time and you have suffered as a result. This could include compensation for inconvenience, distress, loss of use of part of your home, damage to belongings, extra expenses or health problems linked to the condition of the property.
For example, tenants may be able to claim where carpets, furniture, clothing or personal items have been damaged by leaks, damp, mould or sewage. Medical evidence may also be relevant where poor housing conditions have affected your health.
This depends on the seriousness of the problem. Urgent issues, such as no heating, no hot water, serious leaks, sewage problems or dangerous electrics, should usually be dealt with quickly. Less urgent repairs may reasonably take longer, but tenants should not be left for weeks or months in poor conditions without a proper response.
The key question is whether the landlord acted within a reasonable time after being made aware of the issue. If the same problem keeps returning, or contractors attend without fixing the root cause, that may also support a claim.
In many cases, yes. A landlord will usually need to have been told about the problem and given a reasonable opportunity to fix it. If you have reported the issue several times and the landlord has ignored it, delayed repairs, carried out temporary repairs that have not worked, or failed to investigate the cause properly, you may be able to bring a claim.
Evidence of reporting the issue is helpful. This might include emails, letters, text messages, online repair reports, repair reference numbers or notes of phone calls. Even if you do not have a complete record, it may still be worth asking for advice.
Housing disrepair usually means that a rented property has fallen into poor condition because the landlord has failed to carry out repairs they are responsible for. This can include issues with the roof, walls, windows, doors, heating, hot water, plumbing, drainage, electrics, sanitation, flooring, stairs or communal areas.
It can also include damp and mould where the cause is linked to something the landlord should have repaired, such as a leak, defective brickwork, broken guttering, poor insulation or inadequate ventilation systems. Each case depends on the facts, so it is important to look at the condition of the property, what the landlord knew and how long the problem has been allowed to continue.
