Housing disrepair compensation claims allow you to get financial compensation if you lived in rented accommodation or under someone else’s property and suffered mental or physical consequences from disrepair. In these cases, disrepair is considered to be when the property deteriorates as a direct result of your landlord’s failure to act quickly to make the necessary repairs after they have been notified of the fault.
Common causes of disrepair that people submit a housing disrepair claim for include things such as mold, pests and infestations, faulty sewage systems, and broken installations providing water, heating, electricity or gas.
TechRound has proudly partnered with Claims Bible to help those who have experienced negative physical or mental effects as a result of the deterioration in their rented property. We work on a no win, no fee basis, helping you to secure the compensation you deserve,
Check Your Eligibility for a Housing Disrepair Compensation Claim
What is a Housing Disrepair Claim?
A housing disrepair claim is a claim made by a tenant to their landlord on the grounds of deterioration of the property.
Landlords have a lawful duty to maintain the structure and the exterior of the dwelling-house – including drains, external pipes, and gutters – and also to keep in repair installations for gas, heating, water, sanitation and electricity. Where these structures and installations have not been maintained to a proper standard, it can cause a property to deteriorate – or fall into ‘disrepair’.
Disrepair is considered to be the deteriorating condition of your rented property over time as a direct result of repairs not being carried out properly and promptly by your landlord. Any tenant that continues to pay rent has a right to live in a property that is both clean and safe. This means that the property should be free from pests and dampness, and have access to working water, heating and sewage systems.
Am I Eligible for a Housing Disrepair Claim?
If you live in a private rented accommodation, or a rented council house or housing association property that has not been properly maintained to a safe standard by your landlord, you may be eligible for a housing disrepair claim.
If you have a fixed term private or housing association tenancy that started before 20 March 2019, you will only be covered if you sign a new agreement, or if you stay on as a tenant when the fixed term expires. If you have an introductory council tenancy agreement which started before 20 March 2019, it is not covered. However, in this case, it can be covered once it becomes a secure tenancy .
By law, you are entitled to live in a safe space. If you have been struggling to get your landlord to rectify issues that you have reported which make your property unsafe, filing for a housing disrepair claim could win you compensation, as well as force your landlord to complete the requested work to your property to make it safe.
People may also make a housing disrepair claim if living in an unsafe property has had a detrimental impact on their physical or mental health. It’s well known that stress can cause a multitude of problems including, but not limited to: anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and depression. If the property where you live and your landlord’s failure to keep it from deteriorating has caused you excessive stress, to have to have time off work, personal injury, or medical expenses, you could win compensation for a housing disrepair claim.
How To Apply for a Housing Disrepair Claim?
Applying for a housing disrepair compensation claim is straightforward. In order to apply for housing disrepair, you need to:
Step 1 – Identify the Type of Repair
It’s important to identify straight away what type of repair your property needs. Minor repairs such as broken light-bulbs and soiled furniture will be the tenant’s responsibility to handle, whereas major repairs such as fixing broken pipes will be the landlord’s responsibility.
Step 2 – Collect Evidence of Disrepair
In order to make a claim about housing disrepair, you need proof of disrepair. When you do contact your landlord, include photographs of the disrepair. If you have had to replace damaged items yourself that your landlord has failed to, keep copies of the receipts.
Step 3 – Contact Your Landlord
If you want to get compensation for your housing disrepair claim, you need to have highlighted the problem to your landlord, as they are only responsible for fixing the issue when they are made aware of it. It’s always a good idea to make these complaints to your landlord or estate agent in writing, either by email or text, as this leaves a paper trail indicating that you have notified your landlord, and they have failed to act.
Step 4 – Contact Environmental Health if Needed
If disrepair is causing you ill health and is a result of things such as mold, mice infestations or gas leaks, you should notify Environmental Health, as these are urgent.
Step 5 – Apply for a Housing Disrepair Compensation Claim with TechRound
Once you’ve notified your landlord of the problem and collected the evidence, if they fail to rectify the deterioration in your property, you should apply for compensation. Not only can TechRound help you win compensation, we can help get your landlord to complete the work.
What Properties Can You Get Housing Disrepair Compensation From?
You can apply to claim for housing disrepair compensation for any type of rented accommodation. This includes private housing, council properties, and housing association properties. Included in this is any type of property that is rented, including but not limited to: flats, houses, student accommodation, and maisonettes.
How Long Does a Housing Disrepair Claim Take?
You can complete the housing disrepair claim application form in a matter of minutes. We always recommend having all your information and evidence to hand, to make the process easier and faster.
Once we have received your application form, we’ll get to work right away. It’s important to note that the duration of housing disrepair claims can vary. The average amount of time a claim takes is 9-12 months, however, for more complex claims, this can increase to 12-18 months.
What Information Do I Need to Make a Housing Disrepair Compensation Claim?
In order to make a housing disrepair compensation claim, you will need to have several things:
- A timeline of the disrepair, including dates when you first noticed the issue, and when you first notified your landlord of the problem.
- Evidence of disrepair, usually in the form of photographs.
- A paper trail showing that you have notified your landlord of the issue, meaning they were aware of it and should have acted quickly.
Why Use TechRound to Make a Housing Disrepair Claim?
TechRound has proudly partnered with Claims Bible to help secure the housing disrepair compensation you deserve. We operate on a no win, no fee basis, so it’s in our best interests as well as yours for us to win your claim and get you a refund.
Some FAQs About Housing Disrepair Claims
Here, we’ve answered some of our most frequently asked questions about housing disrepair compensation claims.
It was 5 years ago, does it matter?
Even if the disrepair was five years ago, you can still use TechRound to make a housing disrepair claim. You have six years from the date that the disrepair was first notified to your landlord to make a compensation claim.
How much could I get?
Typical housing disrepair claims are on average £1,200. However, it is important to note that the amount you receive in compensation will reflect the severity of the disrepair: particularly long and severe cases of disrepair will likely be higher than this figure.
Do you charge fees?
We operate on a no win, no fee basis when fighting for a housing disrepair refund for you. However, we do take a small commission to boost your chances of success via a law firm.
