Have you experienced external damage in your rented property and your landlord has not repaired it? If so, you could be entitled to housing disrepair compensation. Contact Legal HD – the housing disrepair solicitors – to start a housing disrepair claim today.

What does external damage mean?

When you sign a tenancy agreement your landlord has a duty to provide a safe and comfortable home, this involves all the internal features of the accommodation, but also some external features. External problems that occur can contribute to internal problems, plus there are some external problems that can contribute to you feeling unsafe or uncomfortable in the property, such as if this compromises security, for example.

External problems that you can claim housing disrepair compensation for include:

• Damage to external walls and brickwork
• Damage to the front door
• Damage to paths and driveways
• Damage to fences and gates
• Damage to guttering and downpipes

All of these issues can compromise your safety or can lead to internal problems that are uncomfortable to live with, so if you have reported one or more of these issues and they have not been resolved by your landlord, contact Legal HD and start a housing disrepair claim today.

Am I eligible to make a claim?

There are certain conditions which need to apply before you can be certain you are eligible to make a housing disrepair claim. Our housing disrepair solicitors will help you with this, but if ALL of the following apply to you, then you are eligible to make a claim:

• You are renting your accommodation through a housing association, social housing or a local authority. You cannot make a claim if you are renting through a private landlord.
• You have reported a problem directly to the landlord that they are responsible for.
• You have given the landlord a reasonable period of time to get the repair done.
• The repair has not been completed and you are still living with it.

If ALL of these apply to you, contact Legal HD to start a claim today.

What can I claim for?

External damage may not be immediately apparent, and it can take some time before it starts to directly affect you. But by then the repair required can be quite significant. You can claim for:

• Any costs you have incurred in either repairing the issue yourself or having to live with it.
• Any damage the issue has directly caused to your personal belongings.
• Any health issues suffered by you or your family directly related to the unresolved issue.
• Pain, suffering or stress of living with the unresolved issue.

We can work with you to seek a compensation figure to cover these factors, so get in touch today.

How do I make a housing disrepair claim?

You can make a housing disrepair claim here. Once we have your basic details we will contact you to discuss your individual case. You will need to provide evidence of the problem and when you reported it, so take photos of the issue and keep dates of when you first contacted the landlord. You should also continue to keep this evidence to show how the problem deteriorates and how it affects you. We will consider your case and establish if you have grounds for a claim. We operate on a no-win-no-fee basis, so there is no risk to you. If we think you have a good chance of winning we will progress your claim and work to secure the compensation you deserve.

Contact Legal HD and start your housing disrepair claim today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does no-win-no-fee mean?

This means that if we take your case on and you win, we will simply take our fee out of your compensation award. This figure will be agreed with you before we start the claim. If you lose the case you will not face any costs.

Can I make a claim if I have caused the disrepair issue?

No. The landlord is responsible for damage that is caused through general wear and tear, they are not liable for damage caused through your negligence or unreasonable behaviour. In this case you will need to bear the costs yourself, although the landlord may agree to arrange for the work to be done for you. All this should be stipulated in your tenancy agreement.

How much compensation will I receive?

This depends on several factors:

• How much rent you pay each month for the accommodation
• How much the issue has deteriorated since you first reported it
• How badly the issue has personally affected you
• How long the issue has remained unresolved since you first reported it

There is no set figure for housing disrepair compensation and the courts will decide a fair figure based on this criteria.