Are you a tenant living in poor conditions?

Housing disrepair typically means a rented home or any other type of rented accommodation that is in need of repairs in order for it to qualify as safe and suitable for renters to live.

If you are renting a property that requires repair, you could seek compensation for the inconvenience, discomfort, and suffering. After all, landlords are required by law to ensure that the property they rent out to tenants is structurally in a good state of repair, these requirements include:

• The property meets necessary fire safety regulations.
• Keep in repair and maintain gas, electricity, water, and sanitation installations.
• Handle mould and damp problems.
• Keep in repair the roof and plasterwork.
• Maintain the structure and exterior of rental property, including external pipes and drains.
• Provide efficient security.
• Fix defective central heating and wiring.

It is your legal right to live without constant leaks, damp, rotting windows, a broken boiler, a rodent or cockroach infestation.

If you’ve reported any of these problems to your landlord, and they have not been fixed in a timely manner, you may be eligible to claim compensation.

Your landlord is legally responsible for maintaining your property to an acceptable standard, which includes:

• Carrying out repairs.
• Replacing broken or faulty appliances.
• Ensuring the boiler is working and meets all health and safety regulations.
• Repairing any gas or water leaks.
• Ensuring that your home is free of mould or damp.

Failure to meet these legal obligations means that your landlord is in breach of his or her repairing duties which can put you and other tenants at risk in any number of ways including:

• Asthma and other respiratory conditions caused by damp and mould.
• Injuries such as cuts, bruises and fractures caused by falling due to poorly maintained floors and walls.
• Fatalities due to gas leaks and electrical issues.

It is imperative that if you or a loved one has suffered any health problems due to a poorly maintained property that you take legal immediate advice. We take issues such as this extremely seriously and will not let you down in your pursuit for justice and compensation.