When you make a Housing Disrepair Claim, it is important that you understand you are not just claiming for the damages in the property. You are also claiming for any damages to your own belongings and items that belong to you. This includes personal injuries and inconveniences to your daily routine. Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we understand that you may feel nervous that in the upcoming months, if there is a winter lockdown, your landlord may not be willing to help you sort out the housing disrepairs. Should this happen, our team of experts will be ready to help you claim the compensation and repair work that you deserve.
You should be able to live comfortably in your home as winter weather starts to hit the UK. If you’re worried about the disrepairs in your home, it’s time for you to get in contact with Gowing Law Solicitors. Find out more by calling 0800 041 8350 or by using our website below:
Who is responsible for Housing Disrepairs in my home?
According to the latest English Housing Survey, there are around 76,814 council properties or properties from the housing association that are currently in a state of disrepair. This is due to the fact that they were created in the 1950’s or 1980’s, therefore are in need of an upgrade. Even though you live in the property, your main responsibility is to keep it clean, tidy and in a liveable state. If anything breaks down, your landlord needs to be the one who pays for the repair work. This includes essential equipment, external structures and any furniture that they own in the flat. These may include:
Of course, these are only a few examples of the types of problems that could appear in your home. What truly matters though is that your solicitor should be there to assess the damages and offer repair work if need be. When you notice the damages, you should alert your landlord by phone or email as well as a physical letter. This letter will serve as evidence that you did your best to alert your landlord to the disrepairs. When you have alerted your landlord, they should come over to your house to assess the damages for themselves. This is the moment that they will decide whether or not the damage requires them to intervene. They will then organize a repair worker to come to your home.
Just in case you did not want to read that, here is the process in a more visual format:
Landlord Negligence & Housing Disrepair Claims
Unfortunately, whilst the repair process may seem rather simple in theory, in some cases your landlord may ultimately refuse to help. This is through no fault of your own. Instead, they may simply decide that they do not think they should help you, or that the responsibility falls onto their tenant. Honestly, that is never the case. When you enter into a contract with your landlord, they are responsible for your safety in the property. This is known as a duty of care. It means they have to ensure that the property is safe enough to be habited by you and your family. If you get hurt due to the disrepairs in your home, they could be held liable for the damages. That’s why if they do act negligently, it is time for you to make a housing disrepair claim.
Some examples of landlord negligence can include:
- Ignoring your requests for help
- Becoming aggressive when you bring up the disrepairs
- Making the disrepairs worse
- Telling you to fix the repairs yourself
- Asking you to pay for the repairs in your home
Your solicitor can help you if your landlord has refused to deal with the disrepairs in your home. It is their responsibility to ensure that you live in a safe environment. If they fail to adhere to this, it’s time to get started on your housing disrepair claim.
What should I do if my property has been damaged by my housing disrepair?
If your house has fallen into a state of disrepair, it’s important that it is sorted by your landlord as quickly as possible. Should they fail to help you, it is very likely that you will suffer from a personal injury or an inconvenience to your life. However, there is also a high chance that your personal property could suffer from damages. This includes clothing, furniture and decorations. You could be eligible for compensation if your claim falls into one of the aforementioned categories. The definition of these categories are as follows:
As you can see, damage to your belongings is a way to make you eligible for compensation. The most likely reasons for the damage to your belongings include:
- Wet
- Mould and damp
- Staining
- Falling objects
- Weather damage
- Vandalism/Theft
There are other ways that the property in your home could be damaged. The disrepairs could cause financial and emotional damages, especially if it is crucial for the belongings to be replaced. You need to inform your solicitor about the damages to your belongings. That way it can be added to the amount of compensation that you could be owed.
Will my landlord replace my belongings?
If it is proven that your landlord is responsible for negligence, and need to pay for the damages in your home, they could be eligible to also replace any damaged belongings. You will need to prove that they were damaged by the housing disrepairs. Your landlord will then need to have the belongings replaced. These replacements will be second-hand, however you can chose where they can buy them from and the price of the object in question. Your solicitor will be able to help you do this. Even if the money is sent to you to have the object replaced, their advice is invaluable and will make sure you know exactly what you are doing.
How long will it take to make a Housing Disrepair Claim for Damaged Property?
The amount of time needed to take on any claim will change depending on how complicated the claim is. You cannot claim for damaged property without there being a problem in the house that actually caused it. So, keep in mind that you may need time to establish the initial claim before you move on to claiming special damages. Damaged property will fall into this. You will need to take time to find out what objects have been destroyed in your home and where you can find replacements. You will then need to send the list of belongings to your solicitor and let them know where the items can be found. It is also important that you count for the time that may be needed for your landlord to order the replacements.
Be patient with your solicitor and landlord. Every housing disrepair claim is different. Your solicitor will do their best to ensure that you are kept updated about where they are in the claim. That way you can be involved and know exactly what is going on. Therefore, your solicitor can let you know if there are any potential delays or problems that could make your case more complicated. Speak to your solicitor ensure that you have a clear timeline about your case.
How much could I receive as compensation from a Housing Disrepair Claim?
When you make a Housing Disrepair Claim, the compensation will come from any damages that you have experienced. This includes any personal injuries that you have suffered from. In our experience, you could be owed up to £20,000 as a rebate. When it comes to your damaged belongings, you will not receive compensation for them. Instead, you will receive replacements that will be bought by your landlord. These will be second-hand replacements and you must provide links to the appropriate shops. Your landlord will then buy the new belongings and you will have them sent to you.
What should I expect after I have made a Housing Disrepair Claim?
When you get started on your housing disrepair claim, you should speak to your solicitor about your damages. They will give you advice on whether or not you should move forward with the case. If you are happy to move forward then your solicitor will organize a triage assessor to come to your home to look at the damages. They will also let your landlord know about the damages. That way they can organize their own assessor to come and take a look at the problems in your home.
The following process will then take place:
If you have any questions about the process, you can speak to your solicitor. They will be handling your compensation as the triage assessor sorts out the repairs. Therefore, your lawyer will be able to assist you and provide you advice on how you can move forward with your claim.
How can Gowing Law Solicitors help with your Housing Disrepair Claim?
Gowing Law Solicitors are ready to help you with your claim! We understand that it can be a bit daunting to take on a case on your own, especially if you have to speak to your landlord about the damages in your property. You may feel intimidated or worried that you may be evicted if you “make a fuss.” But we can assure you that this is certainly not the case. Your landlord cannot evict you for just making a housing disrepair claim. Gowing Law’s team of specialists can help you with your claim by:
- Handling any paperwork
- Speaking to your landlord on your behalf
- Organizing a triage assessor to come to your house
- Avoiding any simple mistakes that could invalidate your claim
- Providing you free advice and consultations
- Organizing your evidence
No matter how complicated your claim is, your solicitor will be there to support you. They can help you understand how the damages have affected your life and what you could be owed as compensation. This includes any additional pay-outs that could come from special damages, such as emotional and financial damages and loss of opportunity. Speak to your solicitor today to ask for advice on how they can move forward with your claim.
Start on your Housing Disrepair Claim with Gowing Law Solicitors
When you make a Housing Disrepair Claim for the damages in your home, as well as the damage to your belongings, you deserve to be compensated for everything you have experienced. This includes any emotional damages. Gowing Law can help you get started on your claim. We can provide you free advice and consultations to get you started. If you are happy to move forward with your housing disrepair claim, we can offer our services on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means you will never need to pay any hidden fees. Instead, you will only need to pay your solicitor if they win your case for you. That means you will always come out on top, no matter what the outcome is.
Find out more by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claim’s checker. Our team of specialists will then be in contact to answer any additional questions you may have.
Learn more about making a Housing Disrepair Claim
Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we are determined to keep our clients updated about the most recent facts about UK law. Therefore, we understand that it can be a daunting process to undertake a claim on your own. That’s why if you want to learn the basics of any claim, we would highly recommend that you keep a close eye on our blog. We update it every week with brand new content about different types of claims, seasonal events, and information about our law firm and the occasional competition/giveaway. Feel free to suggest blog topics by sending them over to info@gowinglaw.co.uk. You can also sign up to our newsletter by clicking the button below:
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We look forward to seeing you in our next article!
Of course, these are only a few of the types of injuries you could experience. If you have been hurt due to a work accident, speak to your solicitor as quickly as possible. They can help you have the damages assessed by a medical specialist and will let you know a rough estimate about how much you could be owed in compensation. Therefore, the worse your damages, the higher your compensation pay-out is more likely to be.
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