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Now that we are in the Christmas season, you are probably putting up a range of decorations and flashing lights to ensure that your household can get into the Christmas spirit. It’s time to relax and make sure your home is as warm and bright as it can be during winter. After all, there’s a chance that it might start snowing and it’s going to get dark pretty fast. So, make sure you get your decorations in order. If you don’t you may experience housing disrepairs faster than you may want!

Unfortunately, if you are living in a council house or a property from the housing association, there is a possibility that your electrics could be faulty. If you see a bulb explode, a wire fizz or perhaps see an essential cable on the verge of breaking, you will need to speak to your landlord to get the electrical unit replaced. If they fail to do so, and a disrepair occurs, this could be extremely dangerous. This type of disrepair is known as a “hazardous disrepair.”

You don’t deserve to be in a house that could literally go up in flames around Christmas times. Instead, your landlord should be ensuring that your home is completely safe for you and your family to live in. Instead, you should be enjoying a cosy Christmas with your loved ones. Don’t let your house fall into a state of disrepair. It’s time to make a housing disrepair claim with Gowing Law Solicitors. Find out how we can help get your home in order by calling 0800 041 8350 or by using our website below:

Housing Disrepairs Website

What do I need to know about Housing Disrepairs?

When you make a housing disrepair claim, you are doing it because you want to protect your house from disrepairs. Unfortunately, if you live in a council house or a property that is owned by the housing association, it’s likely that it is going to be very old. Most of these properties were constructed within the 1960s or 1980s. Therefore, they may have structural issues or could even hold asbestos in their wall insulation.

That’s why it’s crucial that your landlord has any disrepair fixed as soon as possible. They owe you a duty of care. Therefore, they need to ensure that they have the issues sorted out as quickly as possible. If they fail to sort out your disrepairs, you could be owed compensation for any losses that you have sorted out. Your landlord’s negligence could make your disrepairs worse, depending on how long they have left the disrepairs have been left for. Compensation will also depend on whether or not you have suffered from any personal injuries.

Examples of landlord negligence include:

landlord negligence infographic

If you think that you are suffering from your landlord’s negligence, it’s crucial that you seek help from a law firm as quickly as possible. That way your solicitor can help you claim the compensation that you deserve.

Housing Disrepairs: What sort of broken electrics can appear in my house?

Broken electrics can happen at any time and in any place within your home. They can be extremely dangerous because they can cause fires if they spark in the wrong place. If that happens, the fire could destroy your belongings and hurt people within the building. This could include bulbs blowing on your Christmas tree, on your window or around your house. However, on a normal basis, there may be electrical wires in your walls or ceilings that could blow up. You may also find that electrical devices could have faulty wiring within them. They may also be in contact with water, which could cause a fire, sparks or an electrical shock to whoever is holding the device.

Overall, around 70 people every year die from electrical shocks. This could be from the following faulty devices:

  • Problematic electrical sockets
  • Electrified Light Switches
  • Bulbs
  • Dysfunctional wiring
  • Old electrical objects

If your house is old, you may find that there is more exposed wiring in the walls, ceiling and maybe even in the floor. This means there is more chance that they could spark and make a room inaccessible. It can become even more dangerous if the light bulb that is sparking is in the bathroom. This is due to the fact that it is in contact with water. Always be careful when dealing with electrics. Even a small leak could cause a spark that may turn into a fire.

Fire Safety and Electrics for Housing Disrepairs

Landlord responsibility & Housing Disrepairs: Faulty Electrics

Your landlord is responsible for your safety when it comes to the electrics in your home. This includes all electric wiring and electrical equipment. They need to regularly inspect your home and provide maintenance every 5 years or at the end of a tenancy. If you are worried about the electrics in your home, you can ask your landlord for the following:

Tenants and Housing Disrepairs

Electrical faults can be extremely dangerous, especially if the fault lies in essential equipment or the lighting in your home. If you are worried about them, but don’t want to get started on your housing disrepair claim just yet, you may want contact your local environmental officer. That way they can challenge your landlord if they are refusing to help you. You may even be experiencing faulty electrics due to your landlord’s own repair work to the house. You can report this if you feel worried that it is going to put you and your family’s safety in jeopardy.

Eviction and Housing Disrepairs

What are the dangers of broken electrics in your house?

Broken electrics are classified as extremely hazardous when it comes to different types of housing disrepairs. This is due to the fact that they can cause a range of personal injuries and damages that can have life-threatening consequences. In some cases, if the voltage in an electrical shock is high enough, it could cause a fatal injury.

Some of the most common injuries that you may get from an electric shock include:

  • Fainting
  • Internal organ damage
  • Burns to the body
  • Seizures
  • Heart attacks
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Arrhythmia
  • Muscle injuries and pain
  • Fatal injuries

In addition to these, injuries could be sustained if the broken electrics cause fires in your home. If there are flammable objects around a sparking device, it could set on fire. In turn, this fire could spread and cause damage to you, your family and your property. For some cases, your entire house may end up ablaze. To prevent fires, make sure to keep an eye out for:

  • Ill-fitted or exposed wiring
  • Broken electrical devices
  • Old fuse boxes
  • A lack of a Residual Current Device (RCD)
  • Lack of a fire escape

Bring any concerns up with your landlord as quickly as possible. They have a responsibility to get your property fixed as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of your family. If they fail to do that, and you end up suffering from a personal injury, you could be owed compensation on top of the repairs.

Triage Assessors and Housing Disrepairs

Property Damage & Broken Electrics

When you make any type of housing disrepair claim, your damages are going to place you into at least one of these three categories:

Housing Disrepair Claim Eligibility

Electrical disrepairs can cause severe damages when it comes to your furniture. After all, if an electrical breakage occurs then it could spark and damage the objects around it, especially if they are set on fire. If this is the case, you can claim compensation or have the belongings replaced with second-hand items. Should you notice an electrical disrepair, we would recommend that you move all flammable objects away from it, even if you turn off the electricity. That means there will be less risk when it comes to your family and to any prized possessions that you may have. Of course, some belongings are irreplaceable and may not be able to simply be replaced by a second-hand item. When that happens, you may simply have to accept compensation for the damage to your belongings.

What should I do if my house is suffering from a housing disrepair?

If your house is suffering from a housing disrepair, it’s crucial that you start looking into housing disrepairs as soon as possible. That way you can get your house sorted out as quickly as possible. You and your family don’t deserve to live in a building that could put you in harm’s way. That’s why you should get in touch with a housing disrepair specialist to start your case. We can speak to your landlord on your behalf and ensure that the disrepairs as sorted. This includes filling out any tricky paperwork and organizing your evidence. Your evidence can include photographs, videos, witness statements and receipts.

Your solicitor will sort out the compensation and your triage assessor will sort out the repair work. You should expect the following process to take place:

Housing Disrepairs and Triage Assessors

You could be owed around £20,000 in compensation, however it depends on the extent of your damages and whether you have suffered any additional damages. This includes financial and emotional damages. You may have even experienced a loss of opportunity. The best way to find out how much you could be owed is to speak to your solicitor. They can give you a general estimate and also let you know how your triage assessor is getting along with having your repairs sorted out.

Broken electrics & Housing Disrepair Claims: Gowing Law Solicitors can help

Housing Disrepairs Website

It’s time to get your broken electrics fixed just in time for Christmas. You don’t deserve to live in discomfort during this holiday season. That’s why Gowing Law is determined to get you the compensation that you deserve. Our triage assessors can assist you with the repair work. But our lawyers will be there to assist you with any questions you may have about your claim. You can start off with free advice and consultations to get you started. If you are happy to move forward with our solicitors, we can offer our services on a “no win- no fee” basis. That means you will never have to pay any hidden fees. Instead, you will only need to pay your solicitor if they win your case. Therefore, you will always come out on top.

It’s time to start on your housing disrepair claim with Gowing Law. Find out more about how we can help by calling us on 0800 041 8350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claim checker. You can then ask our specialists any questions that may come to mind.

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Gowing Law is law firm based in Manchester but offer their legal services nationwide. We specialise in the personal injury claims and our team of solicitors have the experience and expertise needed to handle your case and help you through the claims process.

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