Gowing Law Solicitors are Housing Disrepair Claim experts. We endeavour to provide solid advice, consultations and results to all of our clients around the UK. It can be extremely frustrating to live in a council house, rented property or accommodation from the housing association that is full of disrepairs. It is your landlord’s responsibility to have these disrepairs sorted. If they fail to do this then they could be guilty of neglect. That is when you need to start thinking about making a claim with an experienced law firm.
Here at Gowing Law, we are ready to take on your case and make sure that you get your repairs sorted. Our experienced lawyers can speak to your landlord on your behalf and make sure that any tricky paperwork is completely settled. That way you can feel confident that you will get the compensation you deserve from your Housing Disrepair Claim. We want to help you live in comfort and are ready to do so. All you need to do is get in contact by calling 0800 041 8350 or by clicking on our website below:
What is a Housing Disrepair?
When you rent out any type of property from the housing association or a council house, the first thing you need to understand is that the maintenance of the house is the responsibility of your landlord. That means if anything falls into disrepair, they need to be the ones to fix it. Of course, you do have your own responsibilities and you need to play your part in keeping your house in a habitable state. However, your landlord is responsible for the following external and internal items:
As you can see, a landlord’s responsibilities are mainly focused on areas of the house that tend to be prone to damage through time, age, use and wear. For instance, in a house that is from the 1960’s or 1980’s, they may be on the lookout for asbestos. If Asbestos was discovered in the walls, your landlord would need to help you find suitable lodgings whilst the asbestos was removed. That way you would be put out of harm’s way. For another example of Housing Disrepair, take a look at the gif below for a good case study:
What should I do if my house is suffering from disrepairs?
The first thing you should do is try not to panic. Disrepairs happen all the time to rented properties. Go to your landlord and request their assistance. They are required (even during the lockdown) to help you. You should do this through both written correspondence and either a phone call or email. That way you can have proof that you reached out to try and get assistance. Although you do need to give your landlord enough time to get the repairs fixed, you will be able to tell if they are acting negligent towards you and refuse to get the repairs sorted. Acts of negligence include:
- Ignoring your requests for help
- Repairing the damages themselves through the cheapest means possible
- Trying to fix the problem and making it worse
- Demanding that you pay for the disrepairs
If you find that your landlord is failing to co-operate with you, and the disrepairs end up getting worse, you may end up having to start on a Housing Disrepair Claim. Usually, your eligibility will depend on three categories:
Usually, your damages will fall into more than one category. For instance, your house might suffer from mould and damp. If you have breathing issues then you could suffer from a personal injury if they end up getting worse. The mould may have made a certain room completely uninhabitable, inconveniencing you. If the mould has spread to your clothing or belongings that have fabric on them, you may find that you have experienced damages to items in your possession. This is damage to property. Note all of these damages down and try to collect evidence for them. These will be helpful for your solicitor during your case.
How can Gowing Law Solicitors help with a Housing Disrepair Claim?
Now that you have decided to get started with a Housing Disrepair Claim with Gowing Law Solicitors, the first thing that we will do to help is discuss your claim. It’s important that we know all of the details of your housing disrepair claim, including how long the disrepairs have been happening for. The longer they have been left, the more likely it is that they will have become worse over time. This means that there is more chance that you could be owed a larger amount of compensation for your damages. Once the details have been sorted, your solicitor will contact your landlord on your behalf to begin your claim. During this time, they will also contact a triage assessor to look at your damages for themselves. The chart below details the process moving forward:
During this process, your solicitor will be working hard to ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve. They will be negotiating a settlement agreement with your landlord and their insurance company. You may choose to be involved in these negotiations. We will continue to work with you until this happens and your home is habitable again.
How much will I be compensated for my losses?
When you make a Housing Disrepair Claim, the amount of compensation that you receive will depend on the extent of the damages in your home. It will also depend on any personal injuries that you receive from living in the rented property. You could be owed anywhere up to £20,000. We recommend speaking to your solicitor. That way you can understand how much you could be owed and how long it will take to receive your payment.
Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your Housing Disrepair Claim
Now that you are ready to get started on your Housing Disrepair Claim, Gowing Law Solicitors can help you along every step of the way. We offer free advice and consultations to get you started. If you are happy to move forward with your claim, we can work with you on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means you will never have to pay any hidden fees. Instead, you will only have to pay your solicitor if they win your case.
Contact our law firm today by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claim’s checker. You can then let our specialists know if you have any additional questions you may have.
Learn more about making a Housing Disrepair Claim
Every week, Gowing Law’s content team upload new blogs to our website. That way you can learn all about different UK legal claims and how you can move forward with your own claim. We also write about seasonal events, updates about our law firm and the occasional competition/giveaway. If you have a topic that you would like to see covered on our blog, feel free to write into info@gowinglaw.co.uk. You can also follow our social media by clicking on the buttons below.
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