Housing Disrepair Claims are there to protect you if your house is suffering from damages. These damages are the responsibility of your landlord to fix. After all, it is their council house or property from the housing association. As you are the renter, you have the right to live in your property without there being any disrepairs that could interrupt your general routine or cause damage to you or your belongings. Now that the world has started to open up after the lockdown, your landlord has a responsibility to ensure that your home is good condition. That way you are not put in a dangerous situation that could affect the health of you and any other residents in the building.
It is essential that your landlord understands their responsibilities towards you as their tenant. They have a “duty of care” towards you to ensure that their property does not injure you and remains in a good condition. That way you can feel comfortable and happy in your home. If you feel as if your landlord is guilty of negligence, and ultimately is ignoring the disrepairs in your home, it may be time to make a Housing Disrepair Claim. You can do this by getting in contact with Gowing Law Solicitors by calling 0800 041 8350 or by visiting our Housing Disrepair Claims website below:
What is my landlord responsible for in my house?
When you live in any type of council house or property from the housing association, it’s important to understand that your landlord is responsible for the majority of it. After all, you do not own the property yourself. Instead, you need to understand that your landlord has the contract to your home. That means that they need to adhere to a “duty of care” to ensure its upkeep. You cannot live in a house that is full of disrepairs. This would mean that your landlord is acting negligent. Take a look at the list below to get a better idea of what your landlord could be responsible for inside and outside of your property:
As you can see, your landlord is responsible for a wide range of items both inside and outside of your property. This includes any furniture that is located in the garden, on a balcony or inside the rooms of the house. Keep in mind that you can only make a housing disrepair claim for this type of property if you still live inside the council home. This is due to the fact that you and your landlord are under contract. Your landlord is still bound to help you if there are any type of housing disrepairs that appear in your home. If they refuse to help, or worse ask you to pay for the disrepairs yourself, then this could prove their negligence. This is when you need to start looking into Housing Disrepair Claims.
How could my landlord act negligently?
When you move into any type of council house or property from the housing association, it’s important that it is in a good habitable condition when you move in. If you notice anything that is in need of repair or maintenance, you need to inform your landlord as quickly as possible. This should be through electronic correspondence/phone calls as well as through a written correspondence. Your landlord should be allowed some time to get the repairs assessed and sorted. Keep in mind that this may entail them visiting your home to check out the damages and assess whether or not they need an engineer to fix them. During this time you may need to inform them about any type of damage to your belongings. That way they can be replaced quickly.
Unfortunately, there are times when your landlord may not act in your best interest. Instead of focusing on repairing the damages in your home they may act negligently, and not address your concerns. Landlords may try to fix the damage by the cheapest means possible, and on some occasions this can result in shoddy work that can make problems worse. This could also put you at risk of a personal injury. Worse still, your landlord may try to demand that you pay for the repairs. All of these possibilities are examples of negligence. If you experience any of them, it is time to consider a housing disrepair claim.
Could I be eligible for a Housing Disrepair Claim?
If your landlord has failed to help you in relation to your disrepairs, it’s time to make a Housing Disrepair Claim. The purpose of a housing disrepair claim is to push your landlord into making the necessary repairs, as well as to have them pay compensation for any injuries or damages that have been inflicted upon you or your belongings. There are three categories of damages that your claim could fall into. These include:
It’s important to keep in mind that you could fall into more than one of these categories when it comes to your disrepair. For instance, let’s say that you ended up having a mould problem. The mould could make it impossible for you to visit a certain area of the house, as well as destroy any clothes you keep near it. If you suffer from breathing difficulties, the mould could make them worse. As you can see, this covers all three categories of disrepair. If you think you suffer from different types of housing disrepairs, let your solicitor know as quickly as possible. They can advise you on how you can move forward with your claim, as well as the amount you could be owed from your compensation.
What happens when I start any type of housing disrepair claims?
If you have decided to undertake a Housing Disrepair Claim, the first thing you should do is contact an experienced team of solicitors. Gowing Law Solicitors have specialists who can provide you advice on how to move forward with your claim. The first thing your solicitor will do will ask you about your housing disrepairs in general. This includes how long your landlord has left them for and what actions you have already tried to take. They will also want more details about the property and will then contact a triage assessor to have a look at the damages and make a report. They will provide you with a helpful leaflet to disclose as much information as possible about making a housing disrepair. It will include this helpful chart about what you should expect in the upcoming weeks:
You can ask your solicitor any questions that you may have about your claim. This includes an estimate of how much compensation you could be owed and how long the claim may take. Your solicitor will be working with your landlord on a settlement agreement. That way you can have your compensation and repairs sorted at the same time.
Speak to Gowing Law Solicitors about Housing Disrepair Claims
Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we endeavour to help our clients all over the UK to get the repairs needed to live comfortably in their homes. We also want to get them the compensation that they deserve for living so long with so many disrepairs. We can do the same for you! Our specialists can offer you personalized consultations and advice to get you started. If you are happy to work with our team, we can offer you 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 our solicitors if they win your case for you. Therefore, no matter what the outcome, you will always come out on top!
Contact our law firm today! That way you can get started on your Housing Disrepair Claim. Call 0800 0414 8350, email info@gowinglaw.co.uk or visit our claims checker or LiveChat for quick help!
Learn more about Housing Disrepair Claims
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