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As Christmas is just around the corner, you may have a lot of pressure on you to get this holiday right for you and your family. You may be worried about Covid-19 or that you will not be able to see your family this season. That’s why the last thing you need on your mind is the knowledge that your home is suffering from housing disrepairs. Criminal activities can occur that can leave your house in a serious state of disrepair. This includes vandalism that could destroy the exterior or interior of your home. It was not your fault that this happened to you. Instead, it may be due to your landlord because they did not have adequate security on your house. That’s why it may be time to make a Housing Disrepair Claim.

Gowing Law Solicitors can get started on your housing disrepair claim. Our specialists will make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve. We will also send over a triage assessor to make sure that the repairs are sorted as quickly as possible. Get in contact with Gowing Law Solicitors today by calling 0800 041 8350 or by visiting our website below:

Housing Disrepairs Website

What do I need to know about Housing Disrepairs?

When you make a housing disrepair claim, it’s important to understand that it is there to protect you against damages inside your council home or property from the housing association. Your landlord is responsible for the upkeep of your house. This includes the interior, exterior, balconies, garages and garden. Unfortunately, a lot of council properties are very old, therefore they may be suffering from damages that make them vulnerable to mould, damp, security and fire risks. This is due to the fact that many were built in the 1960’s or 1980’s.

Your landlord needs to take any complaints that you have about your housing disrepair seriously. When you entered your house, you went into a contract with your landlord. Therefore, they owe you a “duty of care.” If they fail to acknowledge your complaint, or do anything to make it worse, they could be guilty of negligence. This is when they could be liable for any damages that you have experienced.

Examples of negligence can include:

Landlord Negligence and Housing Disrepairs

You should give your landlord at least one month’s notice before you put in your complaint. That way you can prove that you did everything you could to try and get the housing disrepairs sorted yourself. This includes writing letters to your landlord and taking photographs and videos as evidence. You may also want to have people come in to look at the disrepairs so you can collect witness statements.

Housing Disrepairs & Compensation

Housing Disrepairs & Criminal Activity

In most cases, the disrepairs in your home are most likely to be caused by the age of the house itself. It was not your fault that the house fell into a state of disrepair. Sometimes, the disrepairs can be caused by other people in your neighbourhood. This includes through criminal activity due to inadequate security around your house. Your landlord should be providing security in your home through:

  • Working locks and bolts
  • Secure windows and entrances
  • CCTV
  • Security staff
  • Working alarm system

Of course, every building is going to have different levels of security. For a flat, they may opt for a reception with a security guard, however for houses, you may just have a security camera. Check around your house to try out the locks and bolts to make sure you feel safe. You may need to have certain security features replaced or reinstalled. If you do feel unsafe in your house, you may have to end up taking your own precautions or investing in security, otherwise you may end up experiencing the following criminal incidents:

Criminal Injuries and Housing Disrepairs

If you have a home invasion, you may find that the criminal ends up damaging your home in the process. Not only can this be traumatic for you, but you may find that there are a number of housing damages because of the burglary or act of vandalism. You need to speak to your landlord if you do end up experiencing housing disrepairs due to a criminal action as soon as possible. That way you can ask for help and potentially be moved to different accommodation to ensure your safety.

Housing Disrepairs: What should I do if I experienced vandalism or criminal activity?

The first thing you need to do if your home has been invaded is not to panic. Don’t explore the house and don’t go looking around for a criminal. Instead, get yourself to safety. You should then phone the police to go look around your house and to assess what has happened. When they have deemed it safe, you can go in to the house to look at the damages. However, we would recommend that you look for alternative accommodation until it has been deemed safe to return.

You should let your landlord know about the criminal activity as soon as possible. Although this not their fault, you do need to alert your landlord about what has been destroyed. You should speak to CIRCA if you have experienced any personal injuries or damages to your belongings. You might be able to claim compensation even if you do not know who was responsible to the damages to your house.

House invasion and housing disrepairs

What could I make a compensation for with a Housing Disrepair Claim?

If your house has been damaged due to vandalism, it’s important that you speak to your solicitor as quickly as possible. They are responsible for your safety. In some cases, they may be responsible for any damages you have experienced because they did not install the right security for your house. Therefore, your damages were due to their negligence. In this case, your compensation may come from CIRCA rather than the landlord. This is due to the fact that they are not responsible for criminal injuries. However, for any damages to your home or personal injuries that you suffer, your landlord should be trying to get them fixed as quickly as possible. You could be eligible for a housing disrepair claim, if your claim falls into one of these categories:

Housing Disrepairs Infographic

Vandalism claims can get complicated, however you can ask for your landlord to step up to get any issues sorted out within your home. Even if you do not know who was responsible for any stolen property or damages to the interior and exterior of your home, your landlord should work to get them fixed. This includes any cleaning services that you need to get your house back up to scratch. If your landlord refuses to help, Gowing Law can help. We can have our solicitors work on your claim, and we can send over a triage assessor to look at your damages for themselves. We will make sure that you get your repairs sorted and your compensation safely in your pocket.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help with your Housing Disrepair Claim!

Housing Disrepairs Website

Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we are determined to help you get the compensation and repairs that you need to move forward with your life. You deserve to have a comfortable Christmas. That’s why we are here to help. We can offer you free advice and consultations to get you started. If you are happy to move forward with your claim, we can offer you our support on a “no win – no fee” basis. That means you will always come out on top because you will never have to pay any hidden fees. Therefore, you will always come out on top.

Make sure to get in touch with our team of specialists today by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claims checker. You can then ask our solicitors any questions you may have about your claim.

Learn more about Housing Disrepair Claims

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Are you interested in learning more about housing disrepair claims? Don’t forget that Gowing Law is here to help you understand more about different types of legal cases. We understand that you may not know a lot about housing disrepair claims. That’s why you should keep an eye on our blog to learn more about different legal cases. We update it regularly with new content about our law firm, seasonal events and our competitions/giveaways. Make sure to send us a message if you would like to see a certain topic uploaded to our blog. You can also sign up to our newsletter below:


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Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in our next blog.

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