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As the victim of a Housing Disrepair, your first instinct should be to try and get it fixed. You don’t want to live in a home that is full of problems. By living in a house that is full of disrepairs, it is undoubtedly going to affect your quality of life sooner or later. Worse still, during the lockdown you may have found that some of the rooms in your property were simply uninhabitable. That meant you could not go into the room or else it could cause a personal injury or destroy some of your property. You didn’t deserve to live like this. That’s why it’s crucial that you ask for repairs to be made as quickly as possible. If your landlord refuses to help you, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim.

Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we understand that making a compensation claim on your own can be a daunting prospect. That’s why our solicitors are determined to get you the pay-out that you deserve. Don’t leave your claim or repairs till the last minute. Get them sorted now by calling 0800 041 8350 or by visiting our website below:

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What do I need to know about Housing Disrepairs?

Unfortunately, if you live in a council house or property from the housing association, it’s likely that it’s going to be very old and built either in the 1950’s or 1980’s. That means it’s more likely to be suffering from disrepairs or from asbestos, mould and damp. You will be renting your landlord. Now, your landlord is responsible for your safety whilst you live in the house. This is known as a “duty of care.” If something ends up breaking, then it is their job to fix it. Take a look at the list below to get a better idea of the things in your home that your landlord is responsible for:

Landlord responsibilities for housing disrepair

As you can see, all of the things listed will already be in the house or will be a service linked to it, such as security. However, if there is furniture inside your apartment, keep in mind that if any of those fall into disrepair, it will be up to the landlord to have them removed and potentially replaced, especially if they are essential objects like a fridge or a cooker. Your landlord is ultimately responsible for making sure that your house remains in a habitable state. If it does fall into disrepair, they will need to organize the appropriate repair person or engineer come in and assess the damage. If they refuse to help or acknowledge the issues.

Housing Disrepair Claim landlord responsibility

What should I do if I have a Housing Disrepair?

If your home is suffering from a housing disrepair, the first thing you should do is speak to your landlord about the issues. Your landlord should be the first person that you inform as they have the power to fix it. Informing your landlord will also be crucial to your housing disrepair claim if you do end up being forced to make one in the future. Make sure to let your landlord know about the disrepair in both writing and through an email correspondence. That way you can ensure that you have proof that you did your best to inform them about the disrepair. You should also take pictures or video evidence of the disrepairs to show that you are not exaggerating what has happened.

From there, it is up to your landlord to assess the damages and to send someone over to have them repaired. They should not ignore your messages or tell you that you are responsible for having them fixed. As they own your apartment or council home, they are the ones that need to ensure the repairs are undertaken in a timely manner. Just keep in mind that you will need to give them enough time to actually go through with the repairs. Do not rush them but do keep in contact to ensure that they are completed.

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Why do I need to give my landlord notice about my Housing Disrepairs?

When you tell your landlord about your housing disrepair, it’s essential that you do it as soon as you discover the problem. This is known as “giving notice” to your landlord. It is essential that you give notice to your landlord. That way you can give them the time they need to actually get the repair fixed.  Honestly, if you hurry your landlord, this could affect your case. So try to be patient as they do their work.

To give your landlord notice is to give them time to enter your property, assess the damage and come to a conclusion about whether or not they should send someone over to fix the damage. If you rush them then they could claim that you are not giving them enough time to do their job. This is also why it’s crucial that you let them know about the disrepair in both writing and through electronic correspondence. Quite a few of our clients will let their landlord know about disrepairs through a phone call. However, this may not be enough evidence to show that you gave your landlord notice about the disrepairs.

If your landlord fails to help you with the disrepairs, despite being giving notice and the time to check them over, you could be eligible for compensation through a housing disrepair claim. This includes your landlord ignoring your messages for help or ultimately demanding that you pay for the damages that are their responsibility.

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How could I be eligible for a Housing Disrepair Claim?

If you have been told by your landlord that they cannot help you with the damages in your home, or they are demanding that you pay for the damages, you do not have to put up with this. Instead, it’s time for you to start looking into a housing disrepair claim. The amount of compensation that you will receive from this type of claim will depend on how long the disrepairs have existed and the extent of your landlord’s negligence.

To be eligible to claim, you need to fit in at least one of these three categories:

Housing Disrepair Claim Eligibility

Keep in mind that these categories are interchangeable. So, you could have experienced all three! For instance, a mould problem could mean that you are unable to use a certain area of your house. This is inconvenience. The mould spreads to your furniture and clothing. This is an example of damage to personal belongings. As you have asthma, the mould began to make it worsen. That meant you had to go to the hospital for treatment. This is an example of a personal injury. You should speak through your damages with a solicitor to ensure that you are claiming the highest amount of compensation possible. After all, there are many different types of damages that you could claim for. This includes emotional damages, financial damages, damage to property and loss of opportunity.

Let your lawyer know what you have been through and they will be able to help!

How long will It take to make a Housing Disrepair Claim?

Well, recently we have actually managed to complete a housing disrepair claim in only 6 weeks! We are extremely proud of our housing disrepair team and want to help as many people around the UK with their claims. It will only take one working day to assess whether or not you have a housing disrepair claim. From there, we will work hard to ensure your repairs are sorted in a timely manner. Our triage assessor will provide you with a pamphlet that will answer all of your questions. However, here is the process that you should expect if one of our assessors comes to visit you:

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Your landlord does have the right to send over their own assessor to your home. So, expect a lot of company over the course of a few weeks. Just keep in mind, if you do end up getting a notification from track and trace or you end up experience Covid-19 symptoms, you will have to notify your solicitor and landlord as quickly as possible. That way precautions can be taken when it comes to sorting out your housing disrepair claim whilst you are isolating.

Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your housing disrepair claim!

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Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we are determined to help as many of our clients as possible all over the UK. If you have a housing disrepair and your landlord is ignoring your pleas for help, it’s time for you to file a compensation claim against them. Our law firm is here to provide you with free advice and consultations. If you are happy to move forward with our specialist staff, we can offer you our services on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means you will never have to pay any hidden fees and will always come out on top even if we do not win your claim.

Talk to our team today by phoning 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claim’s checker. One of our specialists will then be in contact to discuss your claim and any questions you may have about housing disrepair claims in general.

Learn more about Housing Disrepair Claims

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If you want to learn more about Housing Disrepair Claims, the best place to go is Gowing Law’s blog. We update it every week with new content. This includes information about different law topics, updates about our law firm, seasonal events and competitions & giveaways! If you have a topic suggestion, feel free to send it into info@gowinglaw.co.uk. We would be more than happy to write about your questions and will let you know when the blog has been completed. Make sure to also follow our social media pages, linked below, for additional updates about what we have been up to.

We look forward to seeing you in our next blog!

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Gowing Law are a professional law firm that specialises in the personal injury sector of the industry. Gowing Law are Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Gowing Law are trusted by the people who they have helped in sucuring the compensation they deserve, with fantastic reviews across all review sites including Trustpilot & Google Reviews.

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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