A safer home starts here.

We want to help you get the help you need. If you have an emergency we advise the following steps:

For council or housing association tenants

1. Call the council: Contact your council’s out-of-hours line immediately with the exact details.
2. Record details: Write down the date, time, agent’s name, and repair reference number.
3. Request temporary housing: Ask for emergency accommodation if your home cannot be made safe within 24 hours.
4. Escalate if ignored: Complain to the Housing Ombudsman if the council fails to resolve the emergency.

For private tenants

1. Write to your landlord: Detail the exact issues, attach photo evidence, and set a strict deadline (e.g., 24 hours for emergencies).
2. Do not stop paying rent: Withholding rent is illegal and gives your landlord grounds to evict you.
3. Log everything: Keep copies of all texts, emails, costs, and a phone log detailing dates and agreements.
4. Contact the council: If ignored, report the landlord to Environmental Health to force repairs and protect against revenge eviction.

You are entitled to report repair problems and ask your landlord to meet their legal obligations.

For most private renters in England, Section 21 “no-fault” eviction ended on 1 May 2026. Private landlords can still seek possession on specific legal grounds, and different rules can apply depending on your tenancy.

If you’re concerned about your tenancy, tell us during your assessment. Your individual circumstances should be considered before a claim proceeds.

Every case is different, but we may be able to help if:

• you rent or rented your home from a private landlord, housing association or council
• there is a significant repair or condition problem
• your landlord was made aware of the problem
• they failed to deal with it properly within an appropriate period
• you suffered inconvenience, financial loss, damage, health effects or loss of use of part of your home as a result.

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Disrepair can include defects or hazards that affect the condition, safety or normal use of your home.

Examples include persistent damp or mould, leaks, defective heating, unsafe electrics, broken windows, damaged flooring, drainage problems and structural defects.

Not every maintenance issue creates a legal claim. Responsibility for the defect, how serious it is, whether your landlord knew about it and how they responded are all important.

What are common disrepair problems?

Landlords are generally responsible for major parts of a rented home’s structure and essential systems, including its structure and exterior, heating, hot water, plumbing, sanitation and electrical wiring.

Some responsibilities depend on your tenancy agreement and the cause of the damage.

Tenants are normally responsible for taking reasonable care of the property and for damage caused by themselves, members of their household or visitors.

If you’re unsure who is responsible, we can assess this as part of your enquiry.

Damp and mould can have several causes, including leaks, structural defects, inadequate ventilation, heating problems, condensation or a combination of factors.

You should not assume that mould is automatically your responsibility simply because your landlord says it is.

Where necessary, evidence about the property and the cause of the problem can form an important part of assessing a claim.

For example – excessive moisture caused through blocked vents, unused extractor fans or dryer vents would be considered tenant-caused. But leaks, defective windows or heating problems are likely a landlord responsibility.

There is no standard amount.

Any compensation will depend on factors such as:

• how serious the disrepair was
• how long it continued
• which parts of your home were affected
• the impact on your day-to-day life
• damage to belongings
• additional costs you incurred
• any effect on your health
• the evidence available

We can’t promise a compensation figure before your individual circumstances have been properly assessed by the law firm.

Report the problem to your landlord or letting agent and keep evidence of doing so.

Where possible, keep:

• photographs and videos
• emails, messages and letters
• repair reports
• dates of phone calls
• inspection records
• receipts for additional expenses
• evidence of damaged belongings
• relevant medical information

Then complete our eligibility check and we’ll assess what happened.

Rent arrears do not mean a landlord can ignore their repair responsibilities.

They can, however, affect the wider legal position and may be relevant to how a claim is handled, particularly if possession proceedings are already underway.

Tell us about any arrears when you speak to us so the full circumstances can be considered.

No.

Cases accepted by our legal panel are handled under a no-win, no-fee agreement. The precise terms, including any deductions from compensation if your claim succeeds, will be explained before you agree to proceed.

Many housing disrepair claims are resolved without a final court hearing.

Some cases do require court proceedings, however, and no responsible adviser can guarantee otherwise.

If court action becomes necessary, your solicitor will explain the process and what will be required from you.

Potentially.

You may still be able to claim compensation for disrepair you experienced during a previous tenancy, particularly if you reported the problem while you lived there and have evidence of what happened.

Legal time limits apply, so it is worth seeking advice as soon as possible.

If you have already left the property, you would normally be seeking compensation rather than asking the former landlord to carry out repairs to your current home.