If you are a Council or Housing Association tenant and living in substandard or poor living conditions due to leaks, damp, mould, faulty heating/electrics and so on… then you are living in disrepair. It can be a frustrating and emotionally taxing situation to be in, especially if your pleas are being ignored.
Coping with a house in disrepair can make you feel alone and powerless. Your Council may not offer any solutions or helpful guidance. It can leave you wondering, how can they let me live like this? What more can I do? Why won’t they listen to me?
There are a few things you may not know as a Tenant. For instance:
● The Council’s or Housing Association’s responsibilies
● Your Tenant Rights
● How a Solicitor can help
To ensure a reasonable standard of living conditions, which include a safe, secure, and well-maintained home. Therefore, it is their duty to repair any reported issues that they are legally responsible for in a reasonable timeframe, which include:
● Damage to the interior and exterior structure of the home, for instance, the foundation, brickwork, walls, roof, guttering, and windows.
● Any leaks and causes of damp/mould.
● Faults with your heating, radiators, gas, and electrics.
This is something they are legally bound by Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. As a result, the tenancy agreement discloses that the above are expected to be kept in repair and proper working order and is the obligation of your Council/Housing Association to do so.
Just like it is the Council’s responsibility to maintain and repair the property, it is your legal right as a tenant to live in a property safe and free from any issues of disrepair. They owe you a “duty of care” and therefore, if they fail to repair the reported issue, they could be found guilty of negligence.
In this case, you may be eligible to make a Housing Disrepair claim. This is where a solicitor is necessary.
You may find the idea of getting a solicitor involved to be daunting, but Nicholson Jones Sutton Solicitors are sympathetic, understanding, and are here to help you every step of the way. Our Housing Disrepair professionals have extensive experience with making claims against Councils and Local Authorities and can ensure the crucial repairs are completed.
There are no upfront costs and even if you are not sure if you have a case, we offer no obligation consultations. But, if the disrepair is impacting your standard of living, affecting your health, causing damage to your belongings, or has resulted in personal injury, you are likely to be entitled to make a Housing Disrepair claim.
Nicholson Jones Sutton Solicitors are here for you. Contact us today.
Nicholson Jones Sutton Solicitors Limited is a Limited company which is UK based registration number 06945583.
Our services are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. www.sra.org.uk