Sick and tired of living in a home you’re not happy with?

Simply put, housing disrepair means that the property you live in needs repairs for it to be deemed a safe and suitable place to live in. This term usually refers to rented properties where the responsibility for such repairs falls on the Council or Housing Association.

In most cases, the Council or Housing Association is required to respond with 20 working days after receiving a ‘Letter of Claim’. Once the process has started in this way it can take between 9-12 months for compensation to be received by claimants.

Any tenant in England & Wales who believes their Council or Housing Association is not taking responsibility for repair issues can bring a claim against them. Helping you to determine if you have a good case to make a claim is where we come in and this process is completely free.

As a tenant, you also have some responsibilities. According to Citizens Advice these are: looking after your home by using it in a ‘tenant like’ way; telling your Council or Housing Association about the repairs that are needed; providing access to have any repair work done; and having a duty of care to your visitors.

The amount of compensation you could be awarded will depend on the type and the severity of the disrepair. Usually, the typical amount of compensation ranges from 25% to 50% of the rent. If the rent over a year is £10,000 then you could be awarded £2,500. You can make a claim even if you do not pay the rent.

A Council or Housing Association is responsible for paying for repairs to: your home’s structure and exterior; the heating and hot water systems; all the sanitary fittings including pipes and drains (things like basins, sinks, and baths etc.); gas appliances, pipes, flues and ventilation; all the electrical wiring; any damage they cause through attempting repairs.

No, we will not take an upfront payment from you – and you will only have to pay us if you win your claim. We operate under a no-win, no-fee basis. If you do not win your case then you do not have to pay anything to us – but this changes if you have told us something that is not true, or has in any way misled us about your claim.

We hope that your claim will be successful. Ashmans Solicitors may take up to 25% of the money that you receive from your Council or Housing Association, however, this will be subject to your individual circumstances and the actual fee may be more or less than the quoted percentage.