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Housing Disrepair Claims
If you have suffered harm due to housing disrepair, read our guide below to find out whether you can make a housing disrepair claim and a personal injury claim against your landlord.
£100 million in compensation
Housing Disrepair Claims
If you have suffered harm due to housing disrepair, read our guide below to find out whether you can make a housing disrepair claim and a personal injury claim against your landlord.
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Last Updated On 23rd April 2026. A housing disrepair claim can consist of two separate claims: a personal injury claim for harm caused by the disrepair, and a housing repair claim for your landlord’s failure to fix issues within a reasonable timeframe. You may be able to claim if you suffered physical, psychological, or financial harm due to a landlord’s failure to fix the disrepair in your home. Alongside this, you can also claim solely for the disrepair itself, including property damage, financial loss, and reduced quality of life. Common examples of housing disrepair include persistent damp and mould, broken heating systems, and leaking roofs. Many claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning that you usually don’t pay upfront service fees and only pay if your case is successful.
Living with damp, mould, and structural faults can pose a serious risk to your wellbeing and health. Long-term exposure to damp and mould may lead to chronic respiratory problems, allergies, and infections, particularly in children and older adults. The strain of living in hazardous conditions, combined with fighting for repairs, often contributes to lasting anxiety or depression. At JF Law, we provide compassionate, supportive legal guidance on a No Win No Fee basis. Our specialist solicitors are experts in helping clients navigate the process of claiming compensation for housing disrepair. Where appropriate, we can also assist you in pursuing a separate personal injury claim for the pain and suffering caused by the condition of your home.
To see if you can start your housing disrepair claim with JF Law, please contact our team today:
- Call us on 0151 375 9916
- Contact us by completing our online form
What Is Housing Disrepair?
When renting a property, whether that be through a housing association, social housing or privately, the least you expect is for that property to be liveable. Housing disrepair is when a rented property poses a risk to the tenant’s health due to the property needing certain repairs.
If your landlord does not adhere to their responsibilities and lets any of the above fall into disrepair in the property you are renting, you could be eligible to make a housing disrepair claim. You just need to prove that your landlord was aware of the issues, and failed to make repairs within a reasonable timeframe.
Can I Claim Compensation For Housing Disrepair?
Yes, you can claim compensation for housing disrepair, as well as for injuries or illnesses caused by the property’s condition. Below, we break down the 2 types of claims that you may be able to make against your landlord. These can be pursued in tandem or individually.
Claiming Compensation For Disrepair
To pursue housing disrepair compensation, you will need to demonstrate that your landlord failed to carry out legally obligated repairs within a reasonable timeframe once formally notified of an issue. To do this, you will first need to show that they were responsible for repairs. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 outlines the obligations placed on landlords, including:
- Carry out necessary repairs to ensure a property remains safe and fit for habitation.
- Maintain the reliable supply of essential services, including hot and cold water, gas, and electricity.
- Keep the external structures of properties, such as pipes, gutters, and roofing, in good repair.
- Maintain the sanitary features of the home, such as showers, toilets, and sinks.
Once you have established these obligations, you must then show that the landlord knew about the issue and failed to act within a reasonable period of time. Finally, to have a valid claim, you will need to establish that the disrepair led to property damage or harmed your physical or mental health.
Claiming For Personal Injury Sustained As A Result Of Disrepair
If you suffered injuries or an illness as a result of housing disrepair, you may be able to make an additional personal injury claim against your landlord. Under Section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972, you may have grounds to make a personal injury claim provided that:
- Your landlord knew about the disrepair.
- They failed to make repairs within a reasonable timeframe.
- The disrepair directly caused you to suffer an injury or illness, including respiratory problems aggravated by persistent mould issues.
To discover more about these eligibility criteria and the No Win No Fee housing disrepair legal representation available from JF Law, please contact our team today.
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What Kinds Of Disrepair Can I Claim For?
Here are some examples of when you’d have an eligible housing disrepair claim and an eligible personal injury claim:
- You told your landlord that your staircase was broken. 6 months later, there’s still been no attempt to repair the staircase. The staircase then collapses while you’re on it, causing you to fall from a height and suffer a back injury.
- Damp and mould, especially if it causes you harm
- You told your landlord that your roof was leaking. Your landlord did not investigate this issue. 4 months later, you slip and fall on the wet floor caused by the leak. From the slip and fall, you fracture your forearm.
- The heating systems in your home are broken. Despite telling your landlord about this a year ago, no efforts have been made to fix your heating. You thus suffer serious health conditions as a result of the excess cold, which also leads to you going through mental health struggles.
Please remember that if you are eligible to make both types of claims, you can pursue both. You can also make a housing disrepair claim without having suffered harm.
Additionally, we have only listed a few set examples. If your circumstances are not listed above, please don’t worry. It is best to talk with an advisor about your individual situation.
How Much Compensation You Can Claim For Housing Disrepair?
If you have a successful housing disrepair claim, in regards to the harm you have suffered, your personal injury compensation may be divided into two heads of claim – general and special damages.
General damages cover the way you’ve been physically and psychologically affected by housing disrepair.
Legal professionals may ask for you to have an independent medical assessment at some point during the claims process. The reports from this can help them value your general damages. So can the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
The JCG is a publication that contains guideline compensation figures for different types of harm.
Guideline Compensation Table
In the table below, we have taken some guideline compensation figures from the JCG for different types of harm that could potentially be suffered as a result of housing disrepair.
When viewing this table, please keep in mind that the top figure is not from the JCG, and that none of these figures can be guaranteed for your claim. This is because all claims are unique.
| Type of harm | Severity | Guideline compensation figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious types of harm with special damages | Serious | Up to £500,000+ | Compensation for sustaining more than one serious type of harm with financial losses such as lost earnings. |
| Back | Severe (a)(i) | £120,340 to £212,670 | The most severe damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord, leading to severe consequences such as incomplete paralysis. |
| Moderate (b)(i) | £36,680 to £51,230 | An example of an injury fitting in this category includes a prolapsed intervertebral disc that necessitates surgery. | |
| Arm | Severe (a) | £127,050 to £172,970 | A serious brachial plexus injury. |
| Simple fracture (d) | £8,730 to £25,370 | Of the forearm. | |
| Psychiatric damage | Severe (a) | £72,440 to £152,900 | Where most factors of the person’s life will have marked problems (uch as the ability to cope with work), and the prognosis will be very poor. |
| Moderate (c) | £7,740 to £25,190 | The prognosis will be good due to a marked improvement by trial. | |
| Asthma | Severe, permanent, and disabling (a) | £56,890 to £86,860 | That leads to prolonged and regular coughing and a severe impairment of physical activity |
| Relatively mild (d) | £14,060 to £25,370 | Often resulting from exposure to a harmful, irritating vapour. |
Special Damages
Special damages cover the way you’ve been financially affected by housing disrepair. Some financial losses you could suffer include:
- Loss of earnings if you’re unable to work.
- Professional care costs.
- Medical bills, such as prescription costs.
Unlike general damages, there is no guarantee that special damages will be awarded in a successful claim. For this reason, please keep hold of any receipts, invoices, bank statements, and payslips that can prove the financial losses that have resulted from your injury.
Factors Considered In Your Payment
There are many factors that are taken into consideration while your compensation is being valued. Some of these factors include:
- Whether you have multiple types of harm.
- How severe and painful your harm is.
- Loss of amenity.
- What the prognosis of your harm is – whether a full recovery is possible and how long that would take.
For more information on how housing disrepair compensation is calculated, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
How Long Does It Take To Settle A Housing Disrepair Claim?
There is no set time frame for the settlement of your housing repair claim. This is because each compensation claim requires a complete assessment of the factors involved, such as your injuries and the circumstances that caused them.
The time scale of your compensation claim may also be impacted by:
- Whether the defending party accepts liability for your injuries
- Whether your claim needs to go to court (this may apply in more complicated cases)
- How busy the court schedule is
- The amount of evidence you supply and whether you can prove all aspects of your claim (you may require an independent medical assessment)
- The type and severity of your injuries (if you have not fully recovered, legal professionals will need to consider the future impact on your daily life as part of your compensation)
It is also important to note that you have a 6-year time limit to start your claim. Typically, this begins from the date on which you became aware of the housing disrepair. This is established under the Limitation Act 1980. However, if you are making a personal injury claim for any physical or mental harm you suffered due to the disrepair, this is time limit 3 years (in general) from the date you sustained the injuries.
If you would like to discuss the factors that could impact the length of time it takes to claim for housing disrepair compensation, our advisors are available at any time. You do not have to decide whether you wish to work with JF Law at this stage, so why not simply reach out? We will let you know why you are eligible to proceed and outline what your potential compensation may cover.
We pride ourselves
on providing the best service
possible for our clients.
We pride ourselves on providing the best service possible for our clients.
How To Start Your Housing Disrepair Compensation Claim
If you have suffered an injury or illness due to housing disrepair issues, we recommend you seek medical attention before you pursue a housing disrepair claim. This is because your medical records can be used as evidence.
While it is not mandatory, we also suggest that you seek legal advice and instruct a solicitor, especially if you have never been through the claims process before. You can get a free eligibility claim check from our advisors, who could then potentially connect you with one of our specialist solicitors. Our section below discusses exactly how our solicitors could help you claim compensation.
You should then focus on collecting evidence to support your claim.
The Evidence You’ll Need To Strengthen Your Case
The evidence you provide needs to show how your landlord breached their duty of care, and how this caused you to suffer harm.
As such, some useful types of evidence include:
- Copies of your medical records. This can show how severe your harm is.
- Copies of any emails or other correspondence you have where you have alerted your landlord of the issue(s).
- Copies of the tenancy agreement for your rented property.
- Photographs of the visible damage, such as a broken pipe.
- Contact details from anyone who could be asked for a witness statement at a later date.
If you connect with one of our housing disrepair lawyers, they will be able to advise on collecting evidence as part of their services.
How Our Solicitors Can Help
Once you confirm you have an eligible housing disrepair claim, you can be connected with one of our specialist solicitors.
Our solicitors offer many services to make the housing disrepair claims process easier for their clients, such as:
- Collecting all evidence.
- Corresponding with the defendant on the client’s behalf.
- Updating the client on any progressions in the case.
- Ensuring the compensation award is fair and accurate.
- Finding legal representation if the case goes to court.
- Explaining any legal terminology when needed.
Additionally, these services are provided under No Win No Fee terms, specifically through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
What this means is that you would not have to pay your solicitor for their fees:
- Upfront.
- During the entire claims process.
- If the case is unsuccessful.
Instead, if the case is successful, your solicitor will just keep a small percentage of your compensation. This small percentage is called the success fee, and is limited by the law to ensure that you keep the majority of the compensation.
If you have any questions that we have not answered in this guide or to confirm your claim eligibility, please contact us today. Our team are available 24/7 to discuss your potential housing disrepair claim with you:
- Call 0151 375 9916.
- Request a callback on our contact us page.
Frequently Asked Questions
To discover more about starting a housing disrepair claim, please see some common questions and answers below. For further assistance, please contact us today.
What Counts As Housing Disrepair In The UK?
Issues such as heating systems, structural instability, damp, and mould all count as housing disrepair in the UK. Landlords have a legal obligation to address these within a reasonable amount of time once given notice.
What If The Disrepair Has Been Ongoing For A Long Time?
If the disrepair has been ongoing for a long time, you can still pursue a claim if you act within the relevant legal time limit. This is generally 6 years for a housing disrepair claim and 3 years for personal injury cases.
Who Is Responsible For Fixing Housing Disrepair?
In most cases, your landlord is responsible for fixing housing disrepair involving structural defects, damp, mould, and essential systems such as heating, water, and electricity.
Can I Claim For Damage To My Belongings Caused By Disrepair?
Yes, you may be able to claim for damage to furniture, clothing, or other belongings caused by disrepair, such as leaks or mould.
Can I Sue My Landlord For Disrepair?
Yes, you can sue your landlord for disrepair if they failed to carry out necessary repairs within a reasonable timeframe after being formally notified.
Can I Be Evicted For Making A Disrepair Claim?
You should not be evicted for making a disrepair claim, as legal protections are in place against retaliatory or unlawful ‘revenge’ evictions.
How Much Compensation Can You Get For Housing Disrepair?
The amount of compensation you can get for housing disrepair typically depends on the severity of the problem, damage to personal belongings, increased utility bills or other financial losses, and the overall impact on quality of life.
Can I Claim For Damp And Mould In My Property?
Yes, you can claim for damp and mould in your property if your landlord ignored the problem after being notified, as they are legally obligated to ensure properties are free of health hazards.
What If My Landlord Ignores Repair Requests?
If your landlord ignores repair requests, you can escalate the issue by contacting your local council to request an inspection or by seeking legal advice.
Can I Still Claim If I Am In A Council Or Housing Association Property?
Yes, you can still make a housing disrepair claim if you are in a council or housing association property, as public providers have the same legal obligations to tenants as private landlords.
Do I Need To Pay Rent If Repairs Are Not Carried Out?
You still need to pay rent, even if repairs are not carried out, as withholding payments is a breach of your tenancy agreement and may put you at risk of eviction.
Can I Claim If The Disrepair Affected My Health?
Yes, you may be able to claim compensation if you can prove that housing disrepair affected your physical or mental health, such as respiratory issues worsened by mould.
For more information, please contact our friendly advisory team.
More Information
Browse some of our guides here:
- Find out how to make a claim for falling on pavement.
- Learn about how to make a claim after slipping on a wet floor.
- If you’re looking to make a claim on behalf of someone else who has unfortunately passed away, you can check out our fatal injury claims guide.
Alternatively, these pages might give you some useful information:
- Gov.UK – guidance on claiming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if housing related illness or injury resulted in missing work.
- Gov.UK – if you’re a private tenant, view information on private renting.
- NHS – an overview of asthma.
Thank you for reading our guide on how to make a housing disrepair claim. Please don’t hesitate to send your queries to us if there’s anything you’re unsure on.
Contact Us
Our helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
All calls are free and there’s no pressure whatsoever to proceed with a compensation claim.
If you write to us, we aim to respond within an hour or two, and no more than a few hours.
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