The law gives all residential tenants the right to live in a sanitary, safe, and decent living space. This warranty of habitability is implied in every lease and applies to any room or apartment rented in public areas of a building. While utilities sometimes fail to work properly or at all, how you address these problems, both as a tenant and a landlord, is what’s most important.
Housing disrepair is when your rented property requires repairs to make it suitable to live in. It’s the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that a reasonable living standard is met in every room or apartment they rent.
Are you a Council or Housing association Tenant with housing disrepair issues?
If so we can help you claim compensation on a NO Win, NO Fee basis.
Housing disrepair problems may include any of the following:
These are just some of the many issues a tenant may be facing that are considered housing disrepair and require immediate attention from a landlord. They must ensure that your property is safe and livable at all times. Your landlord cannot charge you for the repair work.
First, notify your landlord or its employees about the repairs needed, whether by phone, in person, or in writing. If you live in a major city like New York City, you can call 311 to report the conditions in your building, apartment, or room if repairs take a long time. If a landlord has been non-compliant, you may even need to have a city agency repair them if the condition is an emergency and causing danger to someone living there.
A landlord may use any employees to do repairs, including a super, or hire licensed contractors to do the work, whether a plumber, HVAC technician, or electrician. Unless a worker is causing harm to you or others living in your building, you should never interfere with workers doing repairs. Contact your landlord or the authorities if you feel threatened. Your landlord must request access at a reasonable time.
In an emergency, the landlord and its employees may enter your apartment without prior consent to prevent further property damage. However, without a clear emergency, they may not enter your home without your permission.
Usually, a landlord and tenant can negotiate a reasonable amount of time for repairs to be completed. The general guide for emergency repairs is 24 hours, for hazardous conditions, 30 days, and for non-hazardous conditions, 90 days. While you may be tempted to do the repairs yourself, your landlord must make all the repairs.
Generally, emergencies include the risk of fire from faulty electrical wiring, little to no water, or the lack of a proper heating system during winter. Many leases may also prohibit tenants from making any changes to an apartment without permission. If you break this part of your lease, you may be liable for any repairs because of this negligence.
When your landlord refuses to make repairs or to make them in a reasonable amount of time, you can make a claim against them. To be eligible to make this claim, you must have informed your landlord about your housing disrepair problem. These claims can be made either during your tenancy or after. However, they must be made within six years of the date you provided your landlord notice. Any personal injury claims because of this disrepair must be made within three years. These claims apply to public landlords and buildings.
When you make a disrepair claim, you may be awarded compensation for many reasons including:
Hire legal counsel specializing in legal claims against landlords and can help you gather the evidence needed to win your case. They have years of experience working with tenants like you and a proven track record of success. Living in housing disrepair is a stressful experience that can put you and your family’s health and safety at risk.
Our professional legal team can help you start a housing disrepair claim today. During your call, we will conduct an initial assessment to learn about the details of your case and determine your eligibility. To get started, call our no-win-no-fee solicitors today at 0333 050 8887 to get started.
info@housing-disrepair.org
0333 050 8887
