Housing Disrepair Claim
Are you affected by unsafe or unhealthy home conditions?
Living in poor housing conditions is stressful and can impact your mental and physical health. Whether your landlord is a council, housing association, or private individual, Complex Law helps you secure repairs, compensation, and a home that’s fit to live in.
The Facts
What is a housing disrepair claim?
If a landlord – whether an individual or an organisation – has failed in their duty to provide housing that is fit for human habitation, as a tenant, you have grounds for legal action. If it is proven that the landlord has ignored reports or delayed repairs, you may be entitled to a court order and compensation, as well as protection from being evicted from your home in retaliation for making the claim.
The law
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that landlords must maintain the structure and exterior of a property as well as key installations (water, gas, electricity, heating, hot water, and sanitation). Under Section 9A of the Act, landlords must also ensure that the property is fit to live in, addressing health hazards such as damp and mould, unsafe electrics, pests, and extreme heat or cold within reasonable timeframes.
Your rights
Yes, depending on the issue and the evidence, you may be able to obtain a court order obliging the landlord to carry out repairs. This can include emergency orders if there is an immediate risk to health or well-being. You may be awarded compensation for distress, inconvenience or loss of use of the property, as well as expenses, for example, increased utility bills due to having to use additional heaters or dehumidifiers.
Next steps
Report the specific issues to your landlord in writing, keeping copies of any correspondence, plus dates, photos, and details of any impact on you or your family’s health. If you have had to pay additional expenses relating to the disrepair, keep receipts or bills. Do not stop paying rent without legal advice; it can affect your tenancy. Speak to Complex Law, and we’ll advise you on the best course of action and how we can help.
How Complex Law can help
Our specialist tenancy law team are experienced in handling disputes with landlords regarding housing disrepair. We specialise in Section 11 disrepair and Section 9A Fitness for Human Habitation claims.
Common disrepair and fitness issues
Section 11: broken boilers or heating, damp and mould, unsafe stairs or flooring, leaks and water damage; and Section 9A: pests, foul water, electrical issues, excessive cold/heat, fall risks, structural collapse risks, food safety risks.
Managing your housing disrepair claim
We handle notices, evidence, expert inspections, and negotiations with councils, housing associations, or private landlords. Where there are urgent threats to health or safety, we can seek emergency court orders.
Flexible funding, including no‑win‑no‑fee
We offer a range of funding options. In appropriate claims for damages, we may act on a no‑win‑no‑fee basis. We’ll let you know the options available to you at the outset and clearly explain all associated costs.
How we calculate costs
Where no-win, no-fee applies, we’ll usually charge 25% plus VAT of any compensation you are awarded. In other cases, we offer fixed or staged fees where possible to reduce the financial impact.
Do you have a claim?
Our specialist tenancy law team are experienced in handling disputes with landlords regarding housing disrepair. We specialise in Section 11 disrepair and Section 9A Fitness for Human Habitation claims.
If any of the points on our checklist apply to you, you may have a valid Section 11 or Section 9A claim. Speak to Complex Law to explore your options.
Claim checklist
Has your landlord ignored reports of damp, mould, leaks, or structural issues?
Have you been without heating or hot water for extended periods?
Are there hazards like unsafe electrics, pest infestations, or foul water?
Have you suffered inconvenience, health impacts, or extra costs due to disrepair?
Legal services tailored to your needs
Our practice is focused on three areas of law: Consumer Claims, Individuals, and Businesses (Complex 360), making it easy to match your legal issue with the right team and strategy.
Consumer Claims
If you’ve been missold a loan or targeted by fraudsters or scammers, you don’t have to face the fallout alone. We’ll represent you on a no-win, no-fee basis.
What Others Say
Hear from our past clients
We’re proud of our success rate. Over the last four decades, we’ve helped thousands of clients secure the judgments, compensation, settlements, or resolutions they were seeking.
Excellent rating
Paul W
Ridiculously easy to check and apply. All the searching is done for you in literally one minute. A soft credit check is required but doesn't impact your score. Go and claim what’s rightly owed!
Kathleen H
This is the first time I have contacted Complex Law. It was easy and I got a quick response. I was shocked how many finance companies they found within half an hour. There was no way I would have remembered these companies.
Sidali S
Really pleased with how easy it was to fill out the complaint form. The layout was clear, and the steps were simple to follow, which made the whole process quick and stress-free. It’s great to see such an efficient and user-friendly system in place.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t find the answer to your question here, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
In some cases, landlords have been known to evict tenants as a result of them bringing a claim for housing disrepair, but there are legal protections in place to prevent this. Retaliatory eviction is restricted in certain circumstances, particularly where local authorities have served improvement notices. We’ll advise you on any steps you need to take to protect your tenancy or respond to a threatened eviction, should it arise.
It’s not always necessary to involve Environmental Health in a claim for housing disrepair, but in some cases, it can be helpful, as they can conduct an inspection of the property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and issue notices for Category 1 or 2 hazards. We can assist you in requesting an inspection if it’s beneficial to your case and collect the findings to use as evidence.
The timeframe of any court order instructing a landlord to carry out repairs will be based on the severity of the issue and the associated risk. For example, exposed live electrical wires or a broken heating system during the winter months will be treated more urgently than minor damage to fixtures or fittings. If landlords are slow to act, Complex Law can seek an emergency order on your behalf to speed up resolution.
Yes, you should pay any rent due as usual. It’s a common misconception that tenants should withhold rent when involved in a dispute with their landlord. By getting into arrears, you can put your tenancy at risk. The best course of action is always to pursue the matter through the proper legal channels. Speak to Complex Law and we’ll help you navigate the housing disrepair claim process.
We understand the distress caused to tenants by unsafe or unhealthy living conditions, and we prioritise housing disrepair cases to get you the resolution you need as quickly as possible. Once instructed, we’ll send a formal notice and, where possible, push for urgent interim works to improve your living situation. In severe cases, we’ll apply to the court to obtain an emergency order.
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