Suffering from damp, mould, leaks, or unsafe living conditions? Our housing disrepair solicitors help tenants claim compensation and force landlords to carry out urgent repairs across England & Wales.
When your home is damaged, damp, mouldy, or unsafe and your landlord refuses to fix the problem, it can seriously affect your health, your family, and your everyday life. This is more than just an inconvenience. Whether you rent from the council, a housing association, or a private landlord, you have the right to live in a home that is safe, secure, and properly maintained.
At Knights & Shah Solicitors, we represent tenants across the UK in housing disrepair claims. We provide expert legal advice with a high-quality, solicitor-led service. We deal with both council and housing association disrepair claims, as well as claims against private landlords. Our team knows how to hold landlords to account, ensure repairs are completed, and secure compensation where appropriate.
This page explains how housing disrepair law works, what you may be able to claim, how the claims process works, and how our specialist team can support you. You can also read more detailed guidance for:
Council and Housing Association Tenants
Private Tenants renting from individual landlords or letting agents
Once you have read this overview, you can select the option that applies to you.
If your landlord has failed to carry out repairs after being notified, you may be entitled to compensation. This can include damages for inconvenience, health impact, property damage, and reduced quality of living.
Housing disrepair refers to any situation where a rented property has fallen into poor condition and the landlord has failed to carry out repairs they are legally responsible for within a reasonable time. This includes problems that make your home unsafe or unfit to live in, affect your health (such as damp, mould, or cold), damage your belongings, or cause repeated disruption, leaks, or loss of basic services.
Typical housing disrepair issues we deal with include damp, black mould and condensation problems; leaking roofs, ceilings, gutters, and pipes; rotting or broken windows and doors; faulty boilers with no heating or hot water; defective electrics and unsafe sockets or lighting; broken bathrooms, toilets, showers, and kitchens; collapsed ceilings, cracked walls, and structural damage; infestations such as rats, mice, cockroaches, or bedbugs; loose stairs, railings, balconies, and trip hazards; damaged common areas in blocks of flats; and inadequate insulation causing severe cold or draughts.
If you recognise any of these issues and your landlord has ignored you or only carried out temporary “patch-up” repairs, you may have a strong housing disrepair claim.
We act for council tenants where the local authority is your landlord or manages your home, housing association tenants including ALMOs and other social landlords, and private tenants renting from individuals, companies, or through letting agents. We also represent assured and assured shorthold tenants, as well as long-term occupiers in social housing who have experienced decades of unresolved problems.
The law applies differently depending on the type of landlord and tenancy. We identify the correct legal route for your situation and then direct you to our dedicated council or housing association pages, or our private tenant pages, once we have assessed your case.
Although every tenancy is different, landlords in England and Wales generally must keep the structure and exterior of the property in repair, including walls, roofs, windows, doors, gutters, and external pipes. They must maintain installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating, and hot water, ensure the property is reasonably free from damp and mould caused by disrepair, and keep common parts of a building in a safe and well-maintained condition. Landlords must also comply with health and safety rules, including fire safety and gas and electrical safety, and ensure the property is fit for human habitation and not a risk to your health.
For council and housing association tenants, these duties are often reinforced by tenancy agreements, housing policies, internal repair standards, and regulatory guidance. For private tenants, duties arise under statute, common law, and the tenancy agreement.
Where a landlord fails to meet these obligations, you may be entitled to a court order forcing repairs, compensation for the period you have lived with the disrepair, and reimbursement for damaged belongings or other financial losses.
You do not need to have followed a perfect process to make a claim, but certain steps usually strengthen your case. These include reporting all issues in writing, keeping a record of every report with dates and reference numbers, taking clear photographs and videos over time, keeping medical evidence if your health has been affected, retaining receipts for damaged items, and allowing reasonable access for inspections and contractors where safe.
If you have not done all of this yet, do not worry. We can help you gather evidence and advise you on what further steps to take before or during your claim.
Damp and mould are among the most common and serious housing disrepair issues. We handle cases involving black mould on walls, ceilings, and windows, damp patches and peeling paint, condensation causing wet walls and dripping windows, mould in children’s bedrooms, and health conditions such as asthma, respiratory infections, and skin problems linked to damp.
Landlords often blame condensation or lifestyle factors. We obtain expert evidence to show when damp is caused by defects such as leaks, poor insulation, or structural problems and firmly challenge unfair blame placed on tenants.
We deal with repeated leaks from roofs or neighbouring flats, burst pipes, flooded bathrooms or kitchens, and water damage to flooring, furniture, and electrical items. We obtain surveyor evidence, assess property damage, and seek compensation for inconvenience and for replacing damaged belongings.
These claims include no heating during winter, unreliable boilers, intermittent or absent hot water, dangerous wiring or exposed cables, and faulty radiators or storage heaters. These issues are particularly serious for vulnerable tenants, elderly occupants, and families with young children. In urgent cases, we can seek emergency or interim court orders.
Structural issues include cracked walls and ceilings, unsafe balconies or stairs, falling plaster, collapsed ceilings, and defective windows or doors affecting security. We treat these cases as a priority and take decisive action where landlords delay or minimise risks.
We handle infestations involving rats, mice, cockroaches, bedbugs, and other pests, as well as sewage leaks, blocked drains, contaminated areas, and persistent smells. Where infestations are linked to disrepair or poor maintenance, we require landlords to resolve the root cause rather than rely on temporary measures.
Council and housing association tenants are often passed between departments without meaningful action. We understand how social landlords operate and how to escalate matters effectively.
We use repair policies and tenancy terms to hold landlords to account, bring formal claims to force repairs and secure compensation, liaise with housing officers and legal teams, obtain expert surveyor reports, and advise on ombudsman or regulatory complaints where appropriate. A dedicated council and housing association disrepair page can be linked here for a full explanation of the process and funding options.
Private tenants often worry that complaining will lead to eviction or rent increases. We advise sensitively on both your legal rights and practical risks.
We review tenancy agreements, assess retaliatory eviction risks, send robust pre-action letters, negotiate repairs and compensation without court where possible, and issue proceedings where landlords refuse to cooperate. A dedicated private tenant housing disrepair page can be linked from this section.
Depending on the case, claims may include enforced repairs, compensation for distress and inconvenience (often calculated as a percentage of rent), rent refunds or reductions, replacement of damaged belongings, recovery of additional expenses such as increased heating costs or temporary accommodation, and health-related losses supported by medical evidence.
We carefully value each claim to ensure you recover everything you are entitled to, not just a minimal offer from the landlord.
The process typically begins with a free initial assessment, followed by a formal letter of claim, an independent expert survey, negotiation and settlement discussions, and court proceedings if required. After settlement, we ensure repairs are actually completed and advise on further steps if landlords fail to comply.
We understand concerns about legal costs. Depending on your circumstances, we may offer no-win, no-fee agreements, damages-based or hybrid arrangements, or fixed-fee stages. You will always receive clear written advice on costs before proceeding.
We are a specialist housing and litigation practice with solicitor-led cases from start to finish. We have extensive experience dealing with councils, housing associations, and private landlords nationwide. Our approach is evidence-driven, strategic, and focused on achieving real results, supported by clear communication and a premium client experience.
Our aim is to put your home right, secure fair compensation, and make the process as stress-free as possible. If you are living with damp, mould, leaks, or other serious disrepair, our specialist housing disrepair solicitors are ready to protect your position and take decisive action on your behalf.
Housing disrepair refers to any situation where a rented property has fallen into poor condition and the landlord has failed to carry out repairs they are legally responsible for within a reasonable time. This includes issues that make your home unsafe or unfit to live in, affect your health such as damp, mould, or cold, damage your belongings, or cause repeated disruption, leaks, or loss of basic services.
Typical housing disrepair problems include damp, black mould and condensation, leaking roofs, ceilings, gutters and pipes, rotting or broken windows and doors, faulty boilers, no heating or hot water, unsafe electrics, broken bathrooms or kitchens, cracked walls, collapsed ceilings, infestations such as rats or bedbugs, trip hazards like loose stairs or railings, damaged communal areas, and poor insulation causing severe cold or draughts.
If you recognise any of these problems and your landlord has ignored you or only carried out temporary or “patch-up” repairs, you may have a strong housing disrepair claim.
We act for council tenants, housing association tenants including ALMOs and other social landlords, private tenants renting from individuals or companies or through letting agents, assured and assured shorthold tenants, and long-term occupiers in social housing who have lived with unresolved disrepair for many years.
Housing law applies differently depending on the type of landlord and tenancy. We assess your situation carefully, identify the correct legal route, and then direct you to our dedicated council or private tenant guidance for the precise procedure that applies to your case.
Although every tenancy is different, landlords in England and Wales generally have legal duties to keep the structure and exterior of the property in repair, including walls, roofs, windows, doors, gutters and external pipes. They must maintain installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water, ensure the property is reasonably free from damp and mould caused by disrepair, keep common parts safe and in good repair, and comply with health and safety requirements such as fire, gas and electrical safety.
Under the fitness for human habitation laws, landlords must also ensure that the property is safe and does not pose a risk to your health. For council and housing association tenants, these duties are often reinforced by tenancy agreements, internal repair policies and regulatory standards. For private tenants, duties arise from statute, common law and the tenancy agreement.
Where landlords fail to meet these obligations, you may be entitled to a court order forcing repairs, compensation for the period you lived with disrepair, and reimbursement for damaged belongings and financial losses.
You do not need to have followed a perfect process to bring a claim, but certain steps can strengthen your case. These include reporting all issues in writing, keeping records of when and how problems were reported, taking clear photographs and videos over time, keeping medical evidence if your health has been affected, retaining receipts for damaged items or additional expenses, and allowing reasonable access for inspections and repairs where it is safe to do so.
If you have not done all of this, do not worry. We can help you gather evidence and advise you on the next steps at any stage of your claim.
Damp and mould are among the most common and serious housing disrepair issues. We regularly deal with black mould on walls and ceilings, damp patches, peeling paint, condensation causing wet walls and windows, mould in children’s bedrooms, and health problems such as asthma, respiratory infections and skin conditions linked to damp.
Landlords often blame condensation or lifestyle issues. We obtain expert evidence to show when damp is caused by structural defects, leaks or poor insulation and challenge unfair attempts to blame tenants.
We act in cases involving repeated leaks from roofs or neighbouring flats, burst pipes, flooded kitchens or bathrooms, and water damage to flooring, furniture and electrical items. We obtain surveyor evidence, value property damage, and pursue compensation for both inconvenience and damaged belongings.
These claims include lack of heating in winter, unreliable boilers, no hot water, dangerous wiring, exposed cables, tripping electrics and faulty radiators or storage heaters. These issues are especially serious for vulnerable tenants, elderly occupants and families with children. In urgent cases, we can take action to force repairs or seek temporary solutions.
Structural disrepair includes cracked walls and ceilings, unsafe balconies or stairs, falling plaster, collapsed ceilings and defective windows or doors affecting security. We treat safety risks as a priority and take firm action where landlords delay or minimise the danger.
We handle claims involving rats, mice, cockroaches, bedbugs and other pests, as well as sewage leaks, blocked drains and unhygienic communal areas. Where infestations are linked to disrepair or poor maintenance, we ensure landlords carry out proper long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes.
Council and housing association tenants are often passed between departments while problems remain unresolved. We understand how social landlords operate and how to escalate matters effectively.
We use repair policies and tenancy terms to hold landlords accountable, bring formal disrepair claims, liaise with housing officers and legal teams, obtain expert surveyor reports, and advise on ombudsman or regulatory complaints where appropriate. A separate, detailed page can be linked here to explain the full council and housing association disrepair process.
Private tenants often worry that complaining will lead to eviction or rent increases. We advise carefully on both your legal rights and the practical risks.
We review your tenancy agreement, check deposit protection and notice requirements, assess the risk of retaliatory eviction, send strong pre-action letters, negotiate repairs and compensation, and issue court proceedings if necessary. A dedicated private tenant disrepair page can be linked from this section.
Depending on your case, you may be able to claim for repairs and remedial works, compensation for distress and inconvenience (often calculated as a percentage of rent), rent refunds or reductions, replacement of damaged belongings, additional expenses such as heating or alternative accommodation, and health-related losses where supported by medical evidence.
We carefully assess and value your claim to ensure you recover everything you are entitled to, not just a minimal offer from the landlord.
The process usually begins with a free initial assessment where we review your situation and explain your options. We then send a formal letter of claim to the landlord, obtain an independent surveyor’s report, negotiate repairs and compensation, and issue court proceedings if a fair settlement cannot be reached. After settlement, we follow up to ensure repairs are actually completed.
We understand concerns about legal costs. Depending on your case, we may offer no win, no fee arrangements, hybrid or damages-based agreements, fixed-fee stages, and clear written advice on costs and deductions before you proceed.
We are a specialist housing and litigation firm with solicitor-led cases from start to finish. We have extensive experience dealing with councils, housing associations and private landlords, take a strategic and evidence-based approach, provide a premium client service, and act for tenants nationwide across England and Wales.
Our aim is to get your home put right, secure the compensation you deserve, and make the process as straightforward and stress-free as possible. If you are living with serious disrepair, our specialist housing solicitors are ready to protect your position and guide you through the next steps, do contact us.
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