HOUSING DISREPAIR CLAIMS

Situation: Can You Claim for Housing Disrepair?

If you’re renting a property and your landlord has failed to keep it in a safe and livable condition, you may be legally entitled to make a housing disrepair claim.

This includes serious issues like damp, mould, leaks, electrical hazards, pest infestations, or structural problems. Your landlord has a legal duty to fix these — and ignoring them could make them liable.

Quaerens helps tenants across Europe — in both social housing and private rentals — take action and get compensation, with no win, no fee support for eligible claims.

What Is Housing Disrepair?

Housing disrepair occurs when a property that is rented to a tenant falls below acceptable living standards due to the landlord’s failure to carry out necessary repairs.

• ✅ Damp, mould, or leaks – These issues often result from poor ventilation or broken plumbing. They can damage your belongings and pose serious health risks, especially to children, the elderly, or people with respiratory conditions.
• ✅ Broken heating or hot water systems – Landlords are legally required to provide working heating and hot water. If these systems are faulty, especially in winter, it can be both dangerous and extremely uncomfortable.
• ✅ Cracked walls, ceilings or unsafe flooring – Structural problems like cracks or unstable floors can be a sign of deeper issues and may lead to accidents or further property damage.
• ✅ Pest infestations – Infestations of rodents, cockroaches, or insects indicate the property isn’t being properly maintained. This can cause health issues and distress to tenants.
• ✅ Faulty electrical wiring or lighting – Dangerous or outdated wiring can lead to electrical shocks, power outages, or even fires. This is a critical safety hazard.
• ✅ Blocked drainage or sewage issues – When drains are blocked or toilets overflow, it creates unsanitary living conditions. This is not just unpleasant but also a serious health concern.
• ✅ Structural damage affecting safety or health – Major issues like a leaking roof, crumbling brickwork, or weakened support beams can make a home unsafe to live in and should be urgently addressed.

If you have reported these or similar issues to your landlord and they haven’t fixed them within a reasonable time, you may be legally entitled to have the repairs carried out and receive compensation for the inconvenience, health effects, or property damage suffered.

Your Rights as a Tenant

Across the EU and UK, tenants are protected by housing legislation which requires landlords to uphold certain minimum standards. These laws exist to ensure that your home is safe, healthy, and livable.

• Keep the property structurally sound and safe – This means your landlord must ensure that the building is stable and secure. Roofs, walls, ceilings, and stairs should not be at risk of collapse or present any danger to you or your family.
• Ensure essential services like heating, plumbing, and electricity are working – You have a legal right to live in a property with functioning heating (especially in cold months), running water, and safe electrical wiring. If any of these systems fail, your landlord must take action quickly.
• Carry out repairs within a reasonable time once a problem is reported – Once you've informed your landlord (preferably in writing), they are legally obliged to fix issues in a timely manner. What’s considered “reasonable” depends on the severity—for example, no heating in winter should be treated as urgent.

In the UK, these responsibilities are specifically defined by important legal frameworks, including:

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 – Requires landlords to keep the structure and exterior of the property in good repair and to maintain installations for water, gas, electricity, heating, and sanitation.
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 – Gives tenants the power to take landlords to court if their rented property is not fit to live in due to hazards such as mould, damp, overcrowding, or infestation.

Similar laws exist across Europe under national housing and consumer protection rules. These ensure that all tenants, regardless of country, have the right to a home that meets basic health and safety standards. If your landlord fails to meet these obligations, you may be eligible for legal remedies and compensation.

What Can You Claim?

If your landlord has failed to carry out essential repairs or maintain the property to a safe and livable standard, you may be entitled to the following types of compensation and legal remedies:

• Repairs – court-ordered repairs or injunctions
  If your landlord ignores repair requests, the court can issue an order (known as an “injunction”) forcing them to complete the necessary work. This ensures that your home is brought back to a safe and habitable condition.
• Compensation – for inconvenience, stress, and health impacts
  You can claim money for the disruption caused by the disrepair, such as loss of use of rooms, emotional distress, poor living conditions, or any suffering caused by prolonged issues like damp or unsafe wiring.
• Financial loss – if your belongings were damaged by disrepair
  If mould, leaks, or structural faults have damaged your furniture, clothes, electronics, or other possessions, you may be entitled to reimbursement for the cost of replacement or repairs.
• Injury or illness – where damp, mould or other issues caused health problems
  Poor housing conditions can cause or worsen asthma, respiratory infections, skin conditions, and other illnesses. If you or your family became ill because of housing disrepair, you can include this in your claim, often supported by medical evidence.

Importantly, you don’t have to move out to make a claim. You have a legal right to take action even while still living in the property. Your landlord cannot legally evict you for starting a disrepair claim – this would be considered retaliatory and is protected against by law.

Do You Qualify?

Not sure if you can make a claim for housing disrepair? You may qualify if the following apply:

• ✅ You’ve reported issues to your landlord and they haven’t fixed them
  You must have informed your landlord (in writing, by phone, or even verbally) about the problems in your home. If they failed to act within a reasonable time, this shows negligence and strengthens your case.
• ✅ The disrepair is affecting your health, safety, or quality of life
  Problems like damp, mould, broken heating, or unsafe wiring don’t just inconvenience you — they can damage your health and well-being. If the issue has made your living conditions difficult, unsafe, or caused stress or illness, you likely qualify.
• ✅ You’ve lived in the property for at least 6 months
  While not a strict rule in all cases, many legal representatives prefer that you’ve had a continuous tenancy of at least six months. This helps demonstrate a pattern of neglect and makes the legal process smoother.

If these apply to you, you may be eligible for repairs and compensation. It’s quick and free to check your case — and remember, your landlord cannot evict you for taking legal action over disrepair.

Why Choose Quaerens?

At Quaerens, we specialise in helping tenants assert their legal rights when landlords fail to maintain safe and livable housing. Here’s why thousands trust us to handle their housing disrepair claims:

• ✅ Experienced Housing Legal Team
  Our team has deep expertise in housing disrepair law across the UK and EU. We work with experienced legal professionals who understand exactly how to handle complex landlord disputes and secure the compensation and repairs you’re entitled to.
• ✅ No Win, No Fee
  You don’t pay us anything upfront. If we don’t win your case, you owe nothing — it's that simple. This makes it completely risk-free for you to pursue justice.
• ✅ Fast Action
  We act quickly, especially when your living conditions pose a health or safety risk. Our goal is to get urgent repairs done without delay — and if needed, we’ll seek court orders to make it happen.
• ✅ Compassionate Support
  You're not just another case. We listen, explain your options clearly, and keep you updated at every stage. Our approach is personal, respectful, and focused on getting real results for you.

With Quaerens on your side, you're backed by experience, driven by results, and supported by people who care. Let us help you live safely and with dignity — starting today.

Start Your Free Claim Assessment
We’re here to help. At Quaerens, our team will review your case, gather evidence, and pursue justice on your behalf.

👉 Upload photos of the disrepair and describe the issues in our online form

👉 Get expert legal support with zero upfront cost

👉 Take action today. You have rights – and we’re here to enforce them.