Housing Disrepair Success Stories – Water Penetration, Poor Structure & Rodent Infestation
The Housing Team at Hodge Jones & Allen have been defending the rights of tenants since 1977 and we understand how your life can be turned upside down when a landlord refuses to carry out repairs to your home.
With this blog series, each week we plan to share the details of another successful settlement to show tenants that help to is available to get results and gain compensation.
This week’ Housing Disrepair case is as follows:
We were instructed to deal with a case involving serious housing disrepair. The property suffered from water ingress which led to the partial collapse of two ceilings. There was also evidence of a rodent infestation and there was high levels of damp and moisture.
It is an implied term of the tenancy agreement, pursuant to Section 11 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 that her landlord would keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling house. The landlord also owes a duty of care to their tenants, by virtue of Section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972, in that occupiers are not reasonably safe from personal injury or from damage to their property.
The conditions of the property also constituted a statutory nuisance under Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and is uninhabitable within the provisions of Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
Hodge Jones & Allen prepared a detailed Letter of Claim that was sent to the landlord. In addition, instructions were prepared and sent to an independent surveyor to attend the property and provide a report on the conditions of the property.
Upon receipt of the surveyor’s report, an updated Letter of Claim was sent to the landlord. The landlord did not provide prompt responses to Hodge Jones & Allen however negotiations were entered into regarding damages and costs.
Our Housing Team is ranked tier 1 by Legal 500 and Chambers UK legal directories. The team are seen as an industry leader in social housing law. Dedicated to providing exceptional service for all of its clients in disrepair, possession and homelessness. The Housing Team are recognised for their advancement of the law in high profile cases in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
If you need help with housing disrepair, you can try our housing disrepair compensation calculator or talk to our housing law specialists today. Call us on 0330 822 3451 or request a call back.
