Claim Housing Disrepair: A Comprehensive Guide for Tenants
Housing Repair Help Editorial Team · Reclaim Experts Ltd is a Claims Management Company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1030701. You do not have to use a claims management company to pursue a complaint or explore your legal options. You can report repair problems directly to your landlord. If you have an unresolved housing complaint, eligible tenants can also use the Housing Ombudsman Service free of charge: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/residents/.
Published 15 September 2025. Last reviewed and updated 20 April 2026.
If you're living in a rented property with unresolved repair issues, you're not alone. Thousands of tenants across England and Wales face problems ranging from persistent damp and mould to broken boilers, leaking roofs, and unsafe electrics.
This guide explains what housing disrepair means, common issues, how to report problems, and the steps involved in having a case reviewed by a specialist.
What Is Housing Disrepair?
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords must maintain the structure, exterior, and key installations. When they fail after being notified, tenants may be able to seek repairs and compensation.
Common Housing Disrepair Issues
Damp and Mould
Structural defects, poor ventilation, or leaking pipes causing health problems
Leaking Roofs & Pipes
Water ingress damaging walls, ceilings, and personal belongings
Broken Heating
Landlords must maintain heating systems — broken boilers can make homes uninhabitable
Faulty Electrics
Exposed wiring, broken sockets, and outdated systems posing safety risks
Structural Damage
Cracks, subsidence, damaged floors, and unsafe staircases
Pest Infestations
Rodents and insects indicating underlying structural problems
Council Housing
Council tenants have the same right to safe living conditions
How to Report Disrepair to Your Landlord
Report the Problem in Writing
Keep a Record of All Communication
Allow Reasonable Time for Repairs
Escalate if Necessary
Contact your local council's environmental health department. Read our guide on reporting disrepair to your council.
What Evidence Helps Support a Claim?
Photos & Videos
Dated images showing damage, including close-ups and wider shots
Correspondence
Copies of emails, letters, or messages reporting the problem
Medical Records
If disrepair has affected health, e.g. respiratory issues from mould
Council Reports
Environmental health inspection reports
Receipts & Invoices
Records of costs incurred due to the disrepair
Tenancy Agreement
Outlines landlord obligations for reference
How Cases Are Typically Reviewed
Initial Assessment
Evidence Gathering
Solicitor Review
Resolution
Who is Housing Repair Help?
The facts about who we are, how we work and what you pay, set out plainly.
Who operates the service
Housing Repair Help is a trading style of Reclaim Experts Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 16058317) with its registered office at Innovation Centre, 49 Oxford Street, Leicester, LE1 5XY.
FCA status
Reclaim Experts Ltd is a Claims Management Company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 1030701. You can check its entry on the FCA Register. It is also registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration number ZB869483).
What our role is
We provide free, plain-English information about housing disrepair, run a free eligibility check based on the details and evidence you provide, and help organise photos, reports and correspondence into a clear case file. Housing Repair Help is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation.
What happens after you submit an enquiry
Every enquiry is reviewed against the same criteria before it is passed on: whether the disrepair falls within the landlord's repairing obligations, whether the landlord was told about the problem and given a reasonable chance to fix it, the severity of the problem, the quality of the evidence, and how long it has continued. If your case is not suitable we tell you and point you to free routes such as the Housing Ombudsman Service, Citizens Advice and Shelter.
Our relationship with the solicitor
Suitable cases are introduced to specialist housing disrepair solicitors on our panel. Those firms are independent of us and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They decide whether to take a case on, and any legal advice comes from them once they have been formally instructed and a client care agreement is in place.
How referrals work
When a case is suitable, we pass it to a specialist housing disrepair solicitor on our panel. Reclaim Experts Ltd receives a fee from the solicitor for any successful recommendation. You are never charged for the introduction.
What you pay
You pay nothing to Housing Repair Help. We do not charge tenants a fee for our eligibility check or our introduction service.
What "No Win No Fee" means
The solicitors on our panel may offer to run your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement. Under such an agreement, the solicitor's fee is only payable if your claim succeeds, and is then usually recovered from your compensation. If your claim does not succeed, you do not pay the solicitor a fee for their time. The solicitor will explain the full terms before you sign anything, and you are free to choose a solicitor of your own instead.
Is your landlord ignoring repair issues?
If your landlord has failed to address serious repair problems in your home, you can submit your details to see whether your situation may qualify for further review.
Start Your ClaimFCA Regulated Claims Management Company FRN: 1030701
No obligation.
Not ready to start your claim?
Who Can Claim Housing Disrepair?
You rent your home (privately, from a council, or from a housing association)
There is a disrepair issue that your landlord is responsible for
You have reported the problem to your landlord in writing
Your landlord has failed to carry out repairs within a reasonable time
The disrepair has caused you inconvenience, damage, or health problems
Understanding Your Rights as a Tenant
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places clear responsibilities on landlords. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 further strengthened protections by requiring rented homes are fit for habitation throughout the tenancy.
Protection from retaliation: Under the Deregulation Act 2015, landlords cannot evict tenants for reporting genuine repair issues to the council.
Further Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
This article provides general information about housing issues in England and Wales and does not constitute legal advice. Legal services may be provided by independent solicitors where appropriate.