Council House Subsidence: What Tenants Should Do
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 October 2025. Last reviewed and updated 20 April 2026.
Noticed cracks, sticking doors or sloping floors in your council home? Find out what to do, how to report subsidence and when you may be able to make a claim.
You may be able to get the problem investigated and, where appropriate, seek compensation if your council has failed to deal with reported structural problems.
Warning Signs of Subsidence
Diagonal Cracks Over 3mm
Especially around windows and doors, often wider at the top than the bottom
Sticking Doors & Windows
Frames pulled out of square as the building moves, making them hard to open or close
Sloping or Uneven Floors
Floors that feel like they tilt, or gaps appearing where skirting meets the floor
External Brick Cracks
Visible step-shaped cracks in external brickwork or pointing
Gaps Around Frames
New gaps appearing between window or door frames and the surrounding wall
Wallpaper Rippling
Wrinkles or tears in wallpaper that aren't caused by damp
How to Report Subsidence to the Council
Document the Damage
Report It in Writing
Request a Structural Inspection
Follow Up Regularly
Use the Formal Complaints Process
Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman
Make a Housing Disrepair Claim
Reported subsidence but your council hasn't fixed it?
If you've reported cracks, movement or other signs of subsidence and your landlord hasn't taken appropriate action, you may have options.
Start Your ClaimFCA Regulated Claims Management Company FRN: 1030701
No obligation.
Not ready to start your claim?
What to Do: Tenants vs Leaseholders
If You're a Council Tenant
Report any signs of subsidence to your council housing department in writing as soon as you notice them. Email creates a timestamped record of when you raised the issue.
The council is generally responsible for arranging a structural inspection and carrying out the repairs needed to keep the property safe and habitable.
If You're a Leaseholder
Contact your buildings insurance provider directly. Insurers usually manage subsidence claims, instructing surveyors and contractors to investigate the cause.
You should also notify the council so they are aware of any structural issues affecting the wider building.
What Happens if Your Council Does Not Fix Subsidence?
Keep reporting the problem in writing and use your council's complaints process. If the delay continues after your landlord has had notice and a reasonable opportunity to act, the Housing Ombudsman or a specialist adviser may be able to help.
Tenants across England and Wales have brought thousands of housing disrepair claims in recent years where councils and housing associations failed to act on reported structural issues. If your council has been notified and hasn't carried out the necessary repairs in a reasonable time, you may be able to make a disrepair claim. Our panel of fully vetted no win, no fee housing disrepair solicitors specialise in this area.
When Subsidence May Lead to a Claim
If the council has been notified of subsidence and failed to act within a reasonable time, and you have suffered as a result, tenants may be able to seek compensation for:
Damage to belongings caused by structural movement
Inconvenience and disruption from cracks, sloping floors, or stuck doors
Costs of temporary relocation, where applicable
Health impacts caused by the condition of the property
Why Tenants Trust Us With Housing Disrepair Claims
Tell us about your housing problem
Complete our online enquiry form with details of the repairs you have reported and the problems you are experiencing.
Initial eligibility check
We review the information you provide to assess whether your enquiry meets our criteria for onward referral.
Save & Return
Your answers are saved as you go, so you can finish your claim later.
Independent solicitor referral
Where appropriate, we may share your enquiry with an independent specialist housing disrepair law firm. The firm will independently decide whether it can assess your circumstances and take your matter forward.
Has your council ignored cracks or structural damage?
Begin your housing disrepair claim. First, a few questions about your home — then we'll take you through the rest.
Who is your landlord?
Not ready to start your claim?
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.
Evidence That Strengthens a Claim
Dated Photos & Videos
Crack widths over time, sloping floors, and other visible damage
Written Correspondence
Emails and letters showing when you reported the issue and what the council said
Council Inspection Reports
Findings from any surveyors or environmental health officers who visited
Independent Surveyor Reports
Where available, structural reports diagnosing the cause of movement
Receipts
Costs for damaged belongings, replacement furniture, or temporary repairs
Medical Evidence
If structural issues have caused stress, injury, or worsened a health condition
Common Causes of Subsidence
Clay Soil Shrinkage
Clay-rich ground can shrink in long dry spells, pulling foundations downward
Nearby Trees
Large trees and shrubs can extract significant moisture from the soil under foundations
Broken or Leaking Drains
Water from damaged drains can wash away or soften the ground supporting the property
Historic Mining
Properties built over former mine workings can be affected by ground movement below
Poor Original Foundations
Older council stock may have shallow or inadequate foundations for modern conditions
Typical Subsidence Remedies
Monitoring
Tell-tales and surveys over several months to confirm whether the ground is still moving
Tree & Vegetation Management
Pruning or removing trees that are pulling moisture from beneath the foundations
Drain Repairs
Fixing leaking or broken drains that have softened the ground around the property
Underpinning
Reinforcing or extending the foundations to reach more stable ground below
Internal Repairs
Re-plastering, redecorating and easing doors and windows once movement has stopped
Temporary Relocation
The council may need to rehouse you while major structural work takes place
Subsidence repairs can take weeks or months, particularly where underpinning is required. Read more about repair timelines for landlords in England and Wales.
For the bigger picture, read our housing disrepair guide covering your rights and what to do.
Find Help in Your Area
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.