Housing Disrepair Helpline

Housing Disrepair Helpline: claims management for tenants and leaseholders in England and Wales

Housing Disrepair Helpline is a claims management company that puts tenants, leaseholders and shared owners in contact with a panel of solicitors specialising in housing disrepair. The service covers claims against housing associations, councils and private freeholders across England and Wales, and operates on a no win, no fee basis. The company presents itself as a free advice line and a gateway to legal action, not as a law firm.

The helpline states that it can help force landlords to carry out repairs and pursue compensation for the period during which the property was in disrepair. It also notes that tenants can make a claim themselves for free through the Housing Ombudsman service, and that its own service is an alternative route with legal representation.

Repair problems covered

The company lists the following issues as grounds for a claim when the landlord has failed to act:

• Damp and mould
• Rodent and pest infestations, including rats, mice and cockroaches
• Flooding and water leaks
• Defects to the structure of the property, such as roof, walls and windows
• Boilers and electrics
• Roof, windows, gutters and drains
• Japanese knotweed
• Right to light
• Communal area failures, such as lifts and stairwells
• Electrical hazards

It also addresses procedural matters such as complaints to the Housing Ombudsman and changing solicitors.

Legal framework cited

The helpline refers to the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and Awaab's Law (2023) as the basis for landlords' obligations. According to its explanation, registered social landlords must investigate damp and mould hazards within 14 days, issue a written repair plan within another 7 days, and begin emergency work within 24 hours for immediate risks. It also cites Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 for structural repairs and the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims as the procedural step before court.

For non-emergency repairs, the company states that tenants must have formally reported the issue and given the landlord a reasonable time to act, which it places at 28 days in most cases. For hazards such as damp and mould that risk health, it refers to the 14-day deadline under Awaab's Law.

How the claims process works

The company describes a five-step process after the initial call:

• Free eligibility check, estimated at 5 minutes, to confirm whether there is a valid claim.
• Instruction of a solicitor from the panel, which the company says can happen the same day, with confirmation of the no win, no fee agreement.
• Sending of a formal pre-action letter under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims.
• Start of repairs, which the company says begin within weeks of the letter in the vast majority of cases, without a court appearance.
• Settlement of compensation once repairs are confirmed, usually without going to court.

The helpline states that the average time from instruction to the start of repairs is 6 to 10 weeks, and that most cases resolve in 3 to 9 months. It also says that the pre-action letter alone often triggers repairs within 4 to 8 weeks.

Compensation and costs

According to the company, a successful claim can cover compensation for living in unacceptable conditions during the period of disrepair, damaged personal belongings such as clothes, furniture and electronics, health impacts caused by damp, mould or other hazards, and out-of-pocket costs incurred because of the disrepair. It states that typical awards range from £1,000 to £20,000 or more for cases involving serious damp, mould or structural issues lasting more than 6 months, and that amounts depend on severity and duration.

On costs, the helpline explains that a conditional fee agreement (CFA) means no upfront payment, no cost if the case is lost, and that if the case is won the landlord pays the legal costs. The solicitor takes up to 25% of the compensation as a success fee, agreed before the case starts. The company also states that clients can cancel at any time before proceedings begin, and that cancellation after that point may incur solicitor costs.

Who can use the service

The helpline addresses several types of occupiers:

• Council tenants, including claims against all London boroughs and councils across England and Wales.
• Housing association tenants, with named experience of providers such as Peabody, L&Q, Clarion, Hyde, Sanctuary, Riverside, Home Group, MTVH, Notting Hill Genesis and Places for People.
• Leaseholders and shared owners whose freeholder, whether a housing association, council or private freeholder, has failed to maintain the structure or communal areas.

It also lists social workers, schools, charities and solicitors among the audiences it addresses. The company states that tenants must be current or recent tenants to claim, and that retaliatory eviction in response to a disrepair claim is unlawful under the Deregulation Act 2015.

Response times and channels

The company says it responds immediately to phone enquiries made between 9am and 9pm, within 24 hours to online enquiries, and within 48 hours to postal enquiries. It offers an online questionnaire, a free phone line, email and WhatsApp as contact channels. It also states that its solicitor panel has resolved thousands of housing disrepair cases across England and Wales and cites a 97% win rate.

The site includes testimonials from tenants and leaseholders describing repairs and compensation obtained, and mentions a television advert. It also states that it is possible to make a claim yourself for free through the Housing Ombudsman service.