Housing Disrepair Success Stories – Payment of Damages Awarded to Vulnerable Client
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 make 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.
We were instructed to deal with a case involving serious housing disrepair, which included leaks and water ingress, inadequate heating, holes in the structure and sewage backing up. The tenant suffered from serious physical mobility issues as well as serious mental health issues. The landlord initially agreed to renovate the property completely but then reneged on this promise leaving the disrepair untreated.
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 and the installations therein for the supply of gas, water, electricity, sanitation and space heating.
We prepared a detailed Letter of Claim which 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 however they failed to provide a substantive response. Our Housing Team issued proceedings against our client’s landlord for an order for specific performance, damages and costs.
The claim was defended however but shortly before the trial, the clients landlord agreed to carry out all necessary works, pay compensation and pay her legal costs.
The parties agreed upon terms of settlement including payment of damages of £14,950 within 21 days and payment of the clients legal costs.
Siddiq Fazaluddin is a Senior Associate in our leading Housing Team (ranked tier 1 by Legal 500 and Chambers UK legal directories). Siddiq’s own specialist housing skills and expertise are also recognised by the leading legal directory, the Legal 500. Siddiq has earned a reputation for acting for vulnerable clients and obtaining prompt and favourable outcomes for his clients.
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 0808 291 1437 or request a call back.
