Glossary
Housing and legal terms in plain English. 74 entries. If a term you need is missing, email us and we'll add it.
- Abatement order
- An order issued by the Magistrates' Court under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, requiring a landlord to remedy a statutory nuisance (such as serious damp, pests, or sewage problems) within a fixed period. Non-compliance can result in a fine and daily penalties.Law topic: environmental protection act section 82Open the term page
- ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation)
- A company set up by a local council to manage its social housing, while the council keeps ownership of the properties. ALMOs have the same landlord duties as the council under Section 11 and Awaab's Law.Open the term page
- ARLA (now ARLA Propertymark)
- The main professional body for UK letting agents. ARLA-registered agents are bound by a code of conduct and a client money protection scheme. Useful to mention in complaints about private letting agents, they may be subject to ARLA disciplinary procedures.Open the term page
- ASB (Antisocial behaviour)
- Behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress, like persistent noise or threats. Reported to your landlord's ASB team, the council, or the police, depending on what is going on. Not housing disrepair.Open the term page
- Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST)
- The standard form of private tenancy in England since 1989. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is phasing ASTs out and replacing them with periodic tenancies.Open the term page
- ATE insurance (After-The-Event)
- Insurance that covers the risk you'll have to pay your landlord's costs if your claim fails. The premium is typically only payable if you win, so it doesn't come out of your pocket.Related terms: Abatement order, ARLA (now ARLA Propertymark), Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST)Open the term page
- Awaab's Law
- The popular name for sections of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 that came into force in October 2025. Requires social landlords to make emergency hazards safe within 24 hours, and to investigate significant hazards within 10 working days then complete the safety work within 5 working days of the investigation ending. They must also send the tenant a written summary of findings within 3 working days of the investigation, a window that runs at the same time as the 5-day works window.Law topic: awaabs lawOpen the term page
- Category 1 hazard
- Under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), a hazard that poses a serious or immediate risk to health or safety, such as severe damp and mould, extreme cold, or exposed wiring. The council must take action against a Category 1 hazard.Related terms: Maladministration, Prohibition orderOpen the term page
- Category 2 hazard
- Under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), a hazard that poses a lower but still significant risk, such as minor trip hazards or inadequate ventilation. The council has a power (but not a duty) to take action.Related terms: Category 1 hazard, Maladministration, Prohibition orderOpen the term page
- CMC (Claims Management Company)
- A business that identifies, screens and packages legal claims and refers them to a regulated solicitor. CMCs in the UK must be authorised by the FCA. Support for Tenants is a CMC.Related terms: SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority)Open the term page
- Complaint Handling Code
- The Housing Ombudsman's statutory code (mandatory since April 2024) setting out how social landlords must handle complaints. Requires a two-stage process with set timescales: 5 working days to acknowledge, 10 working days for Stage 1, 20 working days for Stage 2. Non-compliance can be reported to the Ombudsman.Law topic: housing ombudsmanRelated terms: ARLA (now ARLA Propertymark), Dehumidifier, HygrometerOpen the term page
- Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)
- The technical name for a no-win-no-fee arrangement. You don't pay if you lose; if you win, the solicitor takes a fee out of your compensation, never out of your own pocket, and that fee is capped by law.Related terms: No win, no feeOpen the term page
- Contract holder
- The Welsh equivalent of 'tenant' under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. If you rent in Wales since December 2022, you are a contract holder, not a tenant.Related terms: NICEIC, Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, Section 173 (Welsh no-fault notice)Open the term page
- Decent Homes Standard
- A government benchmark requiring social housing to be free from serious hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities, and provide thermal comfort. Social landlords are assessed against it by the Regulator of Social Housing.Related terms: WHQS2 (Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2)Open the term page
- Defective Premises Act 1972
- The Act that places a duty on whoever built or sold you a home to ensure it was built or supplied with reasonable care. Sometimes used in post-completion claims after Right to Buy.Open the term page
- Dehumidifier
- Domestic appliance that removes moisture from indoor air. Useful for managing condensation but NOT a fix for penetrating or rising damp. Landlords sometimes offer one to deflect from a structural repair, accept it but don't let it close the complaint.Open the term page
- Deposit protection
- Tenancy deposits in England and Wales must be protected in one of three government-approved schemes (DPS, MyDeposits, TDS) within 30 days of receipt. Failure to protect can void Section 21 notices and entitle the tenant to compensation of 1-3x the deposit.Open the term page
- DFG (Disabled Facilities Grant)
- A means-tested council grant to help pay for changes to a home so a disabled person can live there safely, like a stairlift, ramp or accessible bathroom. Capped at £30,000 in England.Open the term page
- Disrepair
- The legal term for a property falling below the condition required by the tenancy agreement or by statute. Includes damp, mould, broken heating, leaks, structural defects, and more.Related terms: ASB (Antisocial behaviour), LASPO 2012, Mutual exchangeOpen the term page
- EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
- A safety check on the fixed electrics in a home, carried out by a qualified electrician. Private landlords in England must have one at least every five years and give the tenant a copy. Sometimes wrongly called an EIRC.Related terms: NICEICOpen the term page
- Environmental health officer (EHO)
- A local council officer who can inspect private and social housing for hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). They have powers to serve improvement notices and emergency prohibition orders on landlords who ignore serious hazards.Related terms: Abatement order, Improvement notice, Statutory nuisanceOpen the term page
- EPA Section 82 (Environmental Protection Act 1990)
- A route a tenant can use to take a landlord to the Magistrates' Court if the home is a statutory nuisance, like serious damp or sewage smells. You usually have to give the landlord 21 days' written notice first.Related terms: ASB (Antisocial behaviour), Decent Homes Standard, DehumidifierOpen the term page
- EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
- A rating of how energy-efficient a home is, from A (most efficient) to G (least). Private landlords usually cannot let a home rated F or G under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) rules.Related terms: MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard)Open the term page
- FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)
- The UK regulator for financial services firms, including claims management companies. Support for Tenants is authorised under FCA Reg No. 1020217.Related terms: CMC (Claims Management Company), SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority)Open the term page
- FFHH Act (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018)
- Requires every rented home in England to be fit for human habitation at the start and throughout the tenancy. Adds direct tenant enforcement rights to the historic Section 11 duty.Law topic: fitness for human habitation actOpen the term page
- Freeholder
- The person or company that owns the building outright. In a block of flats, the freeholder is responsible for the structure, roof, external walls, and communal areas under the terms of the leases.Related terms: Ground rent, Leaseholder, Service chargeOpen the term page
- Gas safety certificate (CP12)
- Annual safety check landlords must arrange for any gas appliance in your home, carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You must be given a copy within 28 days. Missing or expired CP12 can void Section 21 and is itself a serious breach.Related terms: Section 11Open the term page
- Ground rent
- An annual payment many leaseholders pay to their freeholder. Under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, ground rent on most new residential leases is now capped at zero. Historic ground rents on older leases can still apply.Related terms: Section 8 noticeOpen the term page
- HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System)
- The framework that defines 29 categories of housing hazard. Used by local authorities and by Awaab's Law to decide what counts as a serious hazard requiring rapid action.Related terms: Category 1 hazard, Category 2 hazard, Environmental health officer (EHO)Open the term page
- HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)
- A property let to 3+ tenants from 2+ households (typically sharing kitchen/bathroom). Most HMOs need a licence from the council. HMO landlords have stricter safety duties (fire alarms, escape routes, room sizes).Open the term page
- Hygrometer
- Small device that measures humidity (£10-20). Useful evidence in damp/mould complaints: take readings in affected rooms at multiple times and dates. Over 60% sustained humidity indicates a problem requiring landlord action.Open the term page
- ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)
- The UK regulator for data protection. Support for Tenants is registered with the ICO (No. ZB796409).Open the term page
- Improvement notice
- A formal notice from the local council's environmental health team ordering a landlord to fix a specific hazard within a set period. Failing to comply is a criminal offence. Tenants can ask EHOs to issue one if a landlord ignores their reports.Related terms: Environmental health officer (EHO)Open the term page
- Introductory tenancy
- A trial council tenancy lasting 12 months (sometimes extended to 18). It can be ended more easily than a secure tenancy. After the introductory period, if there have been no serious problems, it usually becomes a secure tenancy automatically.Open the term page
- Joint tenancy
- A tenancy held by two or more people together. All joint tenants are equally responsible for the rent and have equal rights to live in the property. Any one joint tenant can end a joint tenancy, though the rules differ depending on the tenancy type.Open the term page
- LASPO 2012
- The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. It removed most housing-disrepair work from legal aid, which is why a free claims-management company plus a no-win-no-fee solicitor is the main route for tenants today.Open the term page
- Leaseholder
- Someone who owns the right to live in a property for a fixed number of years (the 'lease') but not the building itself. The freeholder owns the building and has repair duties for the structure and communal areas under the lease.Related terms: Ground rent, Section 20 consultation, Service chargeOpen the term page
- Maladministration
- When a landlord fails to do something they should have done, or does something they shouldn't. The most serious category is 'severe maladministration', which an independent statutory ruling can find against a landlord.Open the term page
- McKenzie Friend
- An informal supporter who can sit beside you in court, help with notes, and quietly advise you, but not usually speak on your behalf. Many law centres and housing charities provide McKenzie Friends free of charge.Open the term page
- MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard)
- The rules that stop private landlords letting a home with an EPC rating below E, except in narrow exempt cases. Aimed at improving cold and draughty rented homes.Related terms: EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)Open the term page
- MHTR (Mental Health Treatment Requirement)
- A community order from a criminal court that includes treatment for a mental-health condition. Sometimes mentioned by support workers when housing problems and mental-health support overlap.Open the term page
- Mutual exchange
- When two social housing tenants swap homes with their landlords' permission. Both tenancies swap over, so you take on the other tenant's tenancy terms and any disrepair history. You should inspect before you agree.Open the term page
- NICEIC
- National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting. The main certifying body for UK electricians. Landlords must use NICEIC (or equivalent) registered electricians for fixed wiring work. EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is mandatory every 5 years in private rented sector.Open the term page
- No win, no fee
- Informal name for a Conditional Fee Agreement. You pay nothing upfront and nothing if your claim fails. See also ATE insurance.Open the term page
- NRPF (No Recourse to Public Funds)
- An immigration status that stops a person claiming most welfare benefits, including housing benefit. It does not take away the landlord's duty to keep the home in repair, and some council duties still apply to families.Open the term page
- Periodic tenancy
- A tenancy that rolls on month-to-month (or week-to-week) with no fixed end date. From May 2026 under the Renters Rights Act, new private tenancies in England are periodic from day one.Related terms: Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), Renters' Rights Act 2025, Statutory periodic tenancyOpen the term page
- Possession order
- A court order giving a landlord the right to take back their property. A standard possession order does not automatically remove you. A bailiff's warrant is needed for physical removal. You should get legal advice urgently if you receive one.Related terms: Section 8 noticeOpen the term page
- Pre-action protocol (PAP)
- The formal first stage of a court claim. Your solicitor writes to the landlord setting out the claim, the evidence and the remedy sought. The landlord has 21 days to respond. Required before any housing disrepair court claim.Law topic: pre action protocolOpen the term page
- Prohibition order
- A council enforcement tool under the Housing Act 2004, served on a landlord when a Category 1 hazard makes a property unsafe to use. A full prohibition order stops anyone living in the property; a partial order closes specific parts (such as a room). The tenant's tenancy does not automatically end, and the landlord must rehouse them or meet alternative accommodation costs.Law topic: housing act 2004 hhsrsRelated terms: Environmental health officer (EHO)Open the term page
- Registered provider (RP)
- An organisation registered with the Regulator of Social Housing to provide social housing. Housing associations are registered providers. Registration comes with legal obligations on repairs, complaints, and tenant engagement.Related terms: ARLA (now ARLA Propertymark), Gas safety certificate (CP12), ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)Open the term page
- Renters' Rights Act 2025
- The Act that abolishes Section 21 'no-fault' eviction in England, makes all new private tenancies periodic, extends disrepair duties to the private rented sector, and introduces a national landlord database. Phased into force from 1 May 2026.Law topic: renters rights act 2026Related terms: Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), Periodic tenancy, Section 21Open the term page
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
- Welsh legislation that replaced traditional tenancies with 'occupation contracts' and 'contract holders' in December 2022. Welsh equivalent of much (but not all) of English tenancy law.Related terms: Contract holder, Section 173 (Welsh no-fault notice)Open the term page
- Retaliatory eviction
- An eviction carried out because a tenant complained about repairs or reported the landlord to authorities. Retaliatory eviction is unlawful. If a landlord tries to evict you soon after you raise a legitimate complaint, the eviction may be blocked by a court.Law topic: retaliatory evictionOpen the term page
- RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
- The professional body for surveyors in the UK. RICS-qualified surveyors carry the most evidential weight in housing disrepair claims. Their published codes (e.g. on spray foam insulation) are persuasive in court.Related terms: EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report), Surveyor's reportOpen the term page
- Right to Buy
- A scheme that lets eligible council tenants in England buy their home at a discount. The government restricted eligibility and reduced maximum discounts in 2024-26. Right to Buy does not affect your right to a housing disrepair claim.Related terms: Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), Defective Premises Act 1972, FFHH Act (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018)Open the term page
- RSH (Regulator of Social Housing)
- The body that regulates social housing in England. Issues governance (G), viability (V) and consumer (C) gradings from 1 (compliant) to 4 (serious failure). RSH C3 or C4 indicates known consumer-standards problems.Related terms: ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation)Open the term page
- SAR / DSAR (Subject Access Request)
- Your legal right under UK GDPR to ask any organisation (including your landlord or council) for the personal information they hold about you. It is free and they must normally reply within one month. Useful to get your repair history before a disrepair claim.Open the term page
- Schedule of dilapidations
- A surveyor's list of repairs the landlord claims you owe at end of tenancy. Most disputes arise when the schedule confuses fair wear and tear with damage. You're not liable for normal use deterioration.Related terms: Section 8 noticeOpen the term page
- Schedule of works
- A surveyor's itemised list of what needs to be repaired in a property, with costs and priorities. The central piece of evidence in most housing disrepair claims.Related terms: Schedule of dilapidations, Section 8 noticeOpen the term page
- Section 11
- Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Places a duty on landlords of properties let for less than 7 years to keep the structure and exterior in repair, and the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating in working order.Law topic: section 11 landlord tenant actRelated terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Section 173 (Welsh no-fault notice)
- The Welsh equivalent of a no-fault eviction notice, under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. The landlord must give at least six months' notice and cannot serve it in the first six months of the contract.Related terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Section 184 (Homelessness decision)
- Under the Housing Act 1996, after a homelessness application the council must give a written decision on whether they accept a duty to help you. You can ask for a review if you do not agree.Related terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Section 20 consultation
- The three-stage process landlords must follow before carrying out major works costing more than £250 per leaseholder. If a landlord skips consultation, the leaseholder's liability is capped at £250 per job. Governed by Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.Related terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Section 202 (Suitability review)
- Under the Housing Act 1996, a person placed in temporary accommodation can ask the council to review whether the home is suitable. You usually have 21 days to ask, in writing.Related terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Section 21
- The 'no-fault eviction' clause of the Housing Act 1988. Allowed private landlords to evict ASTs with two months' notice and no reason. Abolished by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (in force from 1 May 2026).Related terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Section 8 notice
- A formal eviction notice a landlord must serve before applying to court under one of the legal grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. Ground 8 (two months' rent arrears) is mandatory; the court must grant possession if it is proven.Related terms: Abatement order, ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's LawOpen the term page
- Service charge
- Charges a leaseholder pays to the freeholder for shared services and maintenance. Disputes about service charges are separate from disrepair claims, but often arise alongside them.Related terms: FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)Open the term page
- Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (SHRA)
- The Act that gave the Regulator of Social Housing new powers to inspect social landlords, issue enforcement notices, and appoint managers to failing landlords. It also enabled Awaab's Law and introduced the statutory Complaint Handling Code. Often called the Social Housing Act.Law topic: awaabs lawRelated terms: ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), Awaab's Law, Complaint Handling CodeOpen the term page →
- SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority)
- The body that regulates solicitors in England and Wales. Support for Tenants is not an SRA-regulated firm (we're an FCA-regulated CMC), but our panel solicitors are SRA-regulated.Open the term page
- Statutory nuisance
- A condition listed in Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 that is prejudicial to health or a nuisance. Examples include damp and mould affecting health, active pest infestations, sewage smells, and structural conditions making a home unsafe. Tenants can take landlords to the Magistrates' Court under Section 82 EPA 1990 once a 21-day written notice has been sent.Law topic: environmental protection act section 82Related terms: Abatement order, Complaint Handling Code, EPA Section 82 (Environmental Protection Act 1990)Open the term page
- Statutory periodic tenancy
- The tenancy type that a fixed-term AST automatically becomes when it expires, if neither side ends it. It runs from week to week or month to month, depending on how rent is paid. Most private tenants are in a statutory periodic tenancy without realising it.Related terms: Abatement order, Complaint Handling Code, EPA Section 82 (Environmental Protection Act 1990)Open the term page
- Surveyor's report
- An independent assessment of a property's condition. In disrepair claims, the surveyor's report (paid for by your solicitor or as part of the case) is usually the central piece of evidence. RICS-qualified surveyors carry the most weight in court.Related terms: RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)Open the term page
- TSM (Tenant Satisfaction Measures)
- A set of 22 measures social landlords must publish from April 2023 covering repairs, complaints, building safety and tenant engagement. Published TSMs are useful evidence in any disrepair complaint or claim.Open the term page
- WHQS2 (Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2)
- The standard Welsh social landlords must meet by 2034. Covers things like thermal efficiency, safety, and fitness for purpose. Equivalent (but not identical) to England's Decent Homes Standard.Open the term page
By: Support for Tenants editorial team
Last updated:
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.
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