Medical evidence in a housing disrepair claim: why it matters

Direct answer

If your home's condition has affected your health, medical evidence can significantly increase your claim, because it supports a personal-injury element on top of the rent-based compensation. Useful evidence includes your medical records, a letter from your doctor, and sometimes an expert medical report. You do not need it to start a claim, but it strengthens one where damp, mould, cold, or hazards made someone unwell.

If the condition of your rented home has affected your health, medical evidence can significantly strengthen your disrepair claim. Here we cover what medical evidence is useful, how to obtain it, and how it is used in a claim.

Why does medical evidence matter in a disrepair claim?

A housing disrepair claim can include compensation for the harm the disrepair has caused you, not just for inconvenience and disruption, but also for health problems caused or made worse by the poor conditions.

For example:

• Respiratory problems caused or worsened by damp and mould
• Skin conditions such as eczema linked to mould exposure
• Mental health difficulties caused by the stress of living in poor conditions
• Illness linked to cold or inadequate heating

If you can show a link between the disrepair and a health problem, you may be entitled to additional compensation for that harm. Medical evidence is what proves that link.

What types of medical evidence are useful?

Records from a health professional. If you have seen a doctor, nurse, or other health professional about symptoms that may be linked to your home conditions, breathing problems, skin conditions, anxiety, their records can be used as evidence. You can request a copy of your medical records.

A letter from your doctor. A letter that notes the link between your symptoms and the conditions in your home is particularly useful. For example: "The patient's asthma has worsened during the period they have been living in damp conditions." You can ask your health professional to write such a letter.

Prescriptions and repeat prescriptions. These can show that you have been treated for a condition over a sustained period of time, which may correspond with the period of disrepair.

Hospital or specialist records. If you or a family member has been admitted to hospital or referred to a specialist for a condition linked to the disrepair, those records can also support the claim.

Mental health records. Anxiety, depression, or stress caused by living in disrepair, particularly if you have been unable to have friends or family visit, or have been unable to sleep because of cold or noise from disrepair, can be compensated. Records from a counsellor, therapist, or psychiatrist may be relevant.

How do I get a letter from my health professional?

You can ask your doctor, nurse, health visitor, or other health professional to write you a letter setting out:

• The condition or symptoms you have been treated for
• The period during which they have treated you
• Whether, in their professional view, the home conditions may have caused or worsened the condition

Health professionals are not always familiar with housing disrepair claims and may be uncertain about what to write. It can help to explain briefly what the letter is for and that you are not asking them to make a legal assessment, just to describe your symptoms and any link to your home that they are aware of.

There may be a small fee for a letter from your doctor, though practices vary.

What if I did not see a doctor at the time?

Many people manage health symptoms without seeing a health professional. This does not prevent a claim, but it does make the medical side of the case harder to prove. If you are currently experiencing symptoms that may be linked to your home, it is worth seeking medical advice now, both for your own health and to create a record.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

We handle housing disrepair claims and can advise you on the evidence needed to support your case, including medical evidence. We work on a no-win, no-fee basis.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home (GOV.UK)