Scott schedule in housing disrepair claims: what it is and how it works

A Scott schedule is a court document. It lines up two sides' positions on a list of disputed points. In disrepair cases it sets the tenant's and landlord's positions on each item, side by side in one table. Here is what it is and where it fits.

What is a Scott schedule?

A Scott schedule, sometimes called a Scott order schedule, is a table used in civil cases. It records, item by item, what each side says. In a disrepair claim, each row is one item of disrepair.

The columns typically cover:

• The item of disrepair: damp in the bedroom, broken heating, a failed window seal
• The tenant's account of the problem and when it was first reported
• The surveyor's findings
• The landlord's answer to each item: agreed, disputed, or agreed with conditions
• Each side's estimate of the cost or works needed

When is a Scott schedule used?

Not every claim needs one. They appear most when:

• Many items of disrepair exist
• The sides disagree over what is wrong, what caused it, or what should be done
• The claim heads to trial rather than settling first
• The court ordered one

Most simple claims settle by talks before a Scott schedule is ever needed. It is a courtroom preparation tool, not an early one.

Who prepares a Scott schedule?

Usually the tenant's solicitor, working from the surveyor's report. Once drafted, it goes to the landlord. They fill in their own column, answering each item.

That narrows the row. A landlord accepting most items and fighting one or two lets the hearing focus on just those.

What is the link between the Scott schedule and the surveyor's report?

The surveyor's report is the raw material. The surveyor inspects the home. They name each item of disrepair, explain its cause, and set the works needed. The Scott schedule arranges all of that into the side-by-side table.

Do I need to understand a Scott schedule as a tenant?

A solicitor running your claim prepares or reviews the schedule for you. You never write it yourself. It still helps to know:

• The schedule lists every item of disrepair in your claim
• It records the landlord's answer to each
• It shows both sides, and the court, exactly what stays in dispute

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

We help tenants in England with housing disrepair claims on a no-win no-fee basis. Disrepair the landlord failed to fix? We can assess whether a claim stands.

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

• Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims (England) (justice.gov.uk)
• Civil Procedure Rules, Part 35 (experts and assessors) (justice.gov.uk)