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Four steps, honest timings

How a housing disrepair claim works

Damp and mould in a rented home
Call free 0800 030 4669Start a claim

  1. Tell us what is wrong

    2 minutes

    Call 0800 030 4669, WhatsApp us, or fill in the short form. A real person answers. No scripts, no call centre. We ask you about the problem, when it started, and whether you have reported it to your landlord.

    • You do not need to have all your evidence ready. We help you work out what you have.
    • You do not need a diagnosis or a surveyor's report before you call.
    • We accept calls in 13 languages. If you need an interpreter, say so at the start.

  2. We assess your claim, for free

    1 working day

    We check whether your case meets the legal tests: Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, Awaab's Law. We look at your evidence and tell you honestly what we think.

    • If we think you have a strong claim, we say so and explain what happens next.
    • If we think your case is unlikely to succeed, we tell you why and what other routes exist.
    • This assessment is free, with no obligation to continue.

  3. Panel solicitor takes the case on

    1 to 2 weeks

    If your case is accepted, an SRA-regulated solicitor from our panel takes over the legal work. You sign a no-win-no-fee agreement (a Conditional Fee Agreement, or CFA). The solicitor then sends a pre-action protocol letter of claim to your landlord.

    • Your landlord has 20 working days to respond formally.
    • The solicitor may instruct an independent housing condition surveyor to inspect your home. This is usually arranged within a few weeks.
    • You do not need to go to court at this stage. Most landlords begin to engage once they receive the letter.

  4. Settlement or court

    3 to 9 months in most cases

    Most claims settle out of court after the surveyor's report and the landlord's response. The settlement covers compensation for you and requires the landlord to carry out the repairs. If the landlord refuses a reasonable settlement, the solicitor can issue court proceedings.

    • The fee comes out of your compensation, not your own pocket.
    • If you do not win, you pay nothing.
    • At the end, your repairs should be done and you should have received compensation.

Most cases settle out of court

Landlords are required by law to keep your home in repair. When they fail, you are entitled to compensation. This is what our process has helped tenants pursue.

£5.4m
compensation ordered for tenants in one year
26,901
orders made to put things right
40%
of it for damp, mould and leaks
£32,000
the largest single award

Figures from the independent statutory review, Annual Complaints Review 2024 to 2025. These are sector-wide outcomes for social housing tenants in England.

What we do and do not do

We do

  • Assess your claim honestly and for free
  • Connect you with an SRA-regulated panel solicitor
  • Explain the process in plain English
  • Tell you if we think your case will not succeed
  • Point you to free alternatives if a claim is not right
  • Support you in your language if needed

We do not

  • ·Charge you anything before you win
  • ·Pressure you to sign anything quickly
  • ·Promise a result we cannot guarantee
  • ·Make your solicitor's decisions for you
  • ·Accept cases we do not think can succeed
  • ·Cover Scotland or Northern Ireland

Questions about the process

No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you do not win, you pay nothing. Your solicitor's fee agreement (a Conditional Fee Agreement) sets this out in plain English before you sign.
It is the formal process both sides must follow before a housing disrepair case can go to court. The solicitor sends a letter of claim. Your landlord has 20 working days to respond. There is then usually a joint inspection and a period of negotiation. Most cases settle at this stage.
It varies. Simple cases with a clear paper trail and a co-operative landlord can settle in 3 to 4 months. More complex cases, or cases where the landlord disputes everything, can take 9 to 18 months. We give you an honest estimate at the assessment stage.
No. Retaliatory eviction is unlawful. Social housing tenants have very strong security of tenure. Private tenants gained further protection from retaliatory eviction under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which banned Section 21 no-fault evictions from May 2026.
No. You can call before you have gathered any evidence. We help you work out what evidence you have and what else would strengthen the case. The most common evidence is photos, dates of reports, and texts or emails to your landlord.
Usually yes. The solicitor will arrange for an independent housing condition surveyor to visit and produce a report. This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence in any claim. The surveyor visit is arranged for you.
Two things: compensation for the harm you have suffered, and a requirement that your landlord carries out the repairs. The two outcomes are usually linked in a settlement.
Under a proper no-win-no-fee agreement, you pay nothing if the claim is unsuccessful. Some cases settle for less than hoped, or are withdrawn before court. We explain the risks honestly at the start.

More questions? See all FAQs or browse the help centre.

Ready to find out if you have a claim?

Free advice. No upfront cost. A real person will answer, not a robot.

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England and Wales only · We refer you to a panel solicitor

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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