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Housing disrepair claims in Sunderland
Sunderland transferred its council housing to Gentoo Group in 2001. Awaab's Law applies in full to Gentoo and every other registered provider operating across the city.
What you need to know about repairs in Sunderland
Sunderland City Council completed a large-scale voluntary transfer of its housing stock to Gentoo Group (then Sunderland Housing Group) in 2001. Gentoo remains the dominant social landlord in the city, with Karbon Homes, Thirteen Group and Bernicia also operating across Wearside and the wider North East.
Awaab's Law (Section 10A LTA 1985, in force 27 October 2025) binds Gentoo and every registered provider to the 24-hour emergency / 10-working-day investigation / 3-working-day written summary / 5-working-day completion timetable. If your landlord misses these deadlines, you may have a claim, and compensation can be pursued through the County Court.
Post-war estates in Hendon, Pennywell, Town End Farm and Hylton Castle are concentrations of stock-transferred homes. Spray-foam insulation retrofits across the region have created a distinct disrepair category where the foam traps moisture in the roof structure. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies to private rentals identically.
Awaab's Law deadlines, in plain English
Awaab's Law started on 27 October 2025. It gives every social landlord in Sunderland firm deadlines to fix dangerous problems once you report them. Here are the deadlines:
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard, make safe | 24 hours |
| Significant hazard, investigate | 10 working days |
| Written summary of findings | 3 working days after investigation |
| Complete the works | 5 working days after written summary |
See the full breakdown of what counts as an emergency vs significant hazard at /law/awaabs-law.
Major landlords in Sunderland
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies to every rented home in Sunderland, social or private. If your landlord is not listed above, the same rights apply.
Explore Sunderland in depth
Has Sunderland council been ignoring your repairs?
If you reported damp, mould, a leak, broken heating or another serious repair more than three months ago and the council has not fixed it, you may be entitled to make a formal housing disrepair claim. The law gives you the right to get the repairs done and to claim compensation for the time you have lived without them.
- No win, no fee. You pay nothing if the claim does not succeed
- Free initial advice. We tell you honestly if you have a case
- FCA-authorised claims management company
- SRA-regulated panel solicitors handle the legal work
How a claim works
- Tell your landlord in writing. First you report the problem to your landlord and ask them to put it right. Keep a copy of what you send and any reply. If they do not sort it out, you may have a claim.
- A no-win-no-fee claim. A panel solicitor takes your case. If you do not win, you pay nothing. If you win, you pay an agreed fee out of your compensation, never out of your own pocket, and we explain it clearly before you start. This is worth thinking about if the problem has gone on a long time, or the landlord keeps ignoring you.
We will tell you honestly whether you have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669. Support for Tenants is a regulated company. We are not a solicitor. Panel solicitors run the cases.
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By: Support for Tenants editorial team
Last updated:
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 22 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.