By Olivia Bruce. Last Updated March 2024. If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, this guide is designed to help.
On this page, you will find a guide on how to complain to the housing association and also on how to claim compensation for damage to property or a personal injury. If your home is in disrepair and your housing association has not fulfilled its duty to make critical repairs, it could have caused damage to your personal belongings, and you would be able to claim compensation for this. Similarly, housing repair such as damp and mould can lead to an illness that a personal injury lawyer will be able to claim compensation for as long as the claim is made within the personal injury claims time limit of three years. This guide covers these topics and more.
If you don’t have time to read all of this guide, then simply contact Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804 today, and we will spend some time explaining everything to you, and then move you on to beginning to make your own housing disrepair claim.
Select a Section:
- A Guide to Complaining to The Housing Association
- What Is A Housing Association?
- What Is Housing Disrepair in A Housing Association Home?
- When Could Make A Complaint About Your Housing Association?
- How to Complain About Repairs and Maintenance
- Can You Complain When You Leave Your Home?
- What Evidence Do You Need to Complain About the Housing Association?
- Once You Report A Problem, How Long Do Housing Associations to Address It?
- Following Your Housing Associations Complaints Process
- Taking Your Housing Association to Court for Housing Disrepair
- Housing Association Disrepair Compensation Calculator
- No Win No Fee Complaints Against the Housing Association
- How We Can Help You Complain to Your Housing Association
- Start Your Claim by Calling Us Today
- Useful Links
A Guide to Complaining to The Housing Association
how to complain to the housing association about disrepair
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, this guide is designed to help.
This guide is intended to teach people everything they need to know about the legal process of claiming housing disrepair compensation and what your solicitor will be doing on your behalf to make a for you housing disrepair claim.
Housing disrepair can cause damage in two primary ways. Firstly, damage to your belongings and secondly, it can cause an injury through an accident, or an illness. In the latter case, you will use a personal injury solicitor to make a compensation claim. This guide covers topics including:
- A full definition of what a housing association is, and how they differ from private landlords.
- A description of what housing disrepair is, some of the more common forms it takes, and how it can affect the tenant.
- Information on just when you have the right to make a claim against a housing association for property disrepair.
- A look at the process of making an initial complaint to the housing association about disrepair.
- Info about the situation that will exist when a person has already moved out of their home and wish to claim for housing disrepair in their old home.
- A brief look at the timescale in place that housing associations must work within once some form of housing disrepair has been reported by the tenant.
- A more detailed look at the housing association complaints process and how it works.
- Information about what happens if you cannot reach a settlement with your housing association and your claim for housing disrepair has to go to court.
- A table that gives historically correct estimates of compensation awarded for a range of illnesses and injuries that could be caused by housing disrepair, as well as the most common types of damages you might claim.
- An overview of the claims service that Legal Expert operates and makes available to all residents of the UK. We also detail the Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) that is the underlying fee model of this claims service.
We have tried to explain how to complain to the housing association about disrepair but if you have more questions that are not answered, please call Legal Expert on the phone number at the end of this guide.
What Is A Housing Association?
No guide to making housing association complaints would be complete without a full description of what a housing association is. These are non-profit making enterprises, which own multiple properties, and are in the business of renting these properties out.
Where a private landlord may only have one or a handful of properties, a housing association could potentially be renting out hundreds at a time. All of the profit made from renting goes towards maintaining and improving the properties, as well as extending the property portfolio. Housing association properties that are rented to low-income groups is often given the name social housing. It is the actually non-profit making organisation you would make a claim for housing association compensation against.
Legal Expert can help you with housing association compensation claims, call us on the number down at the end of this guide to find out how we can help you. In the meantime, read on to learn more about how to complain to the housing association about disrepair.
What Is Housing Disrepair in A Housing Association Home?
Source: https://www.permagard.co.uk/advice/damp-in-the-house
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, let’s first look at some related statistics.
The graph above shows just how many homes in the UK suffer from damp, one of the most common reasons that people seek housing disrepair compensation. Of course, damp is a precursor to mould, and mould is also a very common reason for people to seek compensation from landlord for mould. Your housing association compensation policy should cover what the association’s duties are with regard to claiming for required repairs such as damp and mould.
Although damp and mould are together, the most common reasons for people to make a complaint to their housing association, there are many more reasons such as:
- No hot water
- Broken heating
- Faulty electrics
- No gas supply
- Leaking pipes or roof
- Broken windows or doors
There really are many reasons why you may need to claim for housing disrepair against your housing association. Call us here at Legal Expert and tell us what your problem is, and we will let you know whether you have a valid claim or not. You can use the number at the end of this guide to contact us.
When Could Make A Complaint About Your Housing Association?
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, you can use this section to learn more about your eligibility.
Deciding just when to make a complaint to your housing association will come down to just how bad the housing disrepair actually is. For example, if it is the middle of winter and the central heating system has broken down, you will want to complain quickly. However, in your tenancy agreement, you will find information about the maximum timescale that your housing association has to fix certain types of repairs. If this maximum timescale has not run, then you should be reporting the need for a repair, rather than making a complaint about a repair not being carried out.
Legal Expert can help you to claim for housing disrepair from your housing association. Call us on the telephone number down at the end of this guide to proceed.
How to Complain About Repairs and Maintenance
Are you wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair and maintenance issues?
If you need to complain to the housing association, there are three primary methods for doing this. The first method should be used in all cases; the other two will depend on the nature of the housing repair. Also, you can possibly pursue landlord compensation for inconvenience for actually having to make a claim.
The first method is to contact your housing association and follow their formal complaints procedure. This should be detailed in your tenancy agreement.
The second method is to complain to the Housing Ombudsmen Service. A Government body specifically tasked with taking care of the tenants’ rights.
The third method only works for health-threatening housing disrepair. Such as compensation for disrepair example would be serious, health-threatening mould. And in these cases, you can make a complaint to the Environmental Health Department, who deal with any problems that cause a health risk to the public.
In addition to guiding you through how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, Legal Expert can also advise you about the best complaints procedure to follow. For more information, please call us on the number at the bottom of this guide.
Can You Complain When You Leave Your Home?
According to housing ombudsman compensation guidelines, regarding claiming compensation from landlord, if you are forced to move out of your home while the housing association is making repairs, you will be entitled to be compensated for any additional costs.
Furthermore, you will also be able to claim back the cost of moving home from your housing association.
Legal Expert can help with this kind of claim, call us on the phone number at the bottom of this guide to proceed.
What Evidence Do You Need to Complain About the Housing Association?
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, part of the answer to the question is that you should prepare evidence to support your claim, such as:
- Copies of all correspondence between yourself and the housing association discussing the matter.
- Photo and video evidence of the problem.
- Details of any failed attempts at a repair.
- A record of all phone calls regarding the problem.
- Medical records if the housing repair caused a health problem.
- All receipts for anything you have spent to get around the problem in the short-term.
Legal Expert is experienced with complains about housing associations and can help you to claim the housing disrepair compensation you are entitled to. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page to proceed.
Once You Report A Problem, How Long Do Housing Associations to Address It?
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, you should be aware of the limitation periods that could affect your eligibility to claim.
Once you have made a formal complaint to your housing association about housing disrepair, they have a finite time to complete the repairs in. The repair schedule will be laid out in your tenancy agreement and differs between housing associations. Once this time period has run, you will then be able to start a compensation claim.
Legal Expert can help you to make a personal injury claim for an injury or illness caused by housing disrepair. Call us at the number down near the bottom of this page to begin your claim today.
Following Your Housing Associations Complaints Process
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, your housing association will have its own formal complaints procedure. You should have been given details of this procedure when you signed your tenancy agreement. If you don’t have it, call your housing associati0on and ask for a copy in writing.
You must follow this procedure properly, only when this procedure fails to get your housing disrepair fixed, will there be a route to making a compensation claim.
Legal Expert can help you to make personal injury claims for an injury or illness caused by housing disrepair. Call us on the number down near the bottom of this guide to begin your claim today.
Taking Your Housing Association to Court for Housing Disrepair
If you’re thinking about how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, have you considered the chance you might have to go to court?
Once you have completed your housing association complaints procedure, you will then have to wait 8 weeks. During this 8-week period, your housing association should resolve your complaint for you. If it does not, then you will need to bring a claims case against them, which will either be settled out of court, or go to court for judgement.
Legal Expert can help you to take your housing associated to court. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page to find out how we can do this.
Housing Association Disrepair Compensation Calculator
If you’re wondering how to complain to the housing association about disrepair, you may also be wondering how much you could claim.
Rather than offer a personal injury claims calculator, we have presented this table which is based on actual historical amounts paid to people who have suffered a wide range of injuries that could be caused by housing disrepair:
Updated May 2021.
| Complaint | How bad? | More info | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neck injury | Minor – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of the neck. | Up to £139,210 |
| Back injury | Minor – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of the back. | Up to £151,070 |
| Hand injury | Minor – serious | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of one or both hands. | Up to £189,110 |
| Wrist injury | Minor – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of function of one or both wrists. | Up to £56,180 |
| Arm injury | Moderate – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of function of one or both arms. | Up to £122,860 |
| Finger injury | Minor – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of function of one or more fingers. | Up to £85,170 |
| Ankle injury | Minor – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of function of one or both ankles. | Up to £65,420 |
| Foot injury | Minor – very severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of one or both feet. | Up to £189,110 |
| Leg injury | Minor – severe | Here we tend to find symptoms that can range from bruises, lacerations and minor sprains, and the moving through levels of severity all the way up to complete loss of function of one or both legs. | Up to £264,650 |
For a much more accurate estimate of how much you might receive in compensation, much more accurate than a disrepair compensation calculator, call Legal Expert on the telephone number at the end of this guide to find out.
When you claim compensation for housing disrepair against your housing association, your overall settlement will likely include several different types of damages, and these could include but are not limited to:
- General damages – all of the physical issues associated with your injury or illness:
- Pain and hardship – this will relate to the initial injury or illness and also having the short-term treatment applied.
- Long-term suffering – if the recovery from your injury or illness is likely to take a long time and will be painful and traumatic for much of the time.
- Psychological injuries – if your injury or illness was severe enough to cause psychological problems such as anxiety, depression or even post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Permanent disability – if the prognosis for your recovery from the illness or injury is that you will be left with some form of disability that will affect the quality of your life.
- Special damages – all of the non-physical issues associated with your injury or illness:
- Care costs – if you have had to have a nurse tend to you at home, or you have had to hire home help to assist you with your day to day life.
- Travel costs – if you have had to pay to travel to get your injury or illness treated or to deal with anything related to the compensation claims case.
- Medical fees – if you have had to pay for any private treatment for your injury or illness.
- Loss of earnings – if your injury or illness has meant you have had to spend an extended period away from work, and you have lost out on pay because of this.
- Loss of future potential – if your ability to work in your chosen career has been negatively affected due to your illness or injury.
For a much more accurate idea of the kinds of damages, you may be able to claim in your case, contact Legal Expert on the telephone number below and we can tell you what we believe you will be able to claim for. In the meantime, please read on to learn more about how to complain to the housing association about disrepair.
No Win No Fee Complaints Against the Housing Association
Legal Expert offers our No Win No Fee national claims service as the simplest, most risk-free way to make a compensation claim against a housing association for housing disrepair.
Under this type of agreement, you pay absolutely nothing at the start of your claim, and even if we spend many months pursuing your claim, we still won’t charge you a thing. If we fail to claim for you, then we wipe the slate clean, and you pay zero. However, if we do win you a damages settlement, then we will expect you to pay us when you receive your compensation.
Call Legal Expert today on the number below to learn how our claims service can get you the housing disrepair compensation you are entitled to.
How We Can Help You Complain to Your Housing Association
Any questions about how to complain to the housing association about disrepair? Want to get legal help to make your claim?
how to complain to the housing association about disrepair
Legal Expert has a proven track record of winning significant damages settlements from housing associations for housing disrepair on behalf of our clients, and we can do the same for you.
We always do everything we can to get you the most compensation possible but will never do a thing that could put your claim at risk. We use simple English to keep you informed of the status of your claim and to answer any questions you have.
Call us on the number below to find out how the Legal Expert national claims service can help you claim the most compensation possible.
How to complain to the housing association about disrepair FAQs
Is there an ombudsman for housing associations?
Yes, the Housing Ombudsman is an independent organisation that handles complaints about registered social housing providers, such as housing associations, and other landlords or agents.
What powers does the Housing Ombudsman have?
If you want to raise a complaint about your housing association, you can do so with the Housing Ombudsman. However, please note that you can only do this once 8 weeks has passed since the issue in question was responded to.
Once notified, this organisation can work with you and your housing association as part of their early resolutions procedure to prevent any escalation. If this is inadequate in your situation, they may launch an investigation into your complaint, particularly if its complex or there’s more than one issue in question.
Can I claim compensation from my housing association?
Yes, if your housing association has led you to suffer by demonstrating maladministration or some other type of failure, you could be eligible to claim compensation.
How is housing disrepair compensation valued?
As every claim is different, compensation is valued case-by-case. If you’re claiming compensation from the Housing Ombudsman, they will award compensation based on what is fair and proportionate to each case.
How much is compensation?
For a free consultation on how much you could get from making a personal injury claim, please get in touch today.
Do I need a lawyer in order to make a claim?
If you want to make a claim, there’s no legal requirement to have a lawyer but having one could significantly help your chances of securing the compensation you deserve.
Where can I find a lawyer?
Please get in touch with our team at Legal Expert today to see how our panel of personal injury lawyers could assist you.
How can I get in touch with Legal Expert?
Please refer to the contact section earlier in this guide for a variety of options of how to get in touch.
Start Your Claim by Calling Us Today
Are you ready to make a housing disrepair claim against your housing association for housing disrepair? If you are, then Legal Expert can help you. Call us on 0800 073 8804 today, so that we can give you some free legal advice on what we believe your next move should be.
Useful Links
At the link below, you will find details of the Housing Ombudsmen Service and how to make a complaint about your housing association:
Information on the Housing Ombudsmen Service
At the link below, you will find details of the Environment Health Department and how to make a complaint about your housing association:
Information about the Environmental Health Department
At the link below, you will find a full guide to making claims against your landlord:
At the link below, you will find a full guide to making claims for slipping on a wet floor:
A guide to wet floor accident claims
Thanks for reading this guide on how to complain to the housing association about disrepair.
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