By Olivia Patterson. Last updated 7th November 2024. If you want to make housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes, this guide could help.
Have you got a problem with leaky pipes in your home? If you have not been able to use your property properly, or you have suffered an illness due to the water damage, you will be able to make a claim against your landlord if he or she has not acted in a reasonable time. Here at Legal Expert, we can help you to secure compensation if such a scenario happens to you. We have helped many different people to get the payout they deserve.
You can call us today on 0800 073 8804 for more information. However, before you give us a ring, please make sure you keep reading to find out more about leaking pipes housing disrepair claims. You will learn exactly how to claim compensation from your landlord, plus much more.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Leaking Pipes Housing Disrepair Claims
- What Are Your Landlord’s Legal Obligations?
- Landlord Repairs In Reasonable Time
- Keeping Records For Your Housing Disrepair Compensation Claim
- Claiming For Damage To Your Health
- Leaking Pipes Housing Disrepair Claims Compensation Calculator
- No Win No Fee Housing Disrepair Compensation Claims
- Speak To Legal Expert Today
- Resources And Useful Links
A Guide To Leaking Pipes Housing Disrepair Claims
If you want to make housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes, this guide could help.
If your belongings have been damaged due to leaky pipes, it can be incredibly frustrating for you as a tenant. It can be even more frustrating if your health has been hindered as a consequence of the aforementioned leakages. If you have suffered due to leaking pipes and your landlord has not acted as quickly as he or she should have, there is a very high chance that you are going to be entitled to compensation, which is the reason why we have decided to produce this guide that covers the subject in detail.
In this guide, we will reveal everything you need to know about making such a claim and the housing disrepair law that is in place. We will explain what your landlord’s legal obligations are and whether or not he or she is at fault for what has happened. We will also give you an understanding regarding the amount of compensation you could receive, as well as explaining why using a housing disrepair compensation calculator is something that should be done with caution.
You will also find out about our service and what we can do for you. If you still have queries by the time you finish reading this guide, you will find our contact information so that you can get in touch with us for more details.
Signs Of Leaky Pipes
Before we look at housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes, let’s look at signs of leaky pipes.
There are many different signs that you could have a problem with leaky pipes in your home. This includes the following:
- Persistent odour – If you have noticed a mildew, musty-like smell, this is an indication that you have water damage in your home. While you may be able to detect where the smell is coming from, it is not always evident.
- Discolouring to the wallpaper or paint in the property – Paint will be beginning to show signs of damage when moisture starts to seep into your walls. You may even see warping, cracks, blistering, discolouration, and peeling. Since wood and drywall both absorb moisture with ease, the water breaks down the fibres, which causes it to feel soft and spongy. If you notice signs of peeling, changing wall paint, or chalky textures, then it is likely the culprit is water damage.
- Damaged flooring – Water damage in the bathroom usually only happens because of a leak. Hidden water can also be the source if there is cracking, staining, and buckling. Other signs of water damage include loose tiles, soft flooring, spongy flooring, and wet spots. Issues like this all need to be looked into as soon as possible, no matter whether the water has travelled from somewhere else or it has been caused from a pipe underneath the floor.
- Rusty pipes, appliances, and fuse boxes – Flaking, dimpling, stains, and discolouration are all signs that there is corrosion on your pipes. If you notice that your pipes have rusted, then water damage is almost certain. If the fuse box has started to gather moisture or rust, this is another massive warning sign that you have a big problem.
- Ceiling stains – Last but not least, another big sign that there is a problem with leaky pipes in your home is ceiling stains. Despite what your mum may have told you when you were growing up, if you spill water on the floor out of the bath, it does not seep through the ceiling. However, if the internal pipes that carry the water are damaged, then this can cause ceiling damage. Over time, the beams in your property will be weakened. This results in sagging ceilings. If you notice any dark, copper, or brown stains, you definitely have some sort of problem.
What Are Your Landlord’s Legal Obligations?
There are two different types of claims that can be made if you have leaking pipes in your rental property. You could make a housing disrepair claim for the damage to the property and then a personal injury claim for the harm caused by that damage. We have summarised both of the claims below.
Landlords are required to keep the building structure, outdoor areas, utility supplies, sanitation and heating installations in good repair, as per Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Therefore, you could make a housing disrepair claim if:
- The landlord was informed of a fault within the property.
- No action was taken to repair the known fault within a reasonable time.
A landlord can also be liable for injuries that a caused by a fault within the property, as per Section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972. To make a personal injury claim, you will need to show:
- The landlord had direct knowledge of a fault and did not complete the repair OR
- Failed to adequately investigate the property for defects.
- As a result of this, you suffered illness or injury due to the defect.
To inquire further about leaking pipes housing disrepair claims or to get your eligibility to seek compensation assessed for free, contact our advisors using the details provided below.
Landlord Repairs In Reasonable Time
If you refer to the housing association compensation policy, there is no deadline in place regarding when your landlord has to complete a repair back. It is simply started that a landlord most complete work within ‘reasonable’ time. This all depends on the severity of the issue and how it is impacting your life. For example, if a pipe was to leak and it was flooding the house, reasonable time for action to be taken would be within the same day. If a pipe problem was stopping you from getting hot water, reasonable time in the summer may be a week, yet in the winter it may be 24 hours. You can refer to landlord regulations that are in place for further information on this.
Keeping Records For Your Housing Disrepair Compensation Claim
In order to support your housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes, you should keep records. This could include the following:
- A report from the environmental health team at the council
- Receipts for any destroyed or damaged items that you have replaced
- Medical records that show how your health has been impacted
- Photographs of the pipe problem
- Emails or letters sent to and from your landlord regarding the issue
Claiming For Damage To Your Health
You will be able to make housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes if you or anyone that lives in the property suffered an illness, injury, or deteriorating health because of it. Please note that these health problems can be mental or physical. We can help you to secure compensation for both.
In order to claim for any health issues, you are going to need to produce your medical report from your doctor. This will document the injuries you have sustained, as well as the prognosis and treatment that is recommended.
The severity of your injury, as well as how long it is going to impact your life and, indeed, what sort of impact it is having, will all be considered when determining how much money you will receive. For example, if the injury was bad enough to leave you unable to work, you will be able to command a bigger payout amount.
Leaking Pipes Housing Disrepair Claims Compensation Calculator
You are probably going to want to know how much compensation you can receive if you make housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes. It is important to note that all cases are different.
Therefore, giving you an exact amount is not possible. Even if you have used a disrepair compensation calculator online, this will only ever provide a rough estimate, so please do keep this in mind. What we can do, though, is give you an understanding regarding average payout amounts, which is what we have put together in the table below.
These figures were taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). A document containing guideline compensation brackets for various injuries.
Compensation Table
We emphasise that this table is intended to be guidance only. The top entry is not a JCG figure.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Guideline Compensation Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Serious Injuries with Substantial Special Damages | Very Serious | Up to £500,000+ |
| Lung Disease | Serious Disability (a) | £122,850 to £165,860 |
| Breathing Difficulties (d) | £38,210 to £66,920 | |
| Bronchitis and Wheezing (e) | £25,380 to £38,210 | |
| Slight Breathlessness (f) | £12,990 to £25,380 | |
| Asthma | Severe and permanent disabling asthma. | £52,550 to £80,240 |
| Chronic asthma with need for an inhaler. | £32,090 to £52,490 | |
| Bronchitis and wheezing. | £23,430 to £32,090 | |
| Relatively mild asthma. | £12,990 to £23,430 | |
| Mild asthma | Up to £6,280 |
Have you failed to see the injury you have sustained in the table above? Don’t worry – you can still make a claim. Simply give us a call to find out more about the amount you may be able to secure.
No Win No Fee Housing Disrepair Compensation Claims
All of our recommended solicitors work on a No Win, No Fee basis when handling housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes. This means that you don’t have to pay any legal fees if they do not manage to secure housing disrepair compensation for you. This lowers the risk that is associated with making a claim by a considerable degree. This also leads to many knock-on benefits.
Firstly, you can be sure of a much better service when you choose us, and this is because our provided solicitors are impacted by the outcome of your case. This also assures you that we will not waste your time. If you went for a solicitor that charged by the hour, there is always the chance that he or she would simply take on your case to take your money, irrespective of how likely you are to get compensation. However, we have nothing to gain by this, and thus you can be confident that we will tell you if we do not think your case is likely to result in compensation.
Speak To Legal Expert Today
Are you ready to speak to a member of the Legal Expert team today about making housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes? If so, you can reach us on 0800 073 8804. This is our personal injury claims line, which is open seven days a week, from 9.00 a.m. until 9.00 p.m., so that you can call whenever suits you.
You will speak to one of our friendly and experienced advisors who will happily answer all of your queries. Please note that all of the legal advice we provide is free of charge and there is no obligation to continue with our service. There are also plenty of other ways for you to get in touch with us, including via email and live chat. Head to our contact page for more information on this. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to get the compensation that you deserve.
Resources And Useful Links
We hope that you have found this guide useful on your quest to find out more information about leaking pipes housing disrepair claims. However, if you need extra details, please see below:
Data on leakages – GOV – This link takes you to a UK Government report on the distribution input and supply pipe leakage for 1992/93 to 2010/11.
Disrepair Compensation Guide– This link takes you to our comprehensive guide on council house disrepair claims.
Thanks for reading our guide on housing disrepair compensation claims for leaking pipes.
