Housing Disrepair Compensation
How disrepair compensation works, what you can claim for, and how it's assessed.
When you've lived with disrepair, compensation does two things: it gets the repairs done, and it puts money back in your pocket for what you've been through. That can include a reduction of the rent you've paid for a home that wasn't up to standard, the cost of belongings ruined by damp or leaks, and an amount for the inconvenience, stress and any health impact. What it's worth depends on how bad the disrepair was and how long you put up with it — we'll give you an honest view of your case.
Reviewed by Sannah Khatoon, Litigation & Housing Disrepair Solicitor · SRA #654258 · Admitted 2018
Disrepair compensation flows from the landlord's breach of their repairing duties — principally section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the fitness standard in the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Where the landlord was told about the problem and failed to repair it within a reasonable time, the law allows you to recover for the loss that breach caused.
In practice a claim usually has a few strands: a reduction of the rent you paid for a home that fell below the standard you were paying for (sometimes assessed as a percentage of rent over the period of disrepair); 'special damages' for out-of-pocket losses such as belongings ruined by damp, mould or leaks and higher heating bills; and general damages for the inconvenience, distress and any ill health. The court will also order the outstanding repairs to be carried out.
How these are valued turns entirely on the evidence and the individual facts — how serious the disrepair was, how long it lasted and how it affected your household. For that reason we don't publish fixed award figures or 'compensation calculators' that promise a set amount; a regulated solicitor gives you a realistic, case-specific assessment once they've seen the evidence.
Time limits apply under the Limitation Act 1980 — generally six years for the disrepair and three years for personal injury — so keeping dated photographs, letters and receipts, and getting advice early, protects both the claim and its value.
How we can help
- Rent reductions for the time you lived with disrepair
- The cost of damaged furniture, clothing and belongings
- Compensation for inconvenience, distress and ill health
- Repairs ordered alongside the compensation
These claims are run on a no-win, no-fee basis by SRA-regulated solicitors, so in suitable cases it costs you nothing up front to find out where you stand. Start your claim using the form and a regulated solicitor will review your situation. We connect you with a regulated firm — we are not a firm of solicitors ourselves.
Frequently asked questions
What can I claim compensation for?
Typically three things together with the repairs: a reduction of the rent you paid while the home was in disrepair; the cost of belongings ruined by damp, mould or leaks and other out-of-pocket losses; and an amount for the inconvenience, distress and any ill health. All of it flows from the landlord's breach of the repairing duties in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
How much is a housing disrepair claim worth?
It depends entirely on the facts — how serious the disrepair was, how long it lasted and how it affected your household — so we don't publish fixed figures or a calculator that promises a set amount. A regulated solicitor gives you a realistic, case-specific estimate once they've reviewed the evidence.
How is a rent reduction worked out?
Compensation for living in a home below standard is often assessed as a proportion of the rent paid over the period of disrepair, reflecting how much of the property was affected and how badly. The exact approach depends on the evidence, which is why an independent survey and a clear record of the problem matter.
How long do I have to claim compensation?
Under the Limitation Act 1980 you generally have up to six years to claim for the disrepair itself and three years for any personal injury caused by it. Keeping dated photos, letters and receipts and getting advice early protects both the claim and its value.
Do I have to go to court to get compensation?
Usually not. Most disrepair claims settle without a hearing once the claim is properly evidenced and put to the landlord under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. If a case does need a hearing, your solicitor handles it for you.
Is there anything to pay up front?
In suitable cases, no. Compensation claims are usually funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement (no win, no fee), often with After the Event insurance covering the other side's costs if the claim fails — so you typically pay nothing unless the claim succeeds. Your solicitor sets out the funding in writing first.
Sources & further reading
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11 (repairing obligations) — legislation.gov.uk ↗
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 — legislation.gov.uk ↗
- Limitation Act 1980 (time limits) — legislation.gov.uk ↗
- Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims (England) — Justice UK ↗
This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Every housing-disrepair case turns on its own facts — speak to a solicitor about your situation. UK Housing Disrepair Solicitors is a connector service: we put tenants in touch with SRA-regulated solicitors, and we are not a firm of solicitors ourselves.