Your landlord must maintain habitability standards and that all equipment is in good working order if you live in a council house, Clarion social housing, or a property owned by a housing association.

When a rented property deteriorates or requires repairs to make it safe and acceptable to live in, the landlord is obligated to ensure that a reasonable living standard is maintained.

Housing disrepair usually consists of the following issues:

• Mould or damp problems
• Pest infestations
• Leaks & water damage
• Broken heating systems
• Faulty electrical wiring
• Internal deterioration
• Gutters, drains, pipes & structural
• Broken kitchen & bathroom fittings

Clarions responsibility

• Walls, ceilings and plaster.
• Internal doors, frames, thresholds, architraves and stops.
• Flooring, floorboards, floor joints and skirting boards.
• Stairs and handrails.
• External door locks and bolts.
• Built-in cupboards.
• Fixing damage caused by our repairs.

Clarions responsibility 

• Storage heaters, convector heaters and electric fires.
• Hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Individual door-entry systems.
• Electrical testing.
• Light fittings.

Clarions responsibility 

• Conducting surveys.
• Cleaning affected areas with fungicidal wash.
• Clearing blocked air vents.
• Cleaning or replacing filters and duct systems in ventilation.
• Installing extractor fans as needed.

Clarions responsibility 

• Removing pests from communal areas.
• Sealing openings that allow pests in to your home.
• Structural surveys if you’ve reported cracking or structural problems.
• Damp and disrepair surveys.
• Woodworm, dry rot and wet rot treatment.
• Removing or containing asbestos identified by an asbestos survey.

Clarions responsibility 

• Keeping the roof watertight.
• Chimney breasts, stacks and flues.
• Gutters, downpipes and gulleys.
• Loft hatches.
• Replacing insulation where we removed it to do work.

Clarions responsibility 

• Keeping windows, doors and walls watertight.
• Misted double glazing.
• Installing window locks for health and safety reasons.
• Patio and balcony doors.
• Conservatories and lean-tos made by us.
• Ironmongery, catches, hinges and stays.

Although your rental agreement might state that the tenant is responsible for repairs, as a landlord you are still held accountable for damage done to doors and windows. Not being kept in good condition, broken windows and doors can cause all sorts of problems like mould growth or safety hazards.

To make sure everything is up to standard, check that exterior windows and doors close properly and don’t have any drafts. Take care of eroded sealants, dysfunctional door handles or locks, rotten window frames along with faulty hinges or glass pieces.

As a social housing renter, you are entitled to a reasonable standard of living. Our social housing disrepair lawyers can help you take action and get the repairs you require, as well as compensation for any losses or pain you have had to endure. If you have an issue with your housing association, it’s critical that you do something about it right away. You might start by submitting a complaint to the organization.

A housing association must ensure that the properties it offers are in good working order and that any concerns with them are promptly addressed. Otherwise, the organization could be held responsible for paying damages as a result of its conduct or inaction.

Our house deterioration experts are sensitive to the physical, emotional, and financial strain that renting poor housing may put on renters.