Housing Disrepair: Incomplete Repairs
Background – Damp and Mould
Our client moved into a new home in August 2017. Shortly afterwards she noticed damp and mould in the bathroom and reported this to her landlord.
As is often the case, she was told to clean it herself and no inspection was undertaken.
Over the next few months, the problem spread to the hallway, living room and two bedrooms. She reported the problems again, but no inspection was carried out. At a routine inspection, she pointed out the problems and the surveyor agreed that there was a problem that necessitated further enquiries. However, it still took several months for someone to attend the property.
Inadequate repairs – Damp and mould
Eventually, her landlord’s agent attended the property and inspected the damp. They removed the plaster from the walls and applied a treatment to prevent the damp returning in the hallway and living room. However, he did nothing to treat the issues in the bathroom and bedrooms.
Our client contacted her landlord again to request that they send someone back to solve the problems in the other rooms, but they failed to do so.
Claim
Our client contacted us in September 2019. We agreed to help her on a no win no fee basis.
Such claims have rules for how they are to be conducted and having followed these, we instructed an expert surveyor who attended the property to carry out a joint inspection with a surveyor on behalf of her landlord.
At the inspection, the cause of the disrepair was identified. There was a concrete slab that was acting as a bridge for water to pass onto the plaster causing the damp and mould. The correct repairs were agreed between the surveyors and our client’s landlord arranged for these works to be completed within a few weeks of the inspection.
In addition to having her home repaired and decorated where required, our client’s claim settled for more than £1,000 in compensation.