Key points
- Housing associations must keep your home in repair and fit to live in.
- As social landlords, they must also meet the deadlines of Awaab's Law.
- You can claim once they know about a problem and have not fixed it in a reasonable time.
- No Win, No Fee, with nothing to pay upfront.
What your housing association has to repair
Your housing association must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair, including the roof, walls, windows, gutters and drains, and keep the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water in repair and working order.
Your home must also be fit to live in throughout your tenancy. Your tenancy agreement may give you further rights, such as target times for different kinds of repair. If you live in a block, shared areas such as the roof, stairwells and communal pipes are usually its responsibility too.
Awaab's Law
Since 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law has set legal deadlines for social landlords in England, including housing associations. They must deal with emergency hazards within 24 hours, and must investigate and fix damp and mould that poses a significant risk to health within strict timescales, keeping you informed along the way.
The law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 after long exposure to mould in his family's housing association flat. If your housing association has missed these deadlines, that can strengthen a claim.
Common problems we see
- Damp and mould, and being told it is condensation from daily living
- Leaks from roofs, windows, pipes and neighbouring flats
- Boilers and heating that break down again and again
- Contractors who do not turn up, or repairs that do not last
- Problems passed between departments or contractors without anyone taking charge
Complaints, the Ombudsman and a disrepair claim
You can complain to your housing association and, if you are not happy with the answer, to the Housing Ombudsman. This is free, but it can take months, and any payment is usually modest.
A housing disrepair claim is a legal claim. It can lead to a binding agreement or court order to do the repairs, plus compensation. You do not have to complete the complaints process first. We will tell you which route makes most sense for you.
What a claim can get you
- Repairs that fix the cause of the problem, not a quick patch
- Compensation for living with the disrepair
- The value of damaged belongings and extra costs, such as heating or cleaning
Compensation is usually based on your rent, how serious the problems were and how long they lasted after your housing association knew about them.
How a claim works
We start with a free check of your situation. If you have a claim, we send your housing association a formal letter of claim under the court's Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. It usually has 20 working days to respond, and a surveyor may inspect your home. Most claims settle without going to court. We deal with your landlord for you from start to finish.
What you can do now
- Report problems in writing or through the online repairs system and keep the reference numbers
- Take dated photos and videos of the problems and damaged belongings
- Keep a log of missed appointments, visits and phone calls
- Keep receipts for anything you had to buy or replace
This page explains the law in England. If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the rules are different, so give us a call.
Frequently asked questions
Can my housing association evict me for making a claim?
Most housing association tenants have an assured tenancy, so the landlord needs a legal reason and a court order to end it. Making a genuine disrepair claim is not one of those reasons.
Do I have to complain to the Housing Ombudsman first?
No. A disrepair claim is separate from the complaints process. You can make a claim without going to the Ombudsman.
What if I have a shared ownership home?
Shared owners usually have a lease with different repair rules, and are often responsible for more of the repairs themselves. Call us and we will check your situation.
Can I claim if I am behind with my rent?
Often, yes. Tell us about any arrears at the start, because your housing association may ask for them to be taken off any compensation.