Renting a property can be a fantastic way of having a roof over your head, especially if you are looking to make your first step on the property ladder. However, without owning your own property, you often have to liaise with your landlord to ensure that its upkeep is maintained. In most cases, this relationship goes by without a hitch, with both proactive landlords and tenants being able to work in harmony.

But there can be times when a dispute arises, whether this is over missed payments, general behaviour inside the property, or not handing over the keys once the lease has ended. One of the most common reasons for dispute is if the property is in a state of disrepair – and this our speciality, here at St Helens Law.

If you feel you are unable to live your daily life due to unsatisfactory living conditions, you can take your landlord to court if they fail to act. Boiler on the blink? Taps not providing you with water? A sizeable draft you can’t escape? If your landlord is failing to pay for repairs for any of these issues, we can help.

Have you given the landlord enough time?

The initial discussions that you have with your landlord will tell you a lot about their stance on the matter, and how long you should give them before seeking legal advice. Once you have alerted them to the disrepair in the property, then you should give them a reasonable period of time to action repairs as soon as possible.

Although this can be different depending on the circumstances, we recommend a three-strikes policy. If you have been in touch with your landlord regarding the disrepairs three times and they still show no sign of repairing the damage, then you should look for legal assistance.

Of course, this is all relative, you can perhaps afford to give your landlord longer to repair the fault if it doesn’t have a large impact on your day to day life in the home. But if the matter is affecting your safety or the security of the property, then the landlord should look to address the issue immediately.

Have you gathered all the possible evidence?

To secure the strongest possible evidence for a potential court case, you should look to gather support for your argument. You should record evidence of the disrepair on your phone, so you can show these to the relevant people if and when needed. You should also keep a record of all discussions with your landlord. This is why email may be the best way of contacting them at first, so you have a written transcript of your discussion.

This will help your case against your landlord, as your proactiveness to get the repairs completed as soon as possible – as written in your contract – is shown. This amount of evidence may also persuade your landlord to agree to the repair there and then, as they would be confident of losing the court case.

Then it’s time to call on us!

If you feel like you would benefit from some expert legal advice on what to do next, the team at St Helens Law will happily be of assistance. We can use our experience and knowledge in the field to give you the sensible advice you need at this difficult time. Our expertise and sensitivity allow us to deal with our clients on a case by case basis, meaning you are guaranteed to receive the best possible support from our team.

To get in touch with us today for a chance of disrepair compensation in St Helens, give us a call on 01744 742360 or email us at info@sthelenslaw.co.uk. You can also fill out our online enquiry form to request a FREE 30-minute consultation with one of our friendly staff.