Leading Problems in Social Housing

Recent research publications from the government (late 2022) show that 21% of social housing tenants were not happy with the maintenance of their home. Damp, mould, and condensation were the most common reasons, given by 55% of residents who were dissatisfied with the maintenance of their home.

Maintenance Problems in Social Housing

The residents survey report shows that 21% of residents were not satisfied with the maintenance of their home.

There were some common reasons for this dissatisfaction:

• 55% gave mould, damp, and condensation as a reason
• 33% gave home insulation as a reason
• 23% gave ventilation as a reason
• 16% gave electrical wiring as a reason

Another government publication suggested that up to 6.2% of social homes in the UK have some level of damp and mould problems. With the number of socially rented households at approximately 4 million, that could be 248,000 home suffering from damp, mould, and condensation.

If a landlord neglects repairs that are needed in a rented property, the tenant may be able to make a housing disrepair claim to get the repairs done. 

Matthew Scanlon, who oversees our housing disrepair cases, commented:

“Nearly every housing disrepair file we have has some form of claim for damp and mould. We often see that some landlords are blaming their tenants for the issues they are having, despite the problem being the result of an issue with the property.” 

Safety, Service, and Repairs

The reports show that there is some dissatisfaction with overall service with overall service, averaging at 18%. Dissatisfaction was higher than average among those living in London, rising to 27%, and among those with a Local Authority landlord.

When it came to repairs, almost a third who had reported a repair were not satisfied with the service they received.

A portion of residents with also not satisfied that their home was safe to live in – 8% of residents felt this way.

We’ve seen an increase in the number of people who want to make a housing disrepair claim because of their dissatisfaction with repairs from their landlord. That may come from residents being unhappy with the quality of repairs, meaning problems such as damp keep coming back. Or, it is often that some landlords are ignoring needed repairs and neglecting the maintenance of their resident’s homes.

Can You Claim For Problems with Social Housing?

If you’re living in social housing and your landlord, whether a council or housing association, is ignoring repairs, you may be able to make a housing disrepair claim.

But, before you do, you must notify your landlord of the disrepair. Give them a chance to make repairs. If they’re still ignoring repairs, then you may be able to start a claim.

Give us a call on 01925 351 350 to find out how we can help you with housing disrepair.