Disrepair
If the home you live is not in a good condition, this may mean it is not safe or suitable for you to continue to live there. If your home has fallen into disrepair, it can be a concerning time.
Responsibilities
Your landlord is responsible for most major repairs to your home if you rent privately. This includes:
- The structure of the property – walls, roof, window, doors etc.
- Sinks, baths and toilets
- Waterpipes and wiring
- Heating and hot water
- Gas safety
Your tenancy agreement will highlight what repairs you are responsible for however generally this includes minor repairs such as changing light bulbs and unblocking toilets, including fixing anything you have damaged.
Your landlord has to make sure your home is fit for human habitation. Your home might be unfit for human habitation if:
- It has a serious problem with damp or mould, not related to actions you may or may not have taken, such as not using an extractor fan when taking a shower
- You cannot regulate the temperature and it gets much too hot or cold
- It is infested with pests, although pests will not necessarily be the responsibility of your landlord, depending on the cause
- It doesn’t have a safe water supply
- There are serious fire risks, such as no working smoke alarms or windows which do not open
- There are dangerous faults to the gas or electric supply
In turn you should notify your landlord or their agent of any repairs or faults within the property as soon as possible so that they can arrange repairs. If the landlord is responsible for the repair then they should arrange for them to be undertaken in a 'reasonable' amount of time.
If your landlord won’t carry out repairs
Make sure that you report any repairs to the landlord or their agents as soon as possible. It is always best to report these in writing, email or text so that you have a record of them and the response you receive.
Keep paying your rent, even if the landlord is refusing to carry out the repairs.
If the problem is affecting your health and safety (if it is dangerous or making you ill) then you can report your landlord to the Environmental Health Department at the City of Wolverhampton Council.
After taking further details from you, the Environmental Health officer may visit your property to inspect the problem. They can order your landlord to do the repairs if they think it is harmful to your health and safety and there can be penalties for landlords if they do not follow these orders.
If the repairs are 'quick fixes' then it may likely be possible for you to remain in the property whilst the repairs are undertaken.
If your home is found to be unfit for you to live in then you might need to find a new place to live or alternatively, depending on the problems you may need to move out temporarily until the repairs are carried out, after which time you can move back into your home.
What we can do to help
If your home is in a poor state of repair we will speak to your landlord and Environmental Health to see if we can negotiate for the repairs to be undertaken at the earliest possible opportunity.
If Environmental Health deem your property unfit for human habitation, then the support we can provide depends on whether Environmental Health feel that sufficient repairs can be made to rectify the problem and the timescales for this.
If the landlord is co-operative and the repairs can be carried out in a reasonable time frame then you may have to move out of your home for a short while whilst the repairs are undertaken. If you have nowhere to go during this time we may, depending on eligibility be able to provide you with short term accommodation.
If Environmental Health have to take enforcement action against your landlord or the repairs are extensive, then you may not be able to return to your home at all. In this case we will work with you to find alternative long term housing.