Housing disrepair comes in different forms, such as infestations, leaks, wall cracks, and faulty wiring. One form of disrepair that’s worthy of special mention however, is damp; it does not only cause discomfort to tenants, but also leads to long-term health issues if it is not addressed promptly.
Damp can manifest as a musty smell, or as black spots on your walls and ceiling. It more commonly manifests in older houses that lack ventilation with moisture often stemming from doing household activities such as doing the laundry. It could also be due to stagnant water from clogged drainage in the property or moisture coming from your plants, if you have quite a number of them inside your home.
The moment you notice any sign of dampness, notify your landlord so they can take action right away. However, if your landlord is ignoring repair requests, you can file a damp house disrepair claim and get compensated. You should first pre-qualify the type of dampness in your home, though, as this will affect how much you will be compensated for.
Types of dampness
A leaking roof can result in penetrating damp, a type of disrepair that causes water or moisture to seep through cracks in the walls or ceilings of your abode. If your home has streaks that originate from cracks and seams, then you definitely have this problem.
A flat roof can also cause water to penetrate through the ceiling, especially if there is no guttering that can catch runoff water. A heavy downpour without a roof drainage system can seep its way into a structure, damaging its foundation, causing flooding in the basement and/or the ground floor.
If your wall feels cold and damp to the touch, this is called condensation damp, a common occurrence during winter that is aggravated by a lack of ventilation. Condensation damp causes warm moisture in the air to condense, forming beads of dew on windows and mirrors. This cycle, if it happens regularly, causes mould to form, often accompanied by a musty smell.
Bubbling or peeling paint and tidemarks on walls signify that your flat has a rising damp issue. In such cases, you need to investigate and find the source before you file a damp disrepair claim with your landlord. Rising damp only happens on the ground floor and is caused by moisture travelling up the walls of buildings. Rising damp is more possible when the structure is made out of porous materials such as plaster, clay bricks, and wood.
Illness cause by damp disrepair
Aside from getting compensation for legal costs and repairs, you may also get a personal injury claim if you have incurred health issues like asthma, shortness of breath, fungal infections, and bronchitis. Physical and mental distress such as permanent disabilities and psychological injuries are grounds for a housing disrepair claim if these were caused by the poor conditions in your home .
What else can you get compensated for?
Not all damp is caused by structural damages or originates from the property itself. Some damp disrepair may be caused by tenant slip-ups that lead to a defective drainage or ventilating system. This is why it is crucial to have the disrepair source and cause investigated before proceeding with a compensation claim.
If the cause of disrepair is of no fault of your own, but a long-standing structural problem, you can indeed claim for disrepair compensation.
Tenant rights also specify that you can claim compensation for special damages like travel costs while filing your claim, loss of earnings or reduced earning potential, and medical expenses.
How to claim your damp disrepair compensation
If your landlord keeps ignoring your housing disrepair claim despite constant follow-ups, you should connect with a housing disrepair expert right away. As long as you are within your rights and have given reasonable time for your landlord to take action, it is likely you will get compensated.
How much can I get?
There is no set rule for how much compensation you get for a damp disrepair claim. Each case is unique and the amount is dependent on the extent of the case.
If you have disrepair in your home and your landlord has been ignoring your repair requests, you can get compensated correctly. Disrepair compensation claims need to be coursed through housing disrepair experts so that you are assured of a positive outcome.
Get in touch with disrepairclaim.co.uk now so their panel of experts and solicitors can assist you in getting what your landlord legally owes you.
