By Marlon Redding. Last Updated 16th February 2023. Welcome to our guide to making a compensation claim against a landlord. In 2019, ROSPA reported that 6,000 deaths happened as a result of accidents in the home. This amounts to 17 people dying every day. What’s more, millions of people are admitted to hospital each year, due to accidents that they have suffered in the home, costing the taxpayer and society £45.63 billion a year.
If you are a private homeowner, then you are responsible for the upkeep of your home and provide yourself with a safe living environment. If you are a tenant in a private or council rented property, it is your landlord who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the property. This includes providing you with a safe and hygienic place to live. If you suffered an accident as a result of your landlord neglecting their “duty of care” towards you, which resulted in you becoming injured or ill, you may be able to make a landlord accident claim for compensation. If your landlord has left your house or flat in a state of disrepair, for example in conditions where mould can grow, without hot water, or without heating then you could be able to sue for housing disrepair compensation or landlord compensation for the inconvenience.
Call Legal Helpline today on 0161 696 9685 to see if you are entitled to make a landlord accident claim for compensation. You can claim general damages for the pain and suffering that you have experienced and special damages to compensate you for any expenses that you have endured, such as medical expenses or loss of income, as a result of your injuries. One of our friendly advisors will advise you on how to claim compensation from your landlord and estimate how much compensation you could claim. If you have a legitimate claim, we will provide you with an excellent personal injury solicitor to help you make your compensation claim against a landlord.
Jumpt to a Section:
- A Guide To Claims Against Landlords
- What Injuries Or Illnesses Could A Tenant Suffer?
- What Should You Do If You Become Injured Or Ill Due To Your Landlord’s Actions?
- How To Claim Compensation If Your Accident Was Caused By Your Landlord
- Claiming For Disrepair Leading To Injury or Illness
- Housing Disrepair Claims – Pre Action Protocol For Housing Disrepair
- I Am Claiming Compensation Against My Landlord, What Can I Claim?
- How Much Compensation Could I Be Entitled To Claim From My Current Or Former Landlord
- No Win No Fee Compensation Claims Against A Landlord
- Why Choose Legal Helpline UK To Handle Your Tenancy Or Landlord Claim?
- Contact Our Team Today
- Helpful Links And Resources
A Guide To Claims Against Landlords
In this guide, we will take you through how to make a compensation claim against a landlord. We’ll look at how to claim for an accident that wasn’t your fault, which caused you to become ill or injured. We will also explain how to make tenant injury claims against the council or a tenant injury claim against a private landlord. We will also look at how to claim housing disrepair compensation including, compensation from your landlord for mould, landlord compensation for repairs, landlord compensation for no hot water and landlord compensation for the inconvenience. We will also use the personal injury claims calculator to estimate how much your claim against your landlord could be worth. However if your claim is more related to a breach of personal data by a landlord then this guide can help.
If you think you have a legitimate reason to make a landlord accident claim, you could be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries. Call Legal Helpline today for free advice about how to claim compensation from your landlord. We are a well respected Claims Management Company, whose informed consultants offer free advice on personal injury claims. If you have a legitimate reason to claim, we can accurately estimate how much compensation you could be entitled to and will provide you with a personal injury solicitor that has an excellent track record of winning tenant injury claims.
Call Legal Helpline today on 0161 696 9685 to see how much compensation you could be entitled to and to start your claim.
What Injuries Or Illnesses Could A Tenant Suffer?
If you have experienced an accident in your rented home, which you believe was due to negligent upkeep of the home on the part of the landlord, you could be entitled to make a compensation claim against a landlord. This is because legally, landlords have a duty of care towards their tenants and are responsible for providing them with a hazard-free living environment that does not put their health or safety at risk. The standards of living that the landlord is responsible for providing are specified by the Landlord and Tenants Act of 1985.
What examples are there of injuries or illness that a tenant could suffer, due to negligence on the part of a landlord? An example of an illness would be if a tenant complained about mould growing in a property due to structural problems and the landlord chose to ignore a problem. As a result of the mould, the tenant developed a respiratory illness. An example of an injury caused by landlord negligence for which they could make a compensation claim against a landlord could be the tenant complaining about a broken stair, which the landlord refuses to repair. As a result, the tenant, a member of their household or a friend falls and breaks their leg.
To be eligible to make a tenant injury claim against the council, or against a private landlord, then you must be able to prove that your landlord was responsible for the injuries caused. Firstly, you must have a record such as an email that proves that you reported the health and safety violation to the landlord. Secondly, you must be able to prove that the landlord did not act to fix the problem. For example, if your landlord hired contractors to fix the mould problem, but their efforts were substandard, your compensation claim will probably be against that company.
What Should You Do If You Become Injured Or Ill Due To Your Landlord’s Actions?
How can you make a compensation claim against a landlord, if you are injured due to negligent upkeep of your home? Firstly, you can only claim compensation if you were injured within the last three years, or your injuries were diagnosed within the last three years. This is because there is a personal injury claims time limit in Britain of three years. There are sometimes exceptions to the personal injury claims time limit rule, so if you fall outside of the personal injury claims time limit, call Legal Helpline today to see if you are still entitled to claim.
If you plan to make a personal injury claim for compensation from your landlord, there are some steps that you will need to take. Firstly, you will have to provide evidence that the housing disrepair or negligence was the cause of your injury. This can be difficult, as many accidents in the home occur when the victim is alone. If other members of your household or a friend witnessed the accident, this can help. Secondly, you will also need to provide evidence of your landlord’s negligence, i.e. that they ignored the housing disrepair problem. What can also help provide evidence if you have previously complained to your landlord in writing, for example, by email, about disrepair in the home, and the landlord has not responded this be considered as evidence of their negligence?
For example, if you complained about mould in the home, and the landlord did not respond and now you have a respiratory-related illness as a result of the mould, this could also be taken as evidence. As another example, if you suffered a carbon monoxide poisoning because the safety precautions weren’t upheld by your landlord and you can then show the faulty detector then you can also show that as evidence.
Thirdly, you will also need to provide evidence of your injuries. When you become injured, you will need to visit a GP, or in more serious situations the A&E (Accident and Emergency) department at a hospital. The doctor will produce a medical report, which will diagnose your injuries, recommend the treatment that you will need and will describe how long the injuries are likely to affect you going forward. Your personal injury lawyer will use the medical report to value how much your claim is worth.
How To Claim Compensation If Your Accident Was Caused By Your Landlord
If you suffer a psychological injury such as stress or anxiety because your landlord acted negligently, you could be able to sue your landlord for emotional distress in the UK. However, the process of claiming and the evidence you may be required to provide could differ depending on where the incident occurred.
You could collect evidence of their actions, and a medical record of your injury as this can help you in claiming compensation against your landlord.
Please speak to an adviser for information about successfully claiming compensation against a landlord for inconvenience and harassment.
Claiming For Disrepair Leading To Injury or Illness
Compensation Claim Against A Landlord
Landlords are responsible for all repairs of a property. If a tenant experiences housing disrepair, they have the responsibility for reporting the housing disrepair to the landlord. If the landlord ignores the problem, the tenant may be able to get the council to intervene. If the landlord continues to ignore the problem of housing disrepair, the tenant may be able to claim housing disrepair compensation. Making a compensation claim against a landlord could include:
- Repairs expenses
- No hot water
- Mould
- Inconvenience that you have experienced as a result of disrepair
As well as compensation for inconvenience, a compensation claim against a landlord could cover:
- Any property damaged as a result of disrepair (for example mould ruining furniture or clothing),
- Loss of income if the damages interfered with your work
- Illness or injury caused
For more information, please call Legal Helpline today to see if you have legitimate grounds to claim.
Housing Disrepair Claims – Pre Action Protocol For Housing Disrepair
Pre-action protocols are a set of actions that you are expected to follow before you officially issue court proceedings in a claim. The aim of the protocols is to give both parties an opportunity to see if the matter can be resolved without the use of courts, which can be more costly.
Sending a letter of claim to your landlord, and their representatives, is the first step in the pre action protocol for housing disrepair claims. Your letter would detail:
- The cause of your injuries
- How your landlord was liable
- The extent of your injuries and the effects to your personal life
- (Optionally) The amount of compensation you are seeking
- An expected response time
While you can write this letter and represent yourself, we would recommend first speaking to a legal professional. The experience they could have could be beneficial to you.
Our advisers could speak to you about your pre-action protocols, and help you officially start a claim for the disrepair that led to your injury if they feel you are eligible.
I Am Claiming Compensation Against My Landlord, What Can I Claim?
If you make a compensation claim against a landlord due to an injury you suffered as a result of their negligence, you could be entitled to a payout.
Your landlord compensation will be awarded in two parts. Firstly, you will be awarded general damages. These will be the largest part of your claim, which will compensate you for the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your injuries. You will also be awarded special damages.
Special damages are awarded to compensate you for the expenses you may have to pay for, as a result of your injuries. These can include medical expenses, travel expenses, expenses for at-home care or home adaptations and expenses for any loss of income, or loss of future income that you have experienced.
How Much Compensation Could I Be Entitled To Claim From My Current Or Former Landlord
This section includes a table created using information from a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is used by legal professionals to value compensation in injury claims made in England and Wales.
However, your claim against your landlord will be valued individually. If you were to sue your landlord for emotional distress or harassment, they may consider factors such as how long it will affect you, any medication you may need and the cost of any therapy.
| Type of Injury | Severity of Injury | Comments | Average Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Injury | Severe | Loss of both legs. | £240,790 to £282,010 |
| Foot Injury | Severe | Full amputation of both feet in the most serious of injury cases. | £169,400 to £201,490 |
| Hand Injury | Minor - Severe | Total or effective loss of both hands. | £140,660 to £201,490 |
| Finger Injury | Minor - Severe | Full amputation of index and middle and/or ring fingers. | £61,910 to £90,750 |
| Lung Disease | Emphysema | Diseases and conditions affecting the function of the lungs, will get progressivly worse over time | £54,830 to £70,030 |
| Ankle Injury | Severe | Permanent loss of function in the ankle or both ankles. | £50,060 to £69,700 |
| Wrist Injury | Minor - Severe | Complete loss of function in wrist. | £47,620 to £59,860 |
| Toe Injury | Severe | Full amputations of all toes. | £36,520 to £56,080 |
| Lung problems | Temporary | Temporary agrevation of a condition such as bronchitis. | £2,200 to £5,320 |
The figures in the table above only reflect general damages and are not guaranteed amounts of compensation that could be awarded to you. As discussed, you could also be eligible to claim special damages.
If you would like to learn about how to sue your landlord for stress in the UK, or for other forms of injury, then please reach out to a member of our team.
No Win No Fee Compensation Claims Against A Landlord
Legal Helpline gives our claimants the opportunity to make a no win no fee claim for compensation. What is a no win no fee claim? It means that you receive the same great service from your solicitor, as any other client. However, you will only pay your solicitor’s fee if you win, out of your compensation package. This means that there is no financial risk to you and because your fee will be deducted out of your winnings, its the more affordable option for many claimants.
Please call Legal Helpline today, to enquire about making a no win no fee claim for compensation from the landlord for mould, or disrepair leading to an injury.
Why Choose Legal Helpline To Handle Your Tenancy Or Landlord Claim?
Legal Helpline is a well respected Claims Management Company. We work with a panel of personal injury solicitors that have over three decades of experience representing personal injury claims against rogue landlords. So, you’re bound to be in good hands if you make your claim with us. Our personal injury solicitors will always fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed and your compensation claim against a landlord could be worth tens of thousands of pounds. Call Legal Helpline today to start your claims process now.
Compensation claim against a landlord FAQs
Here, we’ll answer some common questions asked by claimants wanting to make a compensation claim against a landlord.
Can you sue landlord for emotional distress?
Just like you can sue for physical harm that you’ve experienced as a result of your landlord’s failings, you can also sue for mental or emotional harm. This will be assessed in a medical evaluation with an independent expert. If you work with our team at Legal Helpline, we can organise this for you as conveniently as possible, for free.
Can I get compensation from my landlord?
For a free consultation with our specialist advisors, please call Legal Helpline today to see if you could have grounds to make a compensation claim against a landlord.
Contact Our Team Today
Legal Helpline has a helpline staffed by knowledgeable advisors. If you think you may be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries, caused by landlord negligence, call us today to see if you have a legitimate claim. During your free accident claims consultation, we will let you know if you have legitimate grounds to make a compensation claim against a landlord. We also estimate how much compensation you could receive and can provide you with the right personal injury solicitor to handle your claim.
If you think you have grounds for making a landlord accident claim, Legal Helpline would love to represent your case. Please call us today on 0161 696 9685, we’re looking forward to receiving your call.
Helpful Links And Resources
If you want to claim compensation from the council this guide explains how the process works.
If you need to claim compensation after a fall, a slip, or a trip because of landlord negligence, find out how to do so in this guide.
Useful facts and figures relating to injuries that occur in the home.
Thanks for reading our guide to making a compensation claim against a landlord.