Bartletts Chester Helps Local Family Claim Compensation For Years Of Living In Unfit Housing

A local family who suffered for more than 3 years because of unfit housing conditions have been awarded compensation after making a claim with the help of Bartletts Solicitors in Chester. The housing disrepair case was brought to the specialist team at Bartletts Chester who worked hard to secure the compensation for all five family members – mum, dad, and 3 children. The family were tenants in rented accommodation owned by a local housing association. Despite making complaints for 3 years about the damp, unfit living conditions of the property, the landlord took no action to remedy the problems until Bartletts Chester got involved. The entire house was affected by mould because of the damp conditions, and one child moved out to live with their grandparents as the mould in their bedroom was unbearable. As a result of the damp, the remaining family members were ill on and off for the 3 years, and their possessions, including furniture and clothing, were badly affected by the damp too. The dad, a health and safety officer, and mum, the couple’s disabled child’s carer, got in touch with the personal injury lawyers at Bartletts Chester who were able to prove that the significant coughs, colds and respiratory problems all the family members had been suffering from during the 3 years were over and above the usual seasonal illnesses. A claim was made on the family’s behalf for the loss of use and inconvenience of living in unfit housing conditions, which is calculated as a percentage reimbursement of the rent per calendar month, plus for damaged possessions, and for the illness suffered by each family member over the years. In total, dad was awarded £6,000, mum £1,750, the 2 children still living at home £1,100, and the child who had moved out received £400 in compensation. As soon as the repair works were carried out at the house, the family stopped suffering from the illnesses caused by damp housing. This was an interesting case as housing repair law recently changed following the implementation of the new Housing Act 2018 from March 2020. The change in law has opened up claims for tenants who may have previously struggled to secure compensation for issues such as condensation problems – before, condensation was deemed to be the tenant’s fault but now it is judged on a per-case basis and is often seen as being caused by the landlord failing to insulate the property properly. If you have suffered as a result of housing disrepair speak to one of our specialist personal injury solicitors , contact us on 0800 988 3674 or Telephone our Chester office on: 01244 405 399 or our Wrexham office on: 01978 360056 or email advice@bartletts.co.uk