Call us
Refer a friend

Refer a friend - Receive £100!

If you know someone who is experiencing Housing Disrepair with a Council or Housing Association property, tell them to contact us & mention your name to receive £100


There is no limit to how many referrals you make, so tell all your friends!


You will receive £100 to your bank account within 14 days of our team accepting the case and the referred friend has signed our Client Care Pack.


This offer started on 18/11/22 and ends 01/01/23.

Terms and conditions apply; scroll to the bottom of this page.

Refer a Friend

Please fill in your details along with your referred friends details, to get started.

T&C's apply.

Housing Disrepair Claims

Here at MLA Solicitors, we guarantee to get repairs fixed, and claim compensation on your behalf for the stress and inconvenience caused. Our team operates under a true no win, no fee agreement.


Our services are completely free to social housing tenants.


Our legal fees are paid by the Council or Housing Association upon successful completion of a claim.


If a claim is unsuccessful, our fees will simply be wiped. However, we will still work towards getting those works completed at the property.


The property may be affected by any of the following defects:


  • Damp, mould and/or fungal growth
  • Flooding and/or water Leaks
  • Roof issues
  • Structural defects (cracking, movement, sinking flooring, etc.)
  • Dry rot
  • Problems with guttering and/or drains


If the Council or Housing Association have failed to complete the repairs within a reasonable period, despite continuous complaints exceeding 3 months (or 12 weeks), we are able to commence a Housing Disrepair Claim.

Referral Incentive Terms and Conditions



The £100 payment will be made via bank transfer within 14 days when all the following conditions apply;


  • Our team accepts the case
  • The referred friend has signed our client care pack
  • The referred friend has sent in evidence of the disrepair
  • The referred friend is a council or housing association tenant
  • The referred friend does not already have an active Housing Disrepair claim


Upon accepting the case, we will be in touch with yourself to ask for your bank details to send the referral payment over. These details are confidential and are removed from our system immediately after payment.


  1. You cannot recommend yourself or anyone else at your address.
  2. By entering into this Agreement you also agree to our Privacy Policy.
  3. Refer multiple friends or businesses – there’s no limit. Referred friends must be completely new to MLA Solicitors.
  4. The referrer should not be working with any other law firm for a Housing Disrepair Claim.
  5. The referral is only eligible for new Housing Disrepair Claims accepted.
  6. Housing Disrepair Claims are only eligible for Council or Housing Association tenants.
  7. Please check that your friend is happy to hear about this offer from MLA Solicitors before you refer them.
  8. MLA Solicitors reserves the right to amend, suspend or cancel the referral incentive at any time.
  9. Participants are liable for any tax consequences of the receipt of any referral payment, and we accept no liability to participants or their employers in relation thereto.
  10. We will not be liable to you for any business, financial or economic loss or for any consequential or indirect loss such as loss to reputation, lost bargain, lost profit, loss of anticipated savings or lost opportunity arising as a result of any services we provide to you under, or in any other way connected with, this Agreement (whether suffered or incurred as a result of our negligence or otherwise) except in the case of fraud, wilful concealment or theft.
  11. These Terms and Conditions are intended to be legally binding and will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England. We each agree that English courts will have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute arising from or related to the MLA Solicitors Referral Scheme or these Terms and Conditions.
  12. To be eligible for this reward, you must be a legal resident of The United Kingdom and be at least 18 years old.
  13. MLA Solicitors are not liable for any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any website or materials relating to the referral programme.
  14. This Agreement shall be governed by English law in every particular including formation and interpretation and shall be deemed to have been made in England.
  15. If you are eligible for the reward and are not comfortable with a £100 bank transfer, we are happy to make accommodations to send the reward via gift card should you prefer.
  16. If you choose the reward to be in gift card form, the prepaid gift cards can’t be exchanged, transferred, redeemed, replaced or refunded for proper cash.
  17. We reserve the right to modify or withdraw this offer.
  18. This offer started on 18/11/22, any referrals made before this point is not eligible for the reward.
  19. This offer ends on 01/01/23.

Examples of Disrepair

Faulty Heating

Leaking Roof

Damp and Mould

Unsafe Flooring

Plumbing Problems

Faulty Windows

Dry Rot

Guttering Issues

Structural Damage

Frequently Asked Questions


  • What is a Housing Disrepair Claim?

    A Housing Disrepair Claim is a claim made against your Council or Housing Association for their failure to keep your property up to legal standards of repair.


    If your property is affected by disrepair and your Council or Housing Association have failed to complete the repairs within a reasonable period despite continuous complaints exceeding 3 months (or 12 weeks), you are able to commence a Housing Disrepair Claim. 


    We assist Council and Housing Association tenants whose property is affected by any of the following defects:


    • Damp, mould and/or fungal growth

    • Flooding and/or water Leaks

    • Roof issues

    • Structural defects (cracking, movement, sinking flooring, etc.)

    • Dry rot

    • Problems with guttering and/or drains


    For more information, start your claim online or contact us on 0800 610 2223.


  • How do I start a claim? What is the process?

    1. To commence a Housing Disrepair Claim, we initially arrange a telephone conversation between you and one of our friendly legal experts. This is a free, no-obligation conversation where you may discuss the issues you are experiencing. 


    2. We then request you send through any images/videos of the disrepair at your property. You may send these either via email or WhatsApp.


    3. As soon as we have received your images/videos, we then send your no win, no fee agreement through to your email address for electronic signature. 


    4. Once signed and returned, we then draft and send a Letter of Claim detailing the issues at your property through to your Council or Housing Association. They are given a 20-day deadline to respond with a copy of your tenancy file.


    5. During this time, we arrange for a surveyor to attend your property to carry out a full evaluation to establish exactly which works are required.


    6. Once we are in receipt of an inspection report together with a copy of your tenancy file, we may then move towards settlement, which is works to be completed within a set timeframe together with compensation to be paid. 


    See our related blog post: Why are complaints important? 


    For more information, start your claim online or contact us on 0800 610 2223.

  • Do I have to pay?

    No. Our services are completely free to tenants. Our legal fees are paid by the Council or Housing Association upon successful completion of your claim. 


    If your claim is unsuccessful, our fees will simply be wiped, yet we will still work towards getting those works completed at your property. 


    Of any compensation awarded from your claim, you will receive 70% (plus all works completed in full), whilst we take 30% of any compensation. 


    For example, if your claim settles for £1,000.00, you will receive £700.00.


    We would not put our clients in a position where they would have to pay a penny.  


    For more information, start your claim online or contact us on 0800 610 2223.

  • How is my compensation calculated?

    We calculate the compensation owed to you by establishing your first complaint made regarding the disrepair, and then estimating when we expect works to be completed at your property. This period is known as the “liability period”. 


    We then assess how much rent has been paid at your Council or Housing Association property during this timeframe. A percentage of this is deducted based on how many living spaces in your property are affected by the disrepair. 


    As a brief example, if you have been complaining for 1 year (minus 4-8 weeks) regarding damp affecting 50% of your property, and you pay £400.00 in rent per month, the formula would look like this:


    11 months x £400.00 rent per month – 50% inconvenience = £2,200.00 (amount repayable).


    We also seek to claim additional compensation for “special damages”, which include items, furniture, decorations, and possessions which have become damaged due to the disrepair. If you have suffered loss of earnings due to the disrepair, or if your utility bills have increased due to the disrepair, this can also be claimed for as part of your special damages. 


    For more information, start your claim online or contact us on 0800 610 2223.


  • Am I eligible to start a claim?

    If you have been complaining about disrepair at your Council or Housing Association property for more than 3 months, and no works have been undertaken (or works have been undertaken but have not been sufficient enough to rectify the disrepair), you may be eligible to start a Housing Disrepair Claim.


    To check eligibility, see our blog post: Am I eligible to start a claim? 


    For more information, start your claim online or contact us on 0800 610 2223.

  • Can I be evicted for starting a claim?

    Your Council or Housing Association cannot evict you for commencing a Housing Disrepair Claim. 


    They can, however, counterclaim against you if you have high rent arrears or have breached the terms of your tenancy agreement (such as with nuisance behavior, drug abuse, or making modifications to your property without first receiving consent, etc.). For this reason, we do not accept tenants with high rent arrears or those who have breached the terms of their tenancy agreement.

     

    As part of your tenancy agreement, your Council or Housing Association are required to keep your property up to legal standards of repair. 


    Here at MLA Solicitors, our job is to ensure those works are completed and that you are compensated for the stress and inconvenience. Our purpose is not to worsen the relationship between you and your Council or Housing Association.


    Unfortunately, we do not accept clients whose tenancy is less than 1 year old. 


    For more information, start your claim online or contact us on 0800 610 2223.


Dry rot in your home

What is Dry Rot, and is it in your home?

by Kayleigh Withington • 16 December 2022
Dry rot is essentially a wood decay caused by fungi which can ruin wooden structures outside and inside of your home. Scientifically, dry rot (also called brown rot) occurs when the fungi breaks down components of the wood which give the wood the strength it needs. Once dry rot occurs and spreads, it makes the wood weak and brittle, causing structural problems. Dry rot usually happens after a period of damp.

Is your housing problem discrimination?

by Kayleigh Withington • 14 December 2022
Unfortunately, most social housing tenants will not recognise that the housing problem they are experiencing, is discrimination. It is unlawful to suffer discrimination by your social housing provider because of your characteristic(s). Social housing organisations (your council or housing association) have a duty not to discriminate against you and your housing needs.

Keeping you and your house warm this winter

by Kayleigh Withington • 13 December 2022
Unsurprisingly during this cost of living crisis, gas and electric prices are shooting up whilst the winter days/nights get colder and colder. It’s more important than ever to see how we can improve our home to keep the warmth in and save money where we can.
Show More

Housing Disrepair Case Studies


Share by: