In the UK, renters are protected by certain rights. These are designed to protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords – and from careless ones, too. If you’re allowing others to live in your property, and you aren’t taking adequate care to stay on the right side of the rules, then you could be exposed to considerable legal risk. If you’re on the other side of the arrangement, and living in a property you believe to be substandard, then it’s important to understand exactly what to look for, and how you might raise a complaint. Let’s take a look at a few key signs that might indicate a legally uninhabitable rental property.
Recognising Health and Safety Hazards in Your Home
Health hazards can take many forms. If moisture is allowed to build up inside the property, then it might provide a habitat for mould – whose spores can pose a serious risk to human health. A home can be infested by pests of other kinds – including rodents, insects, and other harmful animals. If the home isn’t being adequately heated, or is structurally unsound, or is leaking, then it might also be on the wrong side of the law. There are twenty-nine categories of hazard to consider, which are listed in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This is what local authorities use to assess the condition of housing. If you believe that your housing is substandard, then this is worth checking.
Understanding Legal Standards for Habitability
Landlords are bound by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. This imposes a number of duties on landlords. In general, the home should be fit for human habitation from the start, right through to the end, of the tenancy. Where issues outlined in the aforementioned HHSRS are raised, landlords are required to take action to correct them.
In many cases, however, landlords cannot be held accountable if they have not been made aware of the problem. As such, tenants also have a responsibility to report problems. In doing so, they’ll improve their chances, should the matter escalate into a courtroom.
Taking Action: Reporting Issues and Seeking Remedies
For tenants, the more promptly and unambiguously a given problem is reported, the better. If the landlord fails to take appropriate action within a reasonable timeframe, the next organisation to get in touch with is typically the environmental health department of the local council.
In a minority of cases, the tenant might take legal action through housing disrepair claims. Through this avenue, they can seek damages. This will allow them to recover the cost of finding a new place to live, and also the suffering endured as a result of the landlord’s neglect.