Common Housing Disrepair Issues in Council and Housing Association Properties

Every renter has the right to have a place that is “safe, secure and livable.” For people in council and housing association homes up and down the country, such a requirement is enshrined in law. But when landlords shirk their responsibilities, frustrated and sometimes imperiled tenants are left to grapple with conditions in the home day by day. Knowing the most common housing disrepair is step one in making your landlord accountable, and fixing up your home to minimum standard.

Your landlord is required by law to keep your property in good repair. That does not mean you should have to put up with things that affect your health, safety or immediate environment. In this article, we will walk you through the common housing disrepair problems experienced by tenants, ranging from dampness and mould to defective wiring. When you know signs of these frequently found housing issues, you can respond actively and appropriately.

Damp and Mould Growth

One of the most common problems in council housing, and certainly one of the most frequently reported, damp/cost can be more than an eyesore; it also poses real risks to health. High humidity in a home can cause problems with respiratory illness, allergies and the immune system, particularly for kids and elderly. So a “damp” typically falls into one of three types.

Condensation:  Perhaps the most frequent cause, condensation occurs when warm, moist air encounters cold (the counter of a window or an outer wall). A lack of ventilation and poor insulation will only make the problem worse and we will see black mould prosper.

Penetrating Damp Penetrating damp is when water soaks into a property from the outside. The most common culprits are displaced roof slates, punctured brickwork, damaged guttering and loose window frames. When dry rot manifests inside a building, you will frequently see damp patches on walls or ceilings that feel moist, especially after storms.

Rising Damp: this occurs when moisture from the ground is absorbed into a building’s walls via capillary action. It is recognisable by a “tide mark” stain near the bottom of ground-floor walls and may make plaster bubble and wallpaper peel.

Landlords have to trace the source of damp and make the necessary repairs, rather than simply telling tenants rub away mould.

Structural Defects and Damage

The condition of your home is by all means an essential guarantee about you and your life. Such damages to the structure that are a threat to its stability needs immediate attention. Disregarding them could cause further damage, and in the worst case, put occupants in danger.

Common structural problems include:

Cracked Walls and Ceilings: A few places of slight plaster cracking is nothing to worry about, but big cracks, deep cracks or fuzzy looking (these were weird) cracking in the wall or ceiling can indicate building movement such as subsidence or heave.

Leaky Roofs: If you have missing tiles, a roof line that is sagging or damaged flashing and then water enters this becomes disastrous to property affecting its internal structure badly and not to mention heat loss.

Rotted Window Frames and Doors: Wood rot causes more than drafts and security issues, it can also make windows and doors to be unsafe in their operation.

Unsafe Flooring and Stairs Loose floorboards, damaged tiles, or an unstable staircase are major tripping hazards that can indicate more serious problems with the floor joists or supports.

These are the sorts of housing disrepair issues that need professional attention to keep your home a safe place to live.

Defective Heating and Hot Water Systems

Having access to heating and hot water is a fundamental human right, not an optional extra. For its part, landlords are legally obligated to keep these systems running. A failure to keep the temperature comfortable in a building, especially during the cold winter can render a home legally uninhabitable.

Frequent issues include:

Boiler Breakdowns: If your boiler keeps breaking down, being without heating or hot water for any length of time is far from ideal. It is up to your landlord to make sure repairs are done promptly and that an annual gas safety check is carried out.

Leaking or Inadequate Radiators: Leaky radiators can damage your walls and leaky radiators waste water, while cold boilers won’t heat your house efficiently Fill your home with warmth.

Defective controls: Faulty thermostats, malfunctioning timers and other control problems that can make your system inefficient and more expensive to use.

Your landlord has to ensure that your heating or hot water isn’t out of commission for very long – the law says your landlord should call in a qualified plumber as fast as possible to fix it.

Plumbing and Sanitation Problems

A home with a working plumbing system is the key to keeping it clean and habitable. Leaks, blockages and poor facilities are major commonplace housing problems that cause water damage, bad smells and unclean conditions.

Watch for the following:

Leaking Pipes: Slow drips from pipes under sinks, behind walls or even in roofs can result in accumulations of damp, mould and eventually rotting wood.

Blocked Drains, Sinks and Toilets: A blocked pipe issue may be with the tenant. However there is clearly water backup on my side of the drain as this has since happened again I believe it could be an issue with the property that they will need to attend to.

Damaged Guttering: Cracked gutters or downpipes can cause overflow of rainwater which then can seep into the walls..which is known as penetrating damp, so technically could owe for holes in the outer wall.

Electrical Wiring Hazards

Poor electrics are one of the most hazardous forms of housing disrepair, with a high risk of causing fire and electric shock. Landlords are legally required to have their electrical installations safety checked.

Warning signs of hazardous electrical systems are:

• Flickering lights
• When you have issues such as regular power outages or fuses keep tripping
• Burn marks around outlets or switches
• An old, outdated fuse box
• Cracked or exposed wiring

You need to inform your landlord straight away if you are worried that something is wrong with the electrics in the place you rent. They must have the system tested and repaired by a licensed electrician.

Pest and Vermin Infestations

Finding rats, mice, cockroaches or any other pests in your home can be an upsetting experience. An infestation might be some form of a disrepair if it was caused by your landlord’s lack of keeping the property in a structurally sound state. If you are experiencing a pest-control issue because fleas are coming through holes in walls or cracks in the floor your landlord has not fixed, then it is likely that your landlord is responsible for both getting rid of pests and plugging up the entry points.

Conclusion: Make a Stand on Housing Disrepair

Disrepair is not a healthy or enjoyable way to live. Knowing these standard council house problems is the beginning of your fight to get these issues fixed and make sure your home is safe. Legally, your landlord is required to respond to your complaints of disrepair.

If you have alerted your landlord to any of these issues and they haven’t addressed them, don’t get discouraged. “I really stress both sides of that communication — and then document it.”‘ Document everything, take good photos of the damage and a record of how the disrepair is affecting you. By tackling it, you’re not only taking steps to make your life better – you’re also stopping things from getting worse.