Housing Disrepair Portsmouth
Claims Against Portsmouth Homes & Housing Associations
If you rent from Portsmouth City Council through Portsmouth Homes, or from a housing association anywhere in the city, your landlord has a legal duty to keep your home safe, dry and in good repair. When damp, mould, leaks or broken heating are reported and nothing happens, or the problem is blamed on condensation from the way you live, you can take action. We help council and housing association tenants across Portsmouth force repairs and claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis.
Portsmouth City Council Repairs and Your Right to a Safe Home
Portsmouth City Council is the largest social landlord in the city. Its landlord service, now called Portsmouth Homes, manages around 17,500 homes, roughly 15,500 of them socially rented, on Portsea Island and on off island estates such as Leigh Park. Many more homes across Portsmouth are let by housing associations, and every one of those tenants has the same right to a safe, dry home.
The council's own 2025 annual report to tenants records 40,426 repairs in a year, with 85% fixed first time. That still leaves thousands of jobs needing a second visit or more. If your repair is one of them, and damp, leaks or heating faults have dragged on for weeks after you reported them, you may have a claim. Our council housing disrepair claims service is built for exactly this situation.
Socially rented homes managed by Portsmouth Homes
Working days to investigate significant damp and mould
To make an emergency hazard safe
Why Damp, Leaks and Ignored Repairs Are Common in Portsmouth Social Housing
Portsmouth is a densely built island city exposed to salt air, strong coastal winds and driving rain. Much of its council stock dates from the post war rebuild, including tower blocks and deck access estates in Portsea, Landport and Somerstown, alongside older terraced homes converted into flats. Flat roofs, ageing windows and tired gutters let water in, and cold walls in poorly insulated blocks can turn into mould within a single winter.
Too often the response is a patch repair or a mould wash, followed by advice to open the windows and heat the home more. Penetrating damp, failed ventilation and leaking pipework are not lifestyle problems, they are your landlord's responsibility. The council has also been retendering its repairs contracts in two lots, on island and off island, and contractor changes can leave jobs stuck between teams. Meanwhile long exposure to damp and mould can harm health, especially for children and anyone with asthma.
Structural damp is your landlord's responsibility, not your lifestyle.
Your Legal Rights as a Portsmouth Council or Housing Association Tenant
Every social landlord in Portsmouth, whether the council or a housing association, must follow the same core laws. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires them to keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair, along with the installations for water, gas, electricity, heating and sanitation. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 means your home must be fit to live in throughout your tenancy. Serious mould, water leaks, no heating and pest infestations can all breach that duty.
Since 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law has given social housing tenants in England fixed legal deadlines. For damp, mould and emergency hazards, your landlord must
- Investigate a significant damp and mould hazard within 10 working days of being told
- Give you a written summary of its findings within 3 working days of the investigation
- Make your home safe within 5 working days of the investigation where a significant hazard is found
- Investigate and make safe any emergency hazard within 24 hours
- Offer suitable alternative accommodation if it cannot make your home safe in time
If your landlord misses these deadlines or ignores its repairing duties, you can claim compensation for the inconvenience, damaged belongings and any harm to your health, and ask the court to order the repairs to be done.
Typical Portsmouth Housing Disrepair Claims
A family reports spreading mould around the bedroom window for over a year and is told to open the windows. An independent survey finds cold bridging and a failed extractor fan. The claim seeks a proper Awaab's Law investigation, full remedial works and compensation for the period of disrepair.
Illustrative example, not a client review
Rain comes through the bedroom ceiling every winter and the damp patch is painted over again and again. A claim can cover a proper roof repair, replastering, redecoration and the cost of damaged carpets, bedding and furniture.
Illustrative example, not a client review
A boiler breaks down repeatedly and the tenant is told parts are on order for weeks at a time. A formal Letter of Claim starts a 20 working day response deadline and puts the repair on a legal footing, with compensation for the cold months endured.
Illustrative example, not a client review
Mice get in through gaps around pipes and damaged brickwork in the communal areas, and the housing association blames the tenant. A claim can force proofing works across the block and compensation for the disruption, spoiled food and damaged belongings.
Illustrative example, not a client review
Why Portsmouth Tenants Choose Housing Repair Solutions
Social Housing Only
We act only for council and housing association tenants, so every case is built around the duties of social landlords, Awaab's Law and the Housing Ombudsman framework.
No Win No Fee
No upfront costs. If your claim succeeds, any fee comes out of your compensation and is set out in writing before you sign anything.
Independent Evidence
An independent surveyor inspects your home, so the cause of the damp or defect is proven on evidence rather than decided by your landlord's own contractor.
Disrepair Issues We Claim For in Portsmouth
Black Mould
Caused by cold walls, poor insulation, failed ventilation or penetrating damp, and often wrongly blamed on how tenants live.
Water Leaks & Pipework
Leaks from flats above, burst pipes and failing plumbing in blocks, causing rot, ruined ceilings and damaged belongings.
No Heating / Broken Boilers
Families left in the cold through damp coastal winters while repairs are delayed or parts are said to be on order.
Faulty Electrics & Wiring
Exposed wiring, failing consumer units and repeated power cuts that put your household at risk of fire or shock.
Pest Infestations
Mice, rats and cockroaches getting in through gaps and structural defects that your landlord has failed to seal.
Roofs, Windows & Structure
Failing flat roofs, rotten window frames and cracked walls that let wind driven rain into the home.
How a Portsmouth Housing Disrepair Claim Works
Free Case Review
Tell us what is wrong, when you reported it and how Portsmouth Homes or your housing association responded. We review it and explain your options.
Independent Survey
An independent surveyor inspects your home at no upfront cost to you and records the defects, their cause and the work needed.
Letter of Claim
A formal Letter of Claim goes to your landlord under the Pre Action Protocol, starting a 20 working day deadline for its response.
Repairs & Compensation
We push for the repairs to be completed properly and negotiate the compensation you are owed for living with the disrepair.
Once a Letter of Claim is served, your case moves out of the general repairs queue and onto a formal legal timetable.
Portsmouth Homes Complaints vs Taking Legal Action
The Internal Complaints Route
- • Repair jobs closed or marked complete before the work is properly done.
- • Stage 1 replies due within 10 working days and Stage 2 within 20 working days under the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, often with extensions.
- • Standard letters blaming condensation or the way you use your home.
- • A wait of months for the Housing Ombudsman if you remain unhappy.
- • Modest goodwill payments and repairs that rarely fix the cause.
Taking Legal Action With Us
- • Your case goes to the landlord's legal or disrepair team, not the general repairs line.
- • The Pre Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims sets formal response deadlines.
- • An independent surveyor identifies the real cause of the damp or defect.
- • The risk of court costs gives your landlord a strong reason to act quickly.
- • You can claim compensation for distress, damaged belongings and health problems.
Making a complaint is still worthwhile because it creates a record. If you have reported the problem and given your landlord a reasonable time to fix it, you do not have to wait for the complaint to finish before getting legal advice.
What Changes After a Successful Claim
The repairs are carried out to a proper standard, so damp, leaks and heating faults are fixed at the source instead of being covered over. The mould is gone, the smell clears, and the room you stopped using becomes part of your home again.
Compensation reflects how long you lived with the disrepair and how badly it affected you, with separate sums for belongings that were ruined. Many tenants also find that coughs, chest problems and disturbed sleep linked to damp ease once the home is dry and warm.
The Evidence That Wins Portsmouth Disrepair Claims
What to Gather (We Help With All of It)
- Dated photos and videos showing mould, leaks or defects and how they have spread over weeks or months.
- Medical records such as GP letters linking breathing problems, skin conditions or low mood to the damp in your home.
- Every report and reply including repair reference numbers, portal or app screenshots, emails, texts and letters from Portsmouth Homes or your housing association.
- An independent expert report from a surveyor who records the defects, the cause and the work needed.
Practical Tip
Keep a simple diary of every report, visit and missed appointment. If a repair is marked as complete on your landlord's portal when nobody attended, take a screenshot straight away. A clear timeline of ignored reports, backed by photos, is often the strongest evidence in a disrepair claim.
Housing Repair Solutions claims team
Housing Disrepair Portsmouth FAQs
Can I claim against Portsmouth City Council for damp and mould?
Yes. Portsmouth City Council, through Portsmouth Homes, is a social landlord bound by Awaab's Law, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. If you reported damp or mould and it was not properly investigated and fixed, you may have a claim for repairs and compensation.
Can you help if I rent from a housing association in Portsmouth?
Yes. Housing association tenants have the same core repair rights as council tenants, and Awaab's Law applies to registered providers of social housing in England. We act for council and housing association tenants only.
How long does a housing disrepair claim take?
Once the Letter of Claim is served, your landlord normally has 20 working days to respond under the Pre Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. Many claims settle within several months, and urgent repairs can often be agreed much sooner.
Will my landlord evict me for making a claim?
Making a disrepair claim is not a lawful ground for possession. Council and housing association tenants can only be evicted through the courts on specific legal grounds, and keeping your rent up to date protects you further.
How much compensation could I get?
It depends on how serious the disrepair was, how long your landlord left it, and how it affected your health and belongings. Compensation for inconvenience is often worked out as a percentage of the rent paid during the period of disrepair, with separate sums for damaged items and any personal injury.
My landlord says the mould is caused by condensation. Can I still claim?
Yes. Condensation is a common defence, but mould is often caused or made worse by cold walls, poor insulation, failed ventilation or penetrating damp. An independent survey identifies the real cause, and where it is a building defect, the responsibility sits with your landlord.
Is there a time limit for a claim?
A disrepair claim can usually cover disrepair going back up to six years, and a personal injury claim must normally be brought within three years of when you knew the injury was linked to your home. The sooner you act, the easier it is to gather evidence.
Council and Housing Association Claims Beyond Portsmouth
We act for social housing tenants across England and Wales. Along the south coast we handle housing disrepair Brighton claims, Hampshire tenants can find help on our housing disrepair Basingstoke page, and our housing disrepair London team takes on claims against the capital's councils. We also bring claims against national landlords such as Clarion Housing, Peabody and the Guinness Partnership.
Portsmouth Tenants Are Taking Back Control
You do not have to live with mould, leaks or a broken boiler while your repair sits in a queue. Your landlord has a legal duty to put things right, and we make sure that duty is met.
Portsmouth Housing Disrepair Compensation Claims Explained
Housing disrepair in Portsmouth affects council and housing association tenants in every part of the city, from tower blocks in Portsea and Somerstown to family homes in Copnor, Paulsgrove, Cosham and Leigh Park. If your landlord knows about a problem and fails to fix it within a reasonable time, you can bring a housing disrepair claim to force the repairs and recover compensation. Housing Repair Solutions acts for social housing tenants only, and every claim runs on a No Win No Fee basis.
Portsmouth Damp and Mould Compensation Claims
Damp and mould are behind most of the claims we see in Portsmouth. Coastal weather, cold solid walls and blocked or broken ventilation create the conditions for mould, and a mould wash only hides the problem for a few weeks. Under Awaab's Law, your landlord must investigate a significant damp and mould hazard within 10 working days, send you a written summary within 3 working days of that investigation, and make your home safe within 5 working days where a significant hazard is found.
If your landlord blames condensation, that is not the end of the matter. An independent survey looks at insulation, ventilation, roofs, gutters and pipework to find the real cause. Where the cause is a defect in the building, your landlord is responsible, and you can claim compensation for the time you lived with it, the belongings you lost and any effect on your health.
Dilapidation and Disrepair in Portsmouth Council Homes
Some tenants search for dilapidation when their home has fallen into a poor state. For a council or housing association tenant, the legal route is a housing disrepair claim. It covers rotten window frames, crumbling plaster, failed roofs, leaking pipes, faulty electrics and broken heating, as long as your landlord was told about the problem and did not fix it properly.
Portsmouth Homes uses contractors to carry out repairs, but the legal duty stays with the council as your landlord. Portsmouth City Council is due to become part of a larger unitary authority on 1 April 2028. Your rights as a tenant continue through that change, so there is no reason to put off a claim while the reorganisation takes place.
Housing Association Tenants in Portsmouth
The same rights apply if you rent from a housing association. Providers with homes in and around the city include VIVID, Abri, Sovereign Network Group and Southern Housing. Each is a registered provider of social housing, so each is bound by Awaab's Law, the Fitness for Human Habitation Act and section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Our housing association disrepair claims guide explains how these claims work from start to finish.
Your Rent, Council Tax and Your Claim
Keep paying your rent in full while your claim runs. Withholding rent can put you into arrears and give your landlord grounds to act against you, and your compensation is assessed separately anyway. Council tax is a separate charge from your rent and stays payable throughout your claim, so if you need to check how to pay it, see our page on paying your council tax.
Starting Your Portsmouth Housing Disrepair Claim
Tell us what is wrong, when you first reported it and how your landlord responded. We will check whether you have a claim and explain your options in plain English. If you go ahead, the specialist housing disrepair solicitors handling your case will arrange an independent survey and serve a formal Letter of Claim on your landlord. You pay nothing upfront. Use the estimator below for a rough guide, or call us for a free case review.
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