Leaks and Water Damage Compensation Claims
The bucket on the landing, the brown stain spreading across the ceiling, the towels down every time it rains. If your landlord has left a leak unrepaired after you reported it, we'll claim compensation and get the source fixed properly.
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When does a leak become a legal claim?
A claim arises when your landlord fails to repair a fault that lets water in, or lets it escape where it shouldn't. That covers a missing roof tile, cracked guttering, failed flashing around a chimney, and leaking pipework inside the property. Left alone, even a small leak spreads: stained ceilings, ruined plaster, damp, mould and damaged belongings.
Your landlord's duty doesn't end at stopping the water, either. They also have to make good the damage the leak has caused to the property. The longer they've left it, the stronger your claim tends to be.
Evidence that strengthens your claim
No photos? Nothing in writing? We can still help. But anything you can dig out now makes your claim stronger:
- Photos and videos of the problem, however rough
- Anything you've sent your landlord: emails, letters, texts
- GP or hospital records, if your health suffered
- Receipts or photos of ruined belongings
Your landlord's legal responsibility
Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes your landlord responsible for the structure and exterior of your home, including the roof, walls, windows, gutters and external pipes, as well as the installations that supply water inside it. If any of those are letting water in, the repair is theirs to do, not yours.
Once you've reported the leak, your landlord must act within a reasonable time, and for a serious, uncontrolled leak that means straight away. Failing to do so is a breach of their legal obligations, and that breach is what your claim is built on.
What a successful claim gets you
Compensation
A payment for what you've had to live with, usually worked out as a percentage of your rent, plus money back for ruined belongings: clothes, furniture, carpets and more.
The repairs, completed
A binding commitment that forces your landlord to fix the problem properly. No more promises, no more missed appointments.
Leaks and Water Damage Compensation Claims: FAQs
How quickly should my landlord fix a leak?
It depends on how bad it is. A major, uncontrolled leak is an emergency and needs a response within about 24 hours. Smaller, contained leaks should still be dealt with within days. Every week a leak is left, the damage gets worse and more expensive to put right.
The leak is coming from the flat above. Is my landlord still responsible?
Often, yes, at least in part. Your landlord has a duty to take reasonable steps to get it resolved, whether that means pursuing the flat above's owner or the building's freeholder, who is usually responsible for communal pipes and the roof. Working out who is liable is part of what we do when we take on your claim.
My landlord stopped the leak but won't redecorate. Can I claim?
Yes. The duty to repair includes making good the damage: re-plastering and redecorating the areas affected by the water and by the repair work itself. Stopping the drip and leaving you with stained, crumbling walls isn't a completed repair.
Do I need contents insurance to make a claim?
No. Your claim is against your landlord for failing to repair the property, which has nothing to do with any insurance you hold. Belongings ruined by the leak, such as carpets, furniture, electronics and clothes, are claimed directly as part of your case.
Can I still claim if I've already moved out?
Yes. You can bring a housing disrepair claim for up to six years after the period of disrepair, provided you have evidence from the time you lived there: photos, messages to your landlord, receipts. You can get an idea of what your claim might be worth with our free calculator.
See how much you could claim
Answer a few quick questions about your rent, the problems and how long you've lived with them, and you'll get an instant estimate. Confidential, no obligation, no pressure.