Check your housing disrepair claim

What the check asks you

The questions are about your home and your landlord rather than about you: where you live, what kind of landlord you have, what has gone wrong, how long it has been going on, and — the part that matters most — whether you reported it and what happened next.

That last point carries more weight than people expect. A landlord’s repairing duty is generally only engaged once they know about a problem, so what you reported and when is usually the pivot of the whole situation. If you have only ever phoned, it is worth reading how to put a repair report in writing before or after you use the check.

What happens after you finish

You get a result that explains how your situation looks and what you can do next. It is deliberately not a verdict: it will not tell you that you have a claim, because no automated tool can decide that from six questions, and any site that says otherwise is overselling.

If the result suggests a review may be worthwhile and you want one, you can leave contact details and a person will look at your circumstances. If you would rather not, you can take the information and use the free routes yourself — that is a completely legitimate outcome and often the right one.

Before you start: it may help to have these to hand

• Roughly when you first noticed each problem.
• Roughly when you first reported it, and how — portal, email, phone or in person.
• What the landlord did afterwards, if anything.
• Whether anyone in the household has been affected, or is more vulnerable to the conditions.

None of it has to be exact. Approximate dates are fine, and you can always come back once you have dug out the details. If you want to get the evidence in order first, our evidence guide sets out what tends to matter.

Common questions

Is the check really free?

Yes. The check is free, and so is having your enquiry reviewed by a person afterwards. You are not asked for payment at any point, and we will always tell you about the free routes available to you — your landlord’s complaints procedure, the Housing Ombudsman and your council — whether or not your situation is one we can help with.

Do I have to give my name or phone number?

Not to see your result. The six questions are about your home and your landlord, not about you. Contact details are only asked for afterwards, if you decide you want a person to look at your situation, and nothing is sent to anyone without your explicit permission.

How long does it take?

Under a minute for most people. There are six questions with buttons to tap rather than boxes to type in. Your answers are held in your browser for the session so you can go back a step without losing them.

What does the check ask about?

Where you live and what kind of landlord you have, what the problems are, how long they have been going on, whether you have reported them and what happened after you did. Those are the facts that matter most to whether a situation is worth reviewing.

Will it tell me whether I have a claim?

No, and you should be cautious of anything that says it will. Whether a claim is possible depends on the full facts, and no automated tool can decide that. The check gives you a guide to where you stand and what to do next, which is a different and more honest thing.

What happens after I finish?

You see a result explaining how your situation looks and what you can do next, including the free routes. If it suggests a review may be worthwhile and you want that, you can share contact details and a person will look at it. If you would rather not, you can simply use the information and go no further.