Tenants Will Be Able to Sue Landlords Shortly for Sub-Standard Homes

Tenants will be able to sue their landlords for cold or damp homes under new laws that come into force next month.

If a landlord does not carry out necessary repairs or maintenance, a tenant will be able take them to court where a judge can issue an injunction forcing the work to be carried out.

Around one million rented homes, housing 2.5 million people in the UK are living in sub-standard homes. 

Tenants have been left with substandard and often unsafe accommodation in part because a 1985 law made it the responsibility of local authorities to investigate conditions.

With many local councils overstretched due to massive budget cuts, standards have often been poorly or sporadically enforced, allowing some unscrupulous landlords to skimp on the costs of upkeep and repair, leaving tenants to deal with the consequences.

Councils can only act if there is serious vermin infestation and the response by Council Environmental Departments has been criticized for having to allow tenants to live in appalling conditions.

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