Disrepair claims

Housing disrepair typically means a rented home or any other type of rented accommodation that is in need of repair for it to qualify as safe and suitable for renters to live in.

Due to the increased activity of door knocking canvassers that sell leads to solicitors, being undertaken across our communities, the council have started to see an increase in disrepair claims. Solicitors are predominantly interested in making money.

The council are here to help, and our priority is to make sure that all repairs necessary are undertaken quickly, without the delays of a legal process and that people are happy in their homes.

Before you make a disrepair claim

Taking court action can be very costly and time consuming and should only be done as a last resort. Before deciding whether to take your landlord to court for failing to make repairs you should:

  • Check your landlord is responsible for the repairs
  • Check you have reported the problem (at least once) and given your landlord a reasonable amount of time to do the work
  • Think about whether you have explored other options to resolve the problem first
  • Look at what evidence you have to help support your case
  • Think about whether you can afford to take court action if you cannot get help with legal costs.

We urge all our tenants to be cautious opening doors to uninvited traders.

Request a repair

We have a dedicated repairs team that can be contacted if any work is necessary, which we will aim to undertake as quickly as possible, with minimum disruption. You can request a repair or contact us with your concerns online.

Our repairs team have undergone specialist training in damp and condensation and have been provided with specialist equipment to check and monitor for damp. We also have a 24-hour emergency repairs service available.

© Wigan Council