Landlords have responsibilities to make sure their properties are fit for human habitation.
A rented home is 'unfit for habitation' when conditions or safety issues are so bad that it's not reasonable for you to live there.
This could be because the poor conditions:
- seriously affect your health and wellbeing
- put you at risk of physical harm or injury
- mean you cannot make full use of your home
Examples of things that could make a home unfit include:
- Gas safety risks
- Unsafe electrics
- Fire safety issues
- Damp or lack of heating
- Rats, mice or other pests
- Structural or internal disrepair
- Unsanitary toilets, bathrooms or kitchens
Where possible, try and resolve issues with your landlord directly, whether you have a private, housing association or council tenancy.
Landlords must make sure your home is fit to live in throughout your tenancy. If you are unable to resolve the matter with your landlord, you should report issues to the Council's environmental health team.
As a last resort, you can take court action if you think your home is unfit to live in.
The court could order your landlord to:
- carry out any work needed
- pay you compensation
You will need to show what other steps you took to try and get the landlord to resolve the problem, before you take them to court.