Free claim check
We review what you tell us and assess whether we can take your case on.
With a no win, no fee agreement, you can bring a housing disrepair claim against your council or housing association without paying anything upfront. Below, we set out what you’d pay if you win and when costs can still arise, so nothing comes as a surprise later. Whether your claim qualifies depends on our assessment and the terms of the agreement.
No win, no fee is a conditional fee agreement (CFA) between you and us. There’s nothing to pay upfront, and our fees depend on your claim succeeding.
We review what you tell us and assess whether we can take your case on.
If we can act for you, we explain the funding terms, including the success fee, expenses and any possible deductions, before you agree to go ahead.
We pursue the repairs and compensation, keep you informed, and discuss any settlement offer with you before it’s accepted.
| Cost Type | If your claim succeeds | If your claim doesn’t succeed |
|---|---|---|
| Our legal fees | Usually recovered from your landlord | None, provided you’ve kept to the agreement |
| Success fee | Up to 25% of your compensation | None |
| Expenses (disbursements), such as survey or court fees | Usually recovered from your landlord | Dealt with as set out in your agreement |
| Your landlord’s legal costs | Normally none, though turning down a settlement offer can change this | You could be ordered to pay some, covered only if your claim has insurance that includes them |
Costs can also arise if you end the agreement early, don’t cooperate with the claim or give us information that turns out to be untrue. Your agreement sets out exactly when this applies.
The success fee is the extra fee payable under your conditional fee agreement when your claim succeeds. It’s deducted from your compensation at the end, so the amount you receive is your compensation minus the success fee and any other deductions your agreement allows.
It’s never more than 25% of your compensation, and your agreement shows the exact percentage, and how VAT is treated, before you sign.
Surveys, court fees and medical reports are usually recovered from your landlord if your claim succeeds. Your agreement explains how any that aren’t recovered are handled.
No win, no fee covers our fees, not your landlord’s. If a claim fails, a court can order you to pay some of your landlord’s legal costs. After-the-event insurance can protect you against this, depending on the policy and its limits and exclusions, and we’ll tell you whether it applies to your claim and what it costs before you agree.
If the estimated cost of the repairs is £1,000 or less and the compensation (damages) claimed is also £1,000 or less, the case may be dealt with as a small claim, where the rules on recovering legal costs from your landlord are more limited. We’ll tell you at the start if that’s likely and how your agreement deals with it.
If you end the agreement after work has started, you may have to pay for the work done up to that point.
Not every claim can be taken on under no win, no fee. Before offering an agreement, we look at who your landlord is, whether the disrepair was reported, how long ago it started, the evidence available and what the claim is likely to be worth.
Our acceptance criteria can be narrower than the rights tenants have in law, so a free claim check is the quickest way to find out where you stand.
The check is free and there’s no obligation.
Tell us about the disrepair, who your landlord is and what you’ve reported so far. We’ll let you know whether your claim could be taken on under no win, no fee and answer any questions about the costs before you decide.
Housing Disrepair Solicitors is a trading name of SLS Solicitors Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 813100).