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Water Leak Claims – Claim Compensation and Repairs

Housing Disrepair Solicitors brings water leak claims for council and housing association tenants in London. If you’ve reported a leaking roof, burst pipe or flooding and your landlord still hasn’t fixed it, we can push for the repair and claim compensation for the damage and disruption. Eligible claims may be handled on a no win, no fee basis, subject to our assessment and the terms of the funding agreement.

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  • SRA regulated (SRA No. 813100)
  • No win, no fee for eligible claims
  • Free claim check

Can You Make a Water Leak Claim?

You may be able to claim if a leak your landlord is responsible for has been reported and left unfixed, or keeps coming back.

  • The leak comes from something your landlord must repair, such as the roof, gutters, external walls, water pipes, tanks, toilets or the drains.
  • Your landlord knows about it, because you reported it or it was seen during a visit or inspection.
  • It hasn’t been properly fixed. The leak is still there, it returns after each repair, or the source was fixed but the damage was left.

Repeated leaks count

A leak repaired within a few days may not support a claim on its own. Repeated leaks, long delays and damage to your home or belongings all count.

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Where Is the Leak Coming From?

Who has to fix a leak usually depends on where the water is coming from.

Roof, gutters, walls or pipes in your home

Leaks from the roof, guttering, external walls, or the pipes, tanks and fittings your landlord supplied are normally your landlord’s responsibility to repair.

The flat above or shared pipes

If water is coming from a communal pipe, the roof space or a flat your landlord also owns, your landlord is usually responsible. If it’s coming from a neighbour’s own appliance, report it to your landlord anyway, as it usually still has to repair the damage to the parts of your home it’s responsible for.

Your own appliances

A leak from a washing machine or dishwasher you own is usually your own responsibility, unless it’s caused by a fault in the landlord’s plumbing it connects to.

What a Water Leak Claim Can Achieve

We deal with the leak, the damage it has left behind and the compensation you’re owed for living with it.

The source fixed for good

A claim can push your landlord to find and repair what’s actually causing the leak, rather than patching a stain or replacing ceiling boards each time it comes back.

The damage put right

Once the leak is fixed, your landlord should repair the plaster, ceilings and flooring the water damaged, and make good any decoration spoiled by the leak or the repair work.

Your losses

You may be able to claim for the discomfort and inconvenience of living with the leak, belongings ruined by water, rooms you couldn’t use and reasonable extra costs, such as running a dehumidifier. Health effects can be considered too, with medical evidence.

Before You Get in Touch

  • Film or photograph the leak while it’s happening, along with any stains, bulging plaster or damaged flooring.
  • If the leak is from a pipe in your home and it’s safe, turn off the water at the stopcock to limit the damage.
  • Move belongings out of the way, and photograph anything ruined before you throw it away.
  • Report every leak and every missed repair appointment to your landlord in writing, and keep the references.

Still dealing with a leak your landlord hasn’t fixed?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Move quickly since a swollen or spongy ceiling could fall down. Everyone should be kept away from the room, and avoid being near lighting fixtures and sockets that are wet. Should the leak come from a pipe within the house, the water supply must be switched off from the stopcock, then inform your landlord immediately.
Yes, if you have notified the leaking roof to your landlord and it has not fixed it in a reasonable amount of time. Leakage from the roof generally results in damage to the ceiling, bedding and other furniture and causes dampness, so the claim will cover all those costs.
This would depend on the timing of when the damage occurred. It is your landlord’s responsibility to repair any damages that have been caused by the leak once it became aware of it. Damage from a sudden leak that was repaired promptly may not be its responsibility, and your own contents insurance may cover that instead.
Usually, yes. When your landlord repairs a leak, it should also put right the plaster, ceilings and flooring the water damaged, and make good any decoration spoiled by the leak or the repair work. If that damage is left unrepaired, it can form part of a claim.
In most cases, yes. Rainwater getting in through damaged walls, brickwork, window frames or the roof is called penetrating damp, and your landlord must keep the exterior of your home in repair.
Only if the leak was caused by something you did or by an appliance you own. Leaks from worn pipes, the roof, the drains or faulty fittings are your landlord’s responsibility to repair. Keep photos of the leak and ask for a copy of the contractor’s report on the cause.

Is a Leak Still Damaging Your Home?

Tell us where the water is coming from, when you reported it and what has been damaged. We’ll tell you whether you may have a claim, and if we take your case on, we’ll explain each step and every cost before you agree to anything.

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Housing Disrepair Solicitors is a trading name of SLS Solicitors Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 813100).