Court charges tenant £7,964.75 for failed disrepair complaint
Council tenants are being reminded to report repairs to their landlord as ‘no win, no fee’ legal firms target York tenants and a County Court judge orders an unsuccessful disrepair claimant to pay £7,964.75 in legal costs this month.
The Council’s reminder follows a campaign advising its tenants to tell City of York Council about any concerns with repairs so they can be put right. It also comes during another rise in housing disrepair claims brought by firms of solicitors on behalf of housing tenants. Some of these disrepair claims have failed in court, with tenants being ordered to pay £1,000s in costs.
These ‘no win no fee’ legal firms press tenants to make claims against the council for failing to repair their home or not doing it well enough. Unsolicited and unaccredited ‘surveyors’ have been reported going door to door, cajoling tenants to make compensation claims against their landlord. They then sell this information on to legal firms for their own gain, with some suggesting that they work for the Council, when they do not.
A ‘no win, no fee’ case by a tenant against the Council was heard in York County Court this month (January 2025). It was dismissed by the District Judge who ordered the unsuccessful tenant to pay costs of £7,964.75.
This follows another unsuccessful ‘no win, no fee’ case against the Council in 2023 which left that tenant being ordered by a judge to pay costs of £10,409.72.
Any tenant approached by people touting for this work is urged to:
- talk to your Housing Management Officer (HMO) first!
- call the police if they feel scared or threatened
- always ask to see identification and check it
- call Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133 if these workers at the doorstep claim to be from the Council.
Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities said: “We strive to get repairs done quickly and efficiently and 86% of them are completed on a first visit. Our tenants are always invited to talk to officers about any repairs needed, or any delay or dissatisfaction with them.
“We are committed to making good any repairs for which we are responsible, and our ongoing and significant housing repair programme is upgrading and modernising homes.
“These claims against the Council mean that everyone loses – except for these legal firms – and have left tenants owing £1,000s in court costs. The time and money spent by the Council to defend these claims could be better invested in tenants’ homes.”
Any council tenant who feels their home needs a repair or if there’s a problem with a repair, please call the Council first on 01904 551550 (option 4, option 1). Our team will ensure you get the right support.
Anyone unhappy about how we have responded to a request for a repair, or how we have carried out one, should please tell us first.
All concerns will be assessed and handled impartially. Find out more at www.york.gov.uk/4Cs or email: haveyoursay@york.gov.uk.