The Importance of Home Visits

Explaining damp, mould, leaks and other repair problems over the telephone can be difficult. Housing Disrepair Helpline offers free home visits where appropriate so we can see the conditions first-hand and help give the appointed solicitor a fuller picture.

A photograph can show a patch of mould or a damaged ceiling. It may not show how several rooms are affected, where water appears to be entering the building, or how the conditions interfere with everyday life.

For a claimant living with unresolved disrepair, a home visit can be the best practical starting point: an opportunity to show someone the problems, explain what has happened and make sure important details are recorded.

We come to your home free of charge

Housing Disrepair Helpline can arrange a free visit to a claimant’s home to look at reported repair problems inside the property and, where safely accessible and relevant, outside it.

During the visit, we can discuss the history of the problems, look at the affected areas and record information to pass to the solicitor assessing or handling the claim.

There is no charge for the HDH home visit. If a solicitor subsequently offers to take on the claim, they will explain their separate funding terms and any potential costs before you decide whether to proceed.

Looking inside and outside the property

Housing disrepair does not always begin where the damage becomes visible.

A damp bedroom wall may be connected to an external defect. Water entering through a roof or gutter may affect ceilings, plaster and decorations inside the home. Problems in communal areas may also be relevant.

Depending on the property and access available, our visit can include looking at:

Damp, mould and water staining.
Leaking ceilings and visible water damage.
Damaged plaster, walls and flooring.
Windows, doors and visible gaps or deterioration.
Reported heating, plumbing or ventilation problems.
Relevant external walls, gutters and other visible features.
Accessible communal areas connected with the reported issues.

Our visit records visible conditions and the claimant’s account. It does not replace an independent surveyor’s report or specialist testing where these are needed. Roofs, concealed defects and unsafe areas may require assessment by an appropriately qualified professional.

Why a home visit can make a difference

Our in-house surveyors may spot issues your landlord has not identified or recorded. Looking at the home as a whole can help uncover connections between visible damage and problems elsewhere in the building. Where specialist testing or an independent expert report is needed, the appointed solicitor can advise on the next step.

When you have lived with a repair problem for months, it can be easy to overlook details or struggle to explain the full situation on a form.

A home visit gives you time to walk through the affected areas and explain what happens when it rains, which rooms you cannot use properly and whether previous repairs have failed.

It also helps us understand how different problems may be connected. Rather than treating each photograph as an isolated issue, we can record the wider picture.

For suitable cases, we believe seeing the home first-hand is the best way to begin understanding the conditions and preparing a clear account for the solicitor.

Helping the solicitor understand the facts

A solicitor needs more than a list of defects. They need to understand the history of the disrepair, when the landlord was notified and what happened afterwards.

During a visit, we can help gather information about:

When each problem started.
When and how it was reported to the landlord.
Repair appointments, inspections and work already attempted.
Problems that have returned after repairs.
Rooms and belongings affected.
The impact on the household’s use of the home.

Where available, repair reference numbers, emails, complaint responses and earlier photographs can help support that account.

The aim is to give the solicitor as complete and accurate a starting picture as possible. The solicitor will decide what further documents, expert evidence or enquiries are required.

You can explain the impact in your own home

Housing disrepair affects people as well as buildings.

A leaking ceiling may mean moving furniture every time it rains. Mould may prevent a family from using a bedroom. Repeated appointments may mean taking time away from work without the problem being resolved.

Meeting at the property gives claimants an opportunity to explain these practical effects while showing the affected areas.

You do not need to know the technical cause of a defect. Tell us what you have noticed, what you have reported and how it affects your household.

The benefits of choosing a claims management company

One of the difficulties tenants face is knowing which solicitor to approach.

Different firms have different experience, capacity and criteria for accepting housing disrepair claims. A tenant who contacts one firm and is turned away may assume there is nowhere else to go.

Housing Disrepair Helpline works with a panel of solicitors. This gives us access to different firms that specialise in different disrepair issues and allows us to help identify a suitable firm to assess the circumstances.

Our role can include listening to your concerns, gathering initial information, arranging a free home visit where appropriate and helping you access legal advice.

The appointed solicitor remains responsible for advising you on the merits of the claim, explaining funding and conducting any legal proceedings.

Using a claims management company is a choice. You can approach a solicitor directly, and you can use your landlord’s complaints process and the Housing Ombudsman without appointing a claims management company.

Local visits backed by years of experience

Housing Disrepair Helpline has helped more than 25,000 tenants over the past 11 years, supporting people seeking repairs and compensation.

Our free home visits bring that support directly to the claimant’s property, helping us understand the reported conditions and pass relevant information to the appointed solicitor.

Request a free home visit

If you are a council or housing association tenant with outstanding repair problems, contact Housing Disrepair Helpline for a free initial assessment.

We can discuss whether a free home visit is appropriate, look at the reported conditions and help you take the next step towards obtaining legal advice.

Read about No Win No Fee funding and legal aid for housing disrepair.