What Swan Housing owes you by law
As a housing association landlord, Swan Housing carries the same legal repair obligations as any council. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes your landlord responsible for the structure and exterior of your home — the roof, walls, windows, doors, gutters and drains — and for keeping the installations that supply heating, hot water, gas, electricity and sanitation in proper working order. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 adds a further duty: your home must be fit for you to live in, throughout your tenancy.
Put simply, your home must be:
- Safe and fit for human habitationFrom day one of your tenancy, and for as long as you live there.
- Free from serious health hazardsPersistent damp and mould are a legal problem for your landlord — not a lifestyle problem for you.
- Properly maintained, with working utilitiesHeating, hot water, safe electrics and sound plumbing.
- Structurally sound and weather-tightNo leaking roofs, crumbling walls or windows that let the rain in.
The Housing Ombudsman has told social landlords in clear terms to take a proactive approach to disrepair complaints — above all damp and mould — rather than offering temporary patches while the underlying cause is left untreated. If Swan Housing knows about a problem and hasn’t fixed it properly within a reasonable time, the law lets you act.
Keep a paper trail. Report faults in writing, photograph the damage with dates, and keep every reply. Truly urgent repairs should be attended to within 24 hours; for non-emergency repairs, a landlord typically has around 21 days before a claim can proceed.
What your claim could include
A disrepair claim against Swan Housing can recover more than just the repairs themselves:
| Type of compensation | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Rent rebate | A refund of rent for periods when your home wasn’t fully habitable, based on the severity and duration of the disrepair. |
| Health compensation | Physical or mental health conditions caused by the conditions — respiratory problems, skin conditions, stress and anxiety. |
| Damaged belongings | Replacement costs for furniture, clothing, electronics and household goods ruined by damp, leaks or mould. |
| Inconvenience | The disruption to your daily life, reflecting how severely the disrepair affected your household. |
Claims are subject to a 6-year limitation period, so long-running problems can still be compensated — but acting sooner means fresher evidence and a stronger case.
Our no-win-no-fee guarantee means you pay nothing unless your claim is successful — and your first assessment is free.