Client from London wins against Clarion Housing after the landlord breached their contract to fix the disrepair

Clarion Housing tenant, Mrs R, was living with rotting windows in her London home whilst her landlord, Clarion Housing, neglected to do repairs. After Mrs R had been complaining for years, she instructed us at Pabla & Pabla to get the repairs done and receive the relevant compensation.

Living in London, Mrs R had been complaining about disrepair to her landlord since 2016. All the windows in the house were old and deteriorating.

Over time, new problems arose. In the kitchen, there was no extractor fan, so mould had started growing on the walls, ceiling, floors, and windows. Similarly, the bathroom extractor fan was defective, leading to green moss growing on the window seal. Mould had started to spread to all the bedrooms.

During this time, Clarion Housing made next to no attempt to remedy the disrepair.

Mrs R had lived in her home since 2014, but the damp and mould problems had built up over time, to the point where she needed a solution.

She instructed us at Pabla & Pabla to fight for the comfort that she deserves. Fee earner, Stephen Cross, swiftly sent a letter of claim outlining the defects of the property to the landlord.

The surveyors report found that all the windows in the property were in disrepair as the wood was rotting. They were causing unnecessary draughts, and their poor condition even meant they were a security risk in Mrs R’s home.
They also confirmed that the front and bedroom doors were damaged and in need of repair.

Despite this, Clarion Housing denied liability and offered financial compensation without offering to complete the necessary works that were outlined by the surveyor. It is a common tactic of defendants in housing disrepair cases to undervalue first offers.

After rejecting the inadequate offer, Clarion Housing sent a new one, guaranteeing that all the recommended works by the surveyor in Mrs R’s home would be carried out within 120 days. She also received £1,771 in financial compensation.

Unfortunately, even after the 120 days had elapsed, Clarion Housing still hadn’t completed the works. This led to Stephen submitting a breach claim.

Mrs R received a further £450 because of Clarion Housing’s breach of contract. The works were completed shortly after.

Here at Pabla & Pabla we understand that it can be frustrating when defendants seem to be dragging out the claim process. Whilst clients are living in disrepair, defendants will often make deliberately low offers and deny liability whenever they can.

We will support you even after the first offer has been accepted, just like in Mrs R’s case, making sure that the works are completed even if a contract is breached.