A UK law firm has spoken out against councils for discouraging tenants from pursuing ‘no win, no fee’ compensation claims.
Councils across the UK are said to have highlighted cases where tenants have ended up with hefty legal bills after failed claims.
This includes examples in York where a was ordered to pay £8,000 in legal costs after their case was dismissed and another landed with a £9,000 bill in Barrow-in Furness after an unsuccessful claim attempt.
Rick Law, managing director of Liberay Legal, which specialises in housing disrepair claims, said: “Scare tactics being used by councils to discourage tenants from utilising these kinds of agreements can be hugely misleading and are only worsening the situation that many tenants unfortunately find themselves in.”
He added: “We know the benefits of pursuing these claims first hand having helped many tenants get their repairs actioned and get the compensation they deserve without any upfront costs.
“In one case, a tenant in Bolton who was living in unacceptable conditions, got help fixing serious damp and mould issues—and received compensation—all through a no win no fee agreement, with no hidden fees”
An estimated 14% of people in the UK (or 3.5 million people) lived in homes that failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard from 2022-2023, according to the government’s English Housing Survey.
Private renters were more likely to experience poor housing conditions, with 21% living in houses that do not meet housing standards, followed by 10% of housing association renters and 9% of local authority renters.