East Suffolk Council

Disrepair Claim Scams

We have been receiving a high number of ‘disrepair claim’ lawsuits raised by legal firms on behalf of tenants on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. If you are contacted by one of these companies, we advise you to contact us as soon as possible rather than following these legal proceedings.

How does the scam work?

The scam works likes this: Solicitors cold call social housing tenants and advise them to not allow their landlord to complete repairs. They then say the tenants can pursue a claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 on a “no win, no fee” basis.

These ‘no win, no fee’ services often turn out to be the complete opposite, with hidden fee’s buried in contracts which the tenant is asked to sign. We believe that these Solicitors do not have tenants’ best interest at heart. Following through with this scam could lead to tenants being liable to paying court costs, even on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.

If you do have any repairs you need to report, you can request these using our online service for Tenants, myHome East Suffolk. Here you can also view and change upcoming repair appointments.
You can also request a repair by calling us on 0333 016 2000, emailing repairs@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or submitting an online form using our Online housing repair request form

If you are dissatisfied with any repairs services you have received from us, you can send a complaint to have this investigated as part of our corporate complaints process. You can submit a complaint by calling us on 0333 016 2000, emailing customerservices@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or you can Send us a complaint online via our website.