Signs you may have a structural problems claim
- Large or widening cracks, especially diagonal ones around doors and windows
- Doors and windows sticking because the frames have moved
- Sloping, bouncy or sagging floors
- Bulging or leaning walls
- Loose balcony railings, banisters or stairs
- Tree roots close to the house or lifting paving
The structure is the landlord's most basic duty
Foundations, load-bearing walls, floors, roof structure, chimneys, staircases, balconies and lintels are the structure of the building, and Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 puts them squarely on the landlord. Structural defects also create hazards such as collapse, falls and entrapment that make a home unfit under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
Causes of structural disrepair
- Subsidence and heave, often caused by clay soils drying or swelling, leaking drains washing away support, or tree roots drawing water from under the foundations.
- Failed lintels over doors and windows, allowing the brickwork above to sag and crack.
- Rotten or beetle-infested timber in floors, joists and roof structures, usually the result of long-term leaks.
- Wall-tie failure in cavity walls, which lets the outer leaf bulge away.
- Overloaded or poorly altered structures, for example walls removed without proper support.
- Loose or corroded balcony railings, handrails and staircases.
When cracks are serious
Hairline cracks in plaster are common and usually harmless. Cracks wider than a few millimetres, diagonal cracks stepping through brickwork, cracks that keep growing or that let daylight through, and doors or windows that suddenly stick are signs of movement that must be investigated by a structural engineer or surveyor, at the landlord's expense.
What you can claim
- Investigation by a suitably qualified engineer and the structural repairs required, which may include underpinning, tree removal, drain repair or rebuilding.
- Making good the internal damage.
- Compensation as a percentage of rent, higher where rooms were unusable or you had to move out temporarily.
- The cost of temporary accommodation or storage if you were decanted without proper provision.
Evidence that helps
Photograph cracks with a ruler or coin for scale and repeat monthly to show movement. Note sticking doors and windows. Keep all correspondence, especially any surveyor's or insurer's reports the landlord has shared.
Think you have a housing disrepair claim?
Tell us what is wrong with your home and we will check, free of charge, whether you can claim repairs and compensation on a no win, no fee basis.
Structural disrepair: your questions answered
How do I know if a crack is structural?
Width, direction and change over time matter most. Anything over about 5mm, diagonal or stepped through brickwork, or growing, should be inspected. Our surveyor will assess it as part of your claim.
My landlord says it is an insurance matter. Does that stop my claim?
No. How the landlord funds the repair is up to them; the duty to repair within a reasonable time still applies to them, not the insurer.
Is a wobbly balcony railing disrepair?
Yes, and a dangerous one. Report it as an emergency; falls from height are among the most serious hazards in housing law.
A tree in the garden is damaging the house. Whose job is it?
If the tree is on the property the landlord lets, managing it is their responsibility. If it belongs to a neighbour, the landlord still has to repair your home and pursue the neighbour.