Hull City Council Housing Disrepair Claims

If you rent from Hull City Council and you’ve reported damp, mould, leaks or broken heating without the work being done, you may be able to make the council carry out the repairs and pay you compensation.1,2,3

We act for council tenants across Hull, from Bransholme, Orchard Park and Longhill to Greatfield, Gipsyville and the Thornton estate. Housing Disrepair Experts is a trading name of Cooper Hall Solicitors Limited, a law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 639467). Your claim is handled by our own team. It is not passed on to another firm.

  • Free check of your claim, with no obligation
  • No win, no fee, with our success fee set out in writing before you sign. Terms apply.4
  • Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority5
Start Your Claim Call 01274 044262
What we see in Hull

Common disrepair problems in Hull City Council homes

Hull’s council housing includes post-war estates, low-rise flats and older terraced homes, and many tenants report the same problems again and again:

Black mould on bedroom walls and ceilings
Penetrating or rising damp, and wet or crumbling plaster
Leaking roofs, gutters and wet rooms
Rotten or draughty windows and failed window seals
Broken boilers, no heating or no hot water
Cracks and sloping floors from subsidence
Faulty or damp-affected electrics
Broken kitchen units and bathroom fittings
Pests getting in through gaps and defects

The council will often say mould is condensation and advise you to open windows. Condensation can play a part, but where the real cause is a defect such as a leak, failed damp-proofing or poor ventilation, the council is responsible for fixing it.1,2

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On the record

What the Housing Ombudsman has found against Hull City Council

The Housing Ombudsman publishes its decisions. Recent ones show Hull City Council tenants waiting months, sometimes years, for damp and mould to be dealt with.

DecisionWhat happenedFindingOrdered
29 April 20266 Leaks, damp and mould reported repeatedly from December 2019 to 2024 Service failure £2,050, an apology and an explanation of cancelled insulation works
26 March 20267 Damp and mould and suspected subsidence in a flat, reported from October 2024 Maladministration £500 and an apology
26 August 20258 Damp reported in April 2024, inspected over four months later, repairs finished June 2025 Maladministration £500, an apology and a case review

An Ombudsman complaint is free and can be worth making. But the Ombudsman’s awards are for distress and inconvenience and are usually modest.9 A court claim can also recover a rent rebate, damaged belongings and compensation for health problems, and can force the repairs to be done.10,3

Can I claim against Hull City Council?

You may have a claim if all three apply:

  1. You are a Hull City Council tenant, now or in the last six years.11
  2. You reported the problem to the council, by phone, online, through the MyHousing app or in person.12
  3. The council didn’t fix it within a reasonable time.12,1

It helps if you have photos, repair reference numbers, texts or emails, and receipts for anything you had to replace. If you don’t have all of these, we can request your repair records from the council.

What you could claim

Compensation you could claim from Hull City Council

Rent rebate

A percentage of the rent you paid for the period your home was in disrepair, depending on how badly it was affected.10

Damaged belongings

Clothes, furniture, carpets and bedding ruined by damp, mould or leaks.10

Health

Where damp or mould caused or worsened conditions such as asthma, for you or your children.11,13

Repairs

The council can be required to complete the work at no cost to you.3

Every claim depends on its facts, and we’ll give you an honest view at the free check, including if we think your claim isn’t strong enough to bring.

Why us

Seen the council’s warning about claims companies? Here’s how we’re different

In September 2026, Hull City Council warned tenants about people knocking on doors and falsely claiming to be from the council to sign them up for disrepair claims.17 Its compensation page also warns that a no win, no fee success fee could take part of your compensation.16 Those are fair concerns, so here are straight answers.

The council’s concernHow we work
Callers pretending to be from the councilWe are not connected to the council and never say we are.5
Claims farmers who pass your claim on to another firmWe’re a law firm, regulated by the SRA (No. 639467). Our own solicitors run your claim from start to finish.
A success fee that eats your compensationOur success fee is 25% of your compensation, set out in writing before you sign. If you lose, there’s no fee to pay. Terms apply.4
Bills if the claim failsWe arrange insurance to cover the council’s costs if the claim is lost. Its premium is paid from your compensation, on top of the success fee, and only if you win.14
Repairs delayed by the claimYou should keep reporting repairs and letting the council in. The claim runs alongside the repairs, not instead of them.15,16

You can always complain to the council and the Housing Ombudsman yourself for free. Talk to us when you’ve done that and the problem still isn’t fixed, or when you want compensation the complaints process won’t give you.9

How it works

How we handle your claim against Hull City Council

1

Free check

Tell us what’s wrong and when you reported it. We’ll tell you honestly whether you have a claim.

2

Evidence

We gather your photos and messages and request your repair history from the council.

3

Expert inspection

An independent surveyor inspects your home and reports on the disrepair and its cause.13

4

Letter of claim

We write to the council under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims, setting out the repairs needed and the compensation claimed.13

5

Negotiation

Most claims settle without going to court, with an agreed schedule of repairs and a compensation payment.13

6

Court, if needed

If the council won’t agree, we can ask the county court to order the repairs and award compensation.3

Since 27 October 2025, Awaab’s Law has required social landlords, including Hull City Council, to investigate and fix emergency hazards and serious damp and mould within fixed timescales. If the council has missed those deadlines, we’ll use that in your claim.18

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Good to know

Hull City Council claims: your questions answered

Will making a claim affect my Hull City Council tenancy?

No. The council can’t evict you or treat you differently for making a disrepair claim. You should keep paying your rent and keep letting the council in to do repairs.19

How much compensation could I get from Hull City Council?

It depends on how serious the disrepair was and how long it lasted. Awards are usually based on a percentage of your rent for that period, plus the cost of damaged belongings and any effect on your health.10

Do I have to complain to the council first?

You must have reported the problem, but you don’t have to finish the council’s complaints process before making a claim. Many tenants complain first and come to us when the repairs still haven’t been done.12,13

Is your company connected to Hull City Council?

No. We are an independent law firm, Cooper Hall Solicitors, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. We never claim to be from the council.5

What will I pay if I win?

Our success fee is 25% of your compensation, plus the cost of the insurance, and we show you both figures in writing before you sign. If you lose, there’s no fee to pay. Terms apply.4,14

What if I have rent arrears?

The council may try to set any arrears against your compensation. Tell us at the free check and we’ll explain how it could affect what you receive.20

How long does a claim against Hull City Council take?

Most claims settle within 6 to 12 months. Claims that go to court take longer.

Ready to hold Hull City Council to account?

Free check of your claim with an SRA-regulated law firm. No win, no fee. Terms apply. Call 01274 044262.

Start Your Claim

Sources and legal references

  1. Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11 (landlord's duty to keep the structure, exterior and installations for water, gas, electricity, heating and hot water in repair). Source
  2. Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, ss.9A and 10, inserted by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (home must be fit for human habitation; matters include freedom from damp, ventilation and repair). Source
  3. Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.17 (the court may order specific performance of a landlord's repairing obligations). Source
  4. Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, s.58 (conditional fee agreements and success fees). Source
  5. SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs, para. 8.9: solicitors must not make unsolicited approaches to members of the public to advertise legal services. Source
  6. Housing Ombudsman, Kingston upon Hull City Council (202520372), decision dated 29 April 2026. Source
  7. Housing Ombudsman, Kingston upon Hull City Council (202537227), decision dated 26 March 2026. Source
  8. Housing Ombudsman, Kingston upon Hull City Council (202451024), decision dated 26 August 2025. Source
  9. Housing Ombudsman Scheme (in force from 1 October 2026), approved under Housing Act 1996, s.51 and Sch. 2: "Our service is free for those eligible to use it." The Ombudsman cannot decide liability for personal injury (decision 202537227, para. 8). Source
  10. Wallace v Manchester City Council [1998] EWCA Civ 1166, (1998) 30 HLR 1111 (Court of Appeal): damages for distress and inconvenience while living with disrepair may be assessed as a notional reduction in the rent, a global award, or both, checked against the rent paid. https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/1998/1166.html. See also English Churches Housing Group v Shine [2004] EWCA Civ 434 (Court of Appeal), on assessing disrepair damages by reference to the rent; damaged belongings and other losses are claimed in addition. Source
  11. Limitation Act 1980, s.5 (six years for claims in contract, such as breach of the tenancy repairing covenant). A claim for personal injury must usually be brought within three years (s.11). Source
  12. O'Brien v Robinson [1973] UKHL 1, [1973] AC 912 (House of Lords): a landlord's repairing duty arises once it has notice of the defect, and it must then repair within a reasonable time. Source
  13. Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims (England): letter of claim, landlord response normally within 20 working days, single joint expert and settlement before court proceedings. Source
  14. Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, s.46: after-the-event insurance premiums generally cannot be recovered from the other side. Source
  15. Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11(6): the landlord may enter at reasonable times, on 24 hours' written notice, to view the condition of the home. Source
  16. Hull City Council, "Compensation and legal action: Repairs - legal action". Source
  17. Hull City Council, "Warning issued over 'claims farmers'", 25 September 2026. Source
  18. The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042), made under Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.10A ("Awaab's Law"), in force from 27 October 2025. Source
  19. Housing Act 1985, ss.82 to 84 and Sch. 2: a secure council tenancy can only be ended by a court order on one of the grounds set out in the Act. Making a disrepair claim is not one of them. Source
  20. Civil Procedure Rules, r.16.6 (set-off) and Part 20 (counterclaims): a landlord can raise rent arrears against a tenant's claim. Source